The Basics: What are Gaza and the West Bank?
Throughout the twentieth century, the establishment of the State of Israel in Palestine has been a huge point of contention between Arabs and Palestinians and serves to fuel much of the tension that persists in the Middle East to this day.
The result of Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory in the early 20th Century has been an unprecedented 100-year-long struggle for Palestinians. Their struggle is mostly characterized by an egregious lack of functioning infrastructure in Gaza and the West Bank.
Defining Features of Infrastructure in the West Bank and Gaza
The quality of infrastructure in each of these regions is extremely different from the other. In Gaza, the lack of access to clean water, electricity and proper sewage management are indicative of the region’s current humanitarian crisis. The causes of that situation are many, but the most impactful have been the three wars that have ensued in a period of just 10 years, the rise of Hamas, and the Israeli blockade. Each of these events compounds the other.
For years, the region has had to cope with 12-16 hour blackouts, due in part to the destruction of electricity plants during the wars, but mainly to a political struggle between Hamas (the group that runs the West Bank) and the Palestinian Authority (main Palestinian actor in the West Bank). This strain on the energy infrastructure effects Gaza’s access to clean water, and its ability to treat sewage as well.
The extraction of water from the coastal aquifer, Gaza’s main source of freshwater, requires huge amounts of energy to which Gaza does not have access. Israel is currently providing 10 mcm of water to Gaza every year – an increase from the 5 mcm required by the Oslo Accords of 1995.
Waste management is another of Gaza’s infrastructural problems. Currently, 3.5 million cubic feet of untreated sewage run from Gaza into the Mediterranean every year, threatening not only the health of Palestinians but that of Israelis and the Mediterranean as a whole. Lack of proper infrastructure for schools and hospitals is yet another strain on the livelihoods of Gaza’s 1.8 million inhabitants.
In the West Bank, the picture, though less time sensitive, is still far from acceptable. Governed partially by the Palestinian Authority and partially by Israel, troubles of infrastructure are intensified by the political battle between the two governments.
The most concerning aspect of infrastructure in the West Bank is the access Palestinians have to freshwater. In fact, there is a great discrepancy between the amount of water utilized by the Israeli territories versus that utilized by the Palestinians. In addition to a general strain on water resources, the West Bank is unable to oversee the proper processing of sewage water which leads to groundwater contamination and a lost opportunity – use of recycled sewage water for irrigation.
The difference between infrastructure in the West Bank and Gaza is amplified greatly by the presence, or lack, of Israeli funding. Despite both of the regions experiencing of similar problems related to water and waste management (both impacted by access to electricity), Gaza’s exposure to these troubles is often far worse than those of the West Bank, due to years of isolation from Israel and other wealthy nations.
Is there a solution?
The question of improving Palestinian infrastructure comes down to a finding a solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine. Except unfortunately, this has proven to be one of the most elusive problems of international diplomacy for nearly seven decades.
Though many proposals have been made, the abuses perpetrated by each side continue to bar sustained, positive progression towards peace. Since the end of the Six-Day-War in 1967 in which Israel annexed the West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem, the Sinai Peninsula, and the Golan Heights, a solution has hinged on the idea that Israel will only give up land if they are ensured an end of Palestinian attacks.
Today, the two-state solution, heralded by the United States and the majority of the international community, has reached a standstill as a result of continued conflict and mistrust between Israelis and Palestinians. Yet, some political analysts maintain that peace is still attainable. What it will take to bring about that end, however, remains uncertain.
– Katarina Schrag
Photo: Flickr
Students Change Lives Through Engineers Without Borders
Civil engineering professor Bernard Amadei visited such a place in the village of San Pablo, Belize, in April 2000. After discovering their circumstances, he went home to Colorado and, with the help of colleagues and students at the University of Colorado-Boulder, produced solutions to the plight of San Pablo. He and 14 of his engineering students returned to the village and implemented a clean water system – and Engineers Without Borders USA (EWB-USA) was born.
In 2017, EWB-USA is made up of more than 16,800 members committed to low-cost, high-impact solutions in response to the world’s most basic human needs. Since 2015, EWB-USA has opened two country offices in Nicaragua and one in Guatemala, with plans to have offices in five countries by 2020. Among its volunteers are students at science and engineering universities across the U.S.
Rolla, Missouri, population 20,000, is home to Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T). Founded in 1870 (as Missouri School of Mines), the school is known nationally and internationally for its engineering programs in civil, geological, environmental, mechanical, computer, electrical and aerospace disciplines. The school also hosts the Engineers Without Borders Missouri S&T chapter, dedicated to developing communities along with internationally responsible engineers.
EWB-Missouri S&T has traveled to and completed projects for villages in Honduras, Bolivia and Guatemala since its inception in 2005. Among multiple other efforts, the chapter has taught techniques for building earthquake-resistant housing in Solola, Guatemala, and has implemented a sanitation system and more efficient energy sources for a school in Rio Colorado, Bolivia, resulting in healthier children who can study after the sun sets.
In August 2017, the team wrapped up a nine-year effort that implemented a clean, public and sustainable water system for over 500 families in the village of Nahualate, Guatemala. The Puerto Bando team is implementing the distribution line and pipeline suspension bridge for a water system in the Bolivian village. The same team is also working on a design to implement systems in a single trip, bringing clean water to rural villagers even faster.
In all, nine villages in South America have been wholly impacted by one chapter of a small engineering school – and Engineers Without Borders supports nearly 300 professional and student-based chapters throughout the U.S.
Says Dr. Amadei, “Improving the lives of the five billion people whose main concern is to stay alive by the end of each day on our planet is no longer an option for engineers; it is an obligation.”
– Jaymie Greenway
Photo: Flickr
Improving Infrastructure in Croatia
In 2003 Croatia received help from the World Bank to fix damage due to the war from 1991 to 1995. The Bank has rehabilitated roads, improved health care and implemented a national environmental action plan. Since joining the European Union in 2013, Croatia has followed strict guidelines keeping their country up to standards. Infrastructure in Croatia has been a focus and continues to evolve as the nation expands for locals and visitors alike.
The year 2016 generated many projects for improving infrastructure in Croatia. Reported by N1, almost ten billion kuna for investments in transportation that will be used for construction and reconstruction that will assist the transportation of people and goods. According to the Flanders investment report in April 2016, “Construction and Infrastructure Market in Croatia” better “links” were needed to connect inland parts of the country to coastland. August brought in a shift. Not only was emphasis placed on road safety, but also, “improving accessibility to inhabited islands and connecting the islands with the mainland.”
Durbrovnik – Neretva County and the city of Durbrovnik is an area of importance benefiting from the growing connections. With construction of the Peljesac Bridge and expansion of the Durbrovnik airport this city will be more connected to the rest of the country.
Infrastructure in Croatia is showing great results. From 2015-2016 transportation infrastructure gained high marks according to the World’s Economic Forum survey. At the time air-transport and railroads infrastructure brought in low marks for the country. In 2017 however, finance from the EU Cohesion Fund have been constructing ongoing railway and road construction, improving future scores from the forum.
From help of the EU Cohesion Fund as well as the European Investment Bank Infrastructure in Croatia is building at a steady rate. Known as Croatia’s biggest finance provider, in 2014 and 2015 approximately 1.6 billion euro was given to Croatia to finance various projects. With hopes high and a key player in funding Croatia’s infrastructure is on a great track to bridging natives as well as neighboring Europeans.
– Tara Jackson
Photo: Flickr
The Success of Humanitarian Aid to Vietnam
The GDP in Vietnam has shown an increase, but in 2016 due to natural disasters, such as Typhoon Damrey, the targeted growth was not met. According to the government of Vietnam, Typhoon Damrey killed 89 people, injured 170 and damaged or destroyed 121,500 houses and homes. This disaster is one of several that disrupted crops, electric grids, and roads while affecting clean water access and sanitation. Humanitarian aid to Vietnam becomes a need to facilitate the recovery and development of the affected areas.
The Government of Vietnam cannot handle the scale of such disasters and aid must come from foreign countries or non-governmental entities. The USAID Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) provides aid for such incidents. For Typhoon Damrey this agency initially provided 250,000 dollars to the Vietnam Red Cross in order to establish clean water, sanitation and hygiene services.
The European Commission also supplies funding for relief and humanitarian aid to Vietnam. 2016 marked the deliverance of €2 million to provide communities affected by drought and saltwater intrusion with safe water, cash and safe hygiene practices. Other efforts relate to the devastation caused in 2013 by cyclones Wutip and Nari. Through the Disaster Preparedness Programme (DIPECHO) the Commission focuses to promote risk management and increase community resilience to natural disasters. The government of Vietnam, supported by the European Commission has made progress in disaster risk reduction. The high susceptibility of floods and typhoons that affect Vietnam calls for more aid though.
