المحتوى متاح باللغة الإنجليزية

Ziad Abdul Jalil is 35 years old farmer, father of six children. He lives in the West Bank village of Beit Dajan located East of Nablus: “Water is really important for agriculture in our area - he says -. We do lack to drinkable water generally, we were forced to purchase high priced tankered water for agriculture”.

Water consumption, access to water and water distribution by Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories reflect immense inequalities, with Israel currently controlling around 80% of the water reserves in the West Bank . Palestine and Israel share three aquifer basins that go through the West Bank, and Israel covers around 60% of its water supply by these basins. In addition, Israeli settlers are the largest per capita producers of wastewater in the West Bank, large quantities of which are discharged directly to the surrounding environment, contaminating the adjacent land and water streams used by Palestinians . 

Jalil is one of few farmers depending now on low quality treated water produced by the Waste Water Treatment Plant in the community, which is providing water for farmers to be used in agriculture. “Before having the plant in the village – Jalil adds –, it was really challenging to go on farming, with the current situation and the side technical and quality issues, we are hardly improving and we are looking forward in the next period to receive high quality treated water following the rehabilitation planned activities”. 

MENAWARA project supports Palestinian partner WWGVC in targeting Beit Dajan wastewater tratement plant which serves most of the residents (total inhabitants 4,460), through rehabilitation of the treatment technical components, and installation of innovative irrigation trains and networks for reuse of Treated Waste Water. 

Jalil is ready to invest more in agriculture in the future: “I am planning to invest 1.2 acres (12 dunums) in agriculture, we can plant lemon trees, and we will have a great opportunity in this investment when we’ll secure better quality treated water, otherwise, our investment will be challenged by the lack of water availability”.