Every drop counts

The Israeli-Palestinian territory is some of the world’s most arid. Thus, water is an important subject – and an important factor in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel claims the lion’s share for itself, drawing the water off for its own use. Though the West Bank sits atop aquifers with significant ground water, they too are under Israeli control. The Palestinians have enough water only in winter, and only when there is enough rain to fill the natural reservoirs.

Rain was scarce this winter, however, and the situation is becoming more acute for many Palestinians. Many families are finding the public water supply to be unreliable. Moreover, 220 West Bank villages are not connected to any water system at all: these families must buy water from tank trucks, which is expensive, or supply themselves from the few remaining wells that have not run dry. Israel forbids all new drilling.

Even in larger cities such as Ramallah, water flows from the faucets only two days a week – and then mostly at night. Residents must then try to fill tanks and store water for he coming days. According to the World Bank, Palestinians have access to 75 cubic meters of water annually; in Israel, the figure is 240 cubic meters – over three times as much.

Chronic water shortage is not the only problem: inadequate water quality plagues many families as well. The available water is often polluted with agricultural residues such as fertilizers or pesticides, and bacteria breeds in water stored in tanks and canisters. Many experts agree that the future of the Middle East will be shaped by the struggle for access to clean water.