Palestine

1
Palestine

• WLI Inception Workshop
• ICARDA, Aleppo,
• 7-9 July 2008

• Nader Sh. Hrimat
• Applied Research Institute Jerusalem (ARIJ)

2
The demographics at the selected sites in
Palestine (communities/populations Targeted)

• The targeted areas are the Eastern Slopes and
  Jordan Valley (ESJV) in the West Bank/Palestinian
  Territory.
• Based on the PCBS for the year 2007, The
  population of the targeted area forms 108,788
  persons.

3

• Map of Agro-eco-Zones

4
Physical and socio-economic description of the
ESJV

• The total area of both agro-eco-zones (ESJV ) is
  1977.1 km2, which forms 33.7 of the West Bank
  area.
• The ESJV area elevation ranges from 375 m below
  sea level to 550 m above sea level.

5

• Average annual rainfall Average
  annual Temperature

Mean Annual Temperature
Average Annual Rainfall

• Average annual rainfall of the ESJV ranges
  between 50 mm in the south east to 400 mm in the
  north west.
• Average annual temperature of the ESJV ranges
  between 25 0C mm in the south east to 19 0C in
  the north west.

6

• The targeted area contains 51 localities of which
  2 are main urban cities, 2 are refugee camps, 40
  are rural communities, and 7 localities are
  Semi-Bedouin communities.
• According to Oslo Agreement, 83 of the targeted
  area is defined as Area C.

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• 88.4, 60.6 and 25 of the labor force in the
  semi-Bedouins communities, rural communities and
  urban areas are working in the agricultural
  sector (plant and livestock production),
  respectively.
• Up to 25 of the Bedouin communities labour force
  are currently unemployed compared with 16.7 for
  rural areas and 12.4 for urban areas in the
  ESJV.
• Employment in the Jordan Valley is seasonal.
  During the production season, unemployment
  disappears while for the other half of the year
  unemployment in agriculture increases to 20.
  This case can be presented for most of the plant
  production systems while for livestock it is more
  stable.

8
The location and geographic boundaries of the
ESJV (Badia, irrigated, rainfed)

• Palestinian built-up area forms 1.06 (8.9 km2).
• Israeli agricultural settlements and military
  bases form 3.8 (75 km2). These settlements are
  consuming 60 MCM of water/year.

9

• The arable and cultivated agricultural areas form
  19.7 of the ESJV total area.
• 34.6 of the ESJV area is permanent rangelands
  and 36.4 is open space with little or no
  vegetation, which forms 90 of the rangeland area
  in the WB.
• There are 255,800 heads of sheep and goats
  inhabiting the area (23 of the small ruminants
  in the WB).
• Total rainfed area is 55,445 dunums (3.6 of the
  total rainfed areas in the WB).
• Total irrigated area is 49,690 dunums (36.2 of
  the irrigated areas in the WB) of which 3750
  dunums are cultivated under greenhouses.
• The ESJV agricultural areas produce 30.2 of the
  West Bank vegetables production 8 of fruits
  trees production and 20.7 of the field crops
  and forages production.

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The background changes that lead to the current
state of affairs at the ESJV

• 80 of the rangeland are under the control of
  occupation and inaccessible to the Palestinian
  people. (This has resulted in land degradation,
  over grazing, and reduced the grazing capacity as
  well as misuse and bad management ).
• Water resources ES zone is the main catchment
  area for the eastern water aquifer, which yields
  172 MCM/year and the Jordan valley is the main
  discharge area of this aquifer where irrigated
  agriculture is predominant. The Palestinians are
  allowed to utilize only 39.7 of the aquifer
  water, while the Israeli side is taking the 60.3
  of this aquifer water.
• Plant production JV zone constitutes a unique
  integrated agro-eco-production system for
  producing food commodities out of its regular
  season, which offers add value to the area
  agro-production. While the ES zone contributes
  by producing field crops and forages for
  livestock.

11

• Water resources in the ESJV.
• (Wells and Springs)

12

• Livestock production Most of the Bedouin
  communities are located in the ESJV area, which
  is considered as their private area. Bedouins and
  herders of other areas are used to bring their
  flocks to the rangeland area due to the early
  growing of the wild plants. Despite the
  continuous increase in the livestock numbers, the
  limited access to the natural rangelands,
  drought, and the increase in the fodders cost
  are threatening the sustainability of this
  sector.
• Physical Characteristics This area has the
  potential for developing and improving its
  agricultural production as it is rich in its
  agricultural lands and water resources and as it
  enjoys special and diversify topography and
  weather conditions.
• Socioeconomic conditions The rural and extended
  families that are living in the targeted area,
  are considered mainly rural and semi-Bedouin
  communities, vulnerable to food insecurity,
  unemployment and occupation practices.

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The most significant livelihood, production and
policy constraints confronting communities at the
ESJV

• Water management 30-50 of annual springs water
  flow is not used in complete, due to the lack of
  management and infrastructure.
• Feasibility of agriculture production the
  drought, the increase of the production inputs
  costs, the restrictions on commodities movement
  locally and abroad, the limited access to natural
  resources, land, water and vegetation cover have
  all resulted in reducing the production profit
  significantly.
• Infrastructure lack of post-harvest treatments
  and suitable storage and transportation
  facilities.
• Soil salinity and land degradation the intensive
  usage of agro-chemicals and over discharge for
  ground water has resulted in increasing soil and
  water salinity.

14

• Land and vegetation cover degradation the over
  grazing and limited access to the rangelands are
  the main reasons behind the degradation.
• The production calendar by crop and season Water
  resources, market requirements, land ownership
  and tenure, planning and know how and when and
  what to produce are the main factors affecting
  the annual planted area and corps and cropping
  patterns.
• Extension Services and farmers training programs
  are limited and the National Authority is the
  main provider of extension and veterinary
  services.
• Competitiveness with the Israeli produce
  Palestinian goods can enter the Israeli market
  just to cover the shortages there, while the
  Israeli commodities are freely entering the
  Palestinian markets and without control.

15

• Lack of national developmental strategies and
  action plans for the ESJV.
• Lack of research activities especially for
  improving practices, resource management,
  friendly technology adoption, production
  feasibility and marketing add value.
• The indirect impact for the competition between
  intensive cultivations for agribusiness and
  traditional agriculture for household food
  security as well as the competition between small
  farmers and private sector.
• Lack of research activities about the improvement
  of Livestock farming and production system and
  the coping strategies to reduce the significant
  increases in the production cost.

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The approach to solve the problems select the
highest priority topics the NARES wish to address
in the context of the WLI

• Study, analyze and modeling the available water
  and land resources, water catchment areas and
  develop pilot activities for water harvesting,
  water use efficiency and land sutabilty.
• Assist in improving the production patterns and
  calendar through introducing new marketable
  crops, and practicing new agro-technologies.
• Build the capacities of specialists, extension
  workers and the farmers in the field of
  production practices, IPM, natural resources
  management, and post harvest treatments.
• Enhance the authorities to develop strategies and
  perform action plans for improving water and
  agriculture production system, protect small
  farmers and improve their livelihoods, and
  organize the grazing activities.

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• Protect and sustain the land and vegetation cover
  through enhancing land rehabilitation and
  increasing the biomass of rangelands vegetation
  cover.
• Enhance farmers cooperation and organizations to
  improve the farmer access to services and to the
  market.
• Improve cooperation among existing agricultural
  institutions.
• Encourage the local NGOs, donors and
  international organizations to implement
  activities aiming to increase food security and
  improve the livelihood of farmers and sector
  workers.

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Thank You