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PRESS RELEASE
Palestine Academy for Science and Technology
International Conference
Water: Values and Rights
Ramallah, 2-4 May 2005 – Today, the first International and
Scientific Conference on Water in its kind in the Palestinian
Territories, enters its third and last day at the Best Eastern Hotel in
Ramallah. The conference, jointly organized by Palestine Academy for
Science and Technology and the Palestinian Water Authority and
co-sponsored by UNDP, was attended by over two hundred local and
international participants, scientists, researchers, water and legal
experts and decision makers.
Over 50 papers were presented focusing on water resources management,
wastewater management, water rights and international law, strategic
planning and regional cooperation.
In his speech, on the 22nd March 2005 addressing World Water Day, which
marked the beginning of the UN Water Decade, the United Nations
Secretary General described Water as “a source for life” confirming that
the world needs to respond much better in making water not a resource of
conflict but instead forging it as a catalyst for cooperation. This
speech comes while people in many countries around the world are facing
serious problems ranging from shortage of the potable water to the
inadequate distribution and monopoly of water resources that certainly
have adverse consequences on all aspects of life.
This Conference, taking place in Palestine, is the first initiative in
the framework of the United Nations Water Decade 2005-2015: Water for
Life.
The issue of the status quo of Palestinian access to water was one of
the recurrent topics at the conference. It was stressed that despite all
efforts and investments during the last ten years, the per capita
consumption of the Palestinian consumer community has not increased in
some areas and has actually dropped.
Participants stressed that Palestinians really do have sufficient water
resources in the West Bank. However, access to those water resources are
strictly controlled by the Israeli Authorities under Military orders.
The singular prime environmental water supply and quality hazard is the
Israeli occupation. The situation is worsening with the construction of
the Wall.
To remedy the situation the conference came up with the following
recommendations:
- Principles of International Law should apply to all current and
future regional water management issues and regional projects. The
Palestinian capacity in legal issues related to water, needs to be
supported. The International Community, as well as the Palestinian
community at all levels, needs to be better informed of the
Palestinian water rights in the context of international water law.
- Strategies and plans in terms of water resources management need
to be assessed, examined, modified and rectified to reach the
objective of increasing the Palestinian per capita consumption in an
equitable and reasonable way and improving water quality.
- Donor policies and strategies should not only support the
technical aspect of providing water to the Palestinians but also
acknowledge the political aspects of the water issue. Palestinians
need the political support of donor countries more than any
financial assistance.
- Long-term financial and political commitments from the
International Community are required to enable and facilitate the
development of the water sector.
- Coordination and cooperation among all stakeholders at all
levels should be enhanced and more focused on the water sector in
order to meet the challenges of this UN Water Decade.
- Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in Palestine should
be enhanced and capacity-building programs in this field should be
developed and implemented.
- Know-how, technical support and strategic planning in the water
and wastewater sector should be linked to water related health
issues – locally, nationally and regionally.
- Without prejudice to Palestinian water rights, the agriculture
sector of Palestine needs to review cropping patterns and support
the farming community to adjust and/or initiate those in order to
cope with water scarcity. Recycled treated wastewater should be
encouraged to be the primary water source for future agriculture
development in the region.
- In order to protect the environment and the scarce water
resources, the reuse of wastewater should be adopted through proper
selection of wastewater technologies and new concepts of wastewater
management.
- The service gap in the water and wastewater sector needs to be
reduced and sustainability of existing and new services ensured.
The Conference also highlighted that individual water rights fall
under social rights in the realm of international law and that the
collective water rights for the Palestinians as a people should be
negotiated in this framework.
This Conference considers itself as the first step to create an
organized public debate in Palestine on the principles and priorities of
addressing the severe water crisis. It is a Palestinian responsibility
to unify its “voice” and make it heard.
For more information about the Conference, please contact:
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