Some organizations exist to supply direct aid to the people of Vietnam in order to relieve the stress of natural disasters. Children of Vietnam started in 1998 by Ben Wilson, works in providing educational, nutritional and housing aid, focusing on the needs of Vietnamese children and families. This organization goes as far as bicycle and school scholarships, training families to raise livestock and to farm rice fields and fruit trees for higher productivity.
East Meets West Foundation is another non-profit humanitarian organization providing aid to Vietnam and working to downsize poverty. The people of this foundation look to increase self-sufficiency by improving health, education and economic conditions within Vietnam. East Meets West brings education to low-income children, supports children with disabilities and developed Clean Water Program to supply potable water to over a hundred thousand people. Foundations such as these provide relief and help to a country that is faced with recurring natural disasters. Humanitarian aid to Vietnam is pertinent to the success of development within the country.
– Bronti DeRoche
Photo: Flickr
The Success of Humanitarian Aid to Cambodia
During the 1970s, Cambodia went from one of the most thriving economies in Southeast Asia to one of the poorest countries in the world. Although overthrown by 1979, the Khmer Rouge regime had already done damage to the economy by cutting access to education, eradicating free markets and stifling individuality. The country was haunted further by the mass genocide and government corruption carried out by the regime, leading to a need for restructuring for almost an entire decade following the devastation.
As of 2014, Cambodia has been recognized as being one of the best performers with respect to reducing its poverty rate. Both citizens and developed countries have contributed humanitarian aid to Cambodia, which has helped address poverty rates in the country.
In 2016, 80 U.S. troops were sent to Cambodia by the humanitarian aid group, Pacific Angel. This is the fourth Pacific Angel mission held in Cambodia since its 2007 establishment. This mission focuses on the rural province of Kampot, providing aid through healthcare, school supplies and civil-engineering projects.
Another leading contributor of humanitarian aid to Cambodia is Australia, remaining one of the most significant bilateral grant-based donors. Australia’s provision of official development assistance from 2015-2016 to Cambodia was AUD $92 million. The three main objectives of Australia’s aid are: providing better health and education, improving access to infrastructure and increasing agricultural productivity.
Through each sector, a focus on women’s empowerment, disability, governance and inclusive participation will be implemented. Australia’s target is to drive growth in the economy through working with private sectors, as well as to achieve aid for trade by 2020.
As a result of the aid provided by Australia from 2015-2016, 500,000 Cambodians in rural areas received greater access to jobs, food and higher incomes while creating higher investments. Cambodians also received more access to land and experienced increases in crop production. Over 9,950 women and their families received counseling, shelter and legal aid. Rehabilitation was provided to over 31,000 disabled citizens through a strongly executed disability-precise program.
Caritas, a nonprofit organization, also provides humanitarian aid to Cambodia which benefits young people dealing with disabilities. While assisting individuals in the job market and supporting their inclusion in society, Caritas also aims to also address local poverty in Cambodia.
Cambodia has come a long way from the late 1990s and is slowly regaining success in its economy. Though poverty has not been completely eliminated, with the help of humanitarian aid Cambodia is sure to see the poverty rate continue to decrease each year.
– Tara Jackson
Photo: Flickr
Five Noteworthy Development Projects in Lebanon
The Lebanon Host Communities Support Programme (LHSP)
The LHSP was created in 2012 under the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in response to the Syrian Civil War and in joint cooperation with the Ministry of Social Affairs. The LHSP works in communities where there is a high risk of tension and hostility due to the high numbers of Syrian refugees resettling in these communities. The total budget is over $39 million, with top donors including Denmark, Ecuador and Italy. The LHSP aims to facilitate conflict resolution, create peaceful coexistence and stability and maintain livelihoods and services, making this project a standout in terms of noteworthy development projects in Lebanon.
The Water Supply Augmentation Project of Lebanon
This project, approved in 2014 and projected to end in 2024, is funded by the World Bank and aims to increase the available water supply to the greater Beirut and Mount Lebanon regions. This project includes various components such as financing and constructing the Bisri Dam, constructing pipelines to the already existing Joun reservoir and expanding the Ouardaniyeh water treatment plant. The total estimated cost of this project is $617 million.
Project Supporting Economic and Social Fund for Development (ESFD)
Another example of development projects in Lebanon is the ESFD, which is also a UNDP affiliated project. It was created in 2011 to improve employment and community development opportunities in Lebanon. Due to UNDP’s strong partnerships with local authorities and actors in various parts of the country, this project will support ESFD in working in poorer regions of Lebanon to assist in job creation and community outreach programs. The sole donor of this project is the Lebanese Council for Development, providing a total of over $12 million to this project.
