The Issue of Water Between Israel and the Palestinians

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The Issue of Water Between Israel and the
Palestinians
State of Israel
The Water Administration for the WBGS

• Main Principles of the Water Agreement,
  Implementation, Negotiations

2009May
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Executive SummaryIntroductionBackground to the
StudyRequested by the Palestinian Authority
(PA), this assessment is the fourth in the World
Banks Movement and Access study series1. The
goal of the assessment is to develop a balanced
analysis and create awareness of the factors
restricting Palestinian water sector development
as well as of the economic, social, and
environmental impacts of these restrictions. The
assessment addresses factors such as sector
governance, and movement and access (MA)
restrictions beyond the control of the
Palestinian Authority, as well as internal
contributing factors, notably governance and
capacity weaknesses of Palestinian institutions.
Middle East and North Africa Region Sustainable
Development The World Bank
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Schematic Cross Section of the Mountain Aquifer
in the Judean Mountains Region
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Total Quantity of Fresh Water per Capita on
Multiannual Average in Countries Bordering Israel
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Total Quantity of Fresh Water per Capita on
Multiannual Average in Countries Bordering Israel
Israel Vs. World Bank
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Main Principles of the Water Agreement

• Palestinian Water Rights are recognized and shall
  be determined in the Permanent Status Agreement.
• Development of new water sources.
• Maintaining existing quantities of utilization
  taking into consideration the quantities of
  additional water for the Palestinian from the
  Eastern Aquifer.
• Future additional needs of the Palestinians in
  the West Bank are estimated to be between 70-80
  MCM/year. In this framework, both sides recognize
  the necessity to make available to the
  Palestinians (WB) during the interim period a
  total quantity of 23.6 MCM/year (out of which 5
  MCM to the Gaza Strip).
• Each side shall take all necessary measures to
  prevent any harm, pollution, or deterioration of
  water quality of the water resources.
• The total annual recharge of the Mountain Aquifer
  is 679 MCM .
• Both sides shall establish Joint Supervision and
  Enforcement Teams who shall operate, in the
  field, to monitor, supervise and enforce the
  implementation of Article 40.
• In order to implement their undertakings, the two
  sides will establish a permanent Joint Water
  Committee (JWC)

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Implementation of the Agreement

• Israel made available over 70 MCM/yr for the
  Palestinians during the interim period, even
  though it was agreed on a quantity of only 23.6
  MCM/yr, (in addition to the 118 MCM/year which
  was consumed by the Palestinians at the signing
  of the agreement).
• Israel offers the Palestinians a significant
  quantity of additional water (temporarily) for
  Gaza, from the Ashkelon desalination plant, as
  well as an option to solve the water issue in the
  northern West Bank through a desalination plant
  in Hadera.
• The Palestinians drill unauthorized wells and do
  not Develop new water sources through sewage
  treatment and desalination.
• The Palestinians do not treat their sewage, which
  is contaminating the aquifer and reaching Israel.

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Water Agreement - Commitments and In Practice
(MCM/yr)
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Wells Approved by the JWC for Drilling by the
Palestinians since the Agreement
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Water Agreement Obligation vs. Implementation
(Major Commitments)
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Unauthorized Wells
About 146 of the total 250 unapproved wells are
shown. The existence of the others is known, but
they are not indicated since their exact
coordinates are missing.
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The Palestinian Position

• Complete ownership of most of the water from the
  Mountain Aquifer (part of the realization of the
  Palestinian sovereignty).
• Rights over the Jordan River basin (including
  Lake Kinneret).
• Rights over the Coastal Aquifer and the Dead Sea.
  
• Complete rights over the Gaza Aquifer and the
  natural water flowing to its direction from
  Israel.
• Development of new water desalination and
  treatment are not instead of rights over natural
  water.
• Declared intention realization of the principle
  of "equitable and reasonable use in per capita
  water allocation.
• The quantities of additional water set in the
  agreement are no longer relevant nor is the total
  amount of the available water quantity.

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Total Quantity of Renewable Fresh Water, on a
Multiannual Average, between the Jordan River and
the Mediterranean Sea

• According to the Palestinians
• 2,550 mcm/yr prepared to give Israel 60,
  i.e. 1,530 mcm/yr.
• and the rest to the Palestinians 1,020
  mcm/yr.
• According to Israel
• 1,545 mcm/yr on a multiannual average since
  1971.
• 1,320 mcm/yr on a multiannual average since
  1993.
• Israel remains with 1,100 mcm/yr.
• (after subtracting the water quantities to
  the Palestinians and
• to Jordan).

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Israels Position for the Permanent Status
Agreement

• The current Water Agreement outlines the
  permanent status agreement specifically in the
  aspects of water allocations, handling the water
  scarcity issue and maintaining the water
  resources.
• Additional water will be supplied from unused
  water resources (eastern aquifer and diminishing
  water losses) and from industrial production
  (desalination and treatment) not on the expense
  of the other side or by overdrawing.
• In any case, reasonable water supply is
  guaranteed, for domestic use, today and in the
  future, for the Israelis and Palestinians in the
  West Bank
• All the sewage will be treated for reuse,
  specifically for irrigation.
• Regional cooperation to handle the water scarcity
  issue is possible and may establish a foundation
  for advancing a regional cooperation in other
  fields.