Lebanon Country Programming Framework (CPF)
The CPF, which was started in 2016, aims to address various issues identified in the Ministry of Agriculture Strategy of 2015-2019 and the Food Security Strategic Response Plan of 2016. This project focuses exclusively on seven distinct areas which include increasing food security in vulnerable communities, improving food sanitation and safety, strengthening reliable nutrition information systems, providing assistance to develop sustainable agricultural practices, implementing sustainable management of land, establishing an efficient agricultural statistics system and promoting the increase of crop value chains.
Sports for Development Project
Launched in 2013, this project is a joint collaboration between the U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and HOOPS Club, with the objective of fostering communication between Syrian refugees and Lebanese communities. This project has been implemented in Beirut, Akkar, Baalbek and Sour, where there has been a large influx of Syrian refugee families. This project brings together young people from both communities to encourage interaction and the free exchange of ideas and thoughts. Due to the Syrian Civil War, many Syrian refugee children lost their close network of friends and this project helps to foster friendship and establish harmony between the two communities.
Although Lebanon has experienced a broad range of events and political turmoil in just the last 50 years, there are numerous actors, institutions and organizations that are working to improve the situation in Lebanon. Although these projects listed are noteworthy development projects in Lebanon, they are not alone in working to secure a better and brighter future for Lebanese citizens and those that have just started calling Lebanon their home.
– Miho Kitamura
Photo: Flickr
The Success of Humanitarian Aid to Yemen
As a result of local and international criticism of the ruler’s human rights violations, Arab Spring protests brought about a transition of power to his Vice-President, Abed Rabbo Mansour al-Hadi. It was during this time of instability that the modern crises began to unfold.
The main actors in the modern conflict, as of 2014, are Hadi’s government (backed by Saudi and the U.S.), Houthi Shi’a rebels (backed by Iran), and Al-Qaida (supported by some disillusioned supporters of Saleh). The ensuing conflict has been marked by Saudi and Iranian proxy-interference and a seemingly hopeless humanitarian situation.
Prior to the establishment of the Yemeni Arab Republic in 1990, the country was already the regions most impoverished. Water was scarce, reliance on foreign imports high and the governance constantly challenged. Now, after four years of conflict, the hope of a speedy reconstruction process has been lost and the civilian casualties are catastrophic. The U.N. humanitarian aid official in Yemen has confirmed that the number of civilian casualties has risen to over 10,000.
Currently, four out of five Yemenis – a population of 25 million – are in need of humanitarian assistance. These people face starvation, water pollution and rapid spread of disease, to say nothing of the daily toll of war on their psyche and community affiliations. Yet, the most horrific reality of this situation is the lack of humanitarian aid to Yemen that has been provided, mainly due to the unyielding air raids and mortar attacks which specifically target civilians.
Humanitarian Aid to Yemen
In a more forgiving context, the goal would be to provide food, medicine and various structural support upon the brokerage of a ceasefire. Unfortunately, to date, the success of such a deal in Yemen has been unattainable.
In 2017, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimated Yemen’s needed aid at $2.3 billion. In the same year, the largest financial contributor to the crisis, the U.S. government, provided around 23 percent of the needed aid. The U.S. contribution was followed by aid from Saudi Arabi and the United Arab Emirates. In total, the amount of aid pledged by the international community covers 56 percent of the need.
Of the aid provided, 33.7 percent has been allocated to cover food security programs and 15.3 percent has been put towards health assistance. The main recipients of this funding are the World Food Programme, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the World Health Organization, and the Red Crescent Society of the United Arab Emirates.
The Discrepancy in Humanitarian aid to Yemen
With nearly half of all humanitarian aid to Yemen going to food and health programs, the amount remaining for other necessities – which affect the long-term viability of the country’s survival – are severely underfunded.
Currently, only one percent of aid is being given to Save the Children, an international humanitarian organization that works to ensure the protection of Children’s Human Rights. Furthermore, only .2 percent has been allotted to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), which typically works on issues of reproductive rights and safety and ending female genital mutilation.
At the moment, the provision of food and health aid is most urgent, however, it is vital to ensure further funding for programs that will help Yemen rebuild after the crisis.
– Katarina Schrag
Photo: Flickr
Women’s Empowerment in Serbia
According to research by the World Bank, the employment rate of women is 26 percent lower than it is for men, resulting in higher unemployment and inactivity rates for women. When addressing self-employment and company owners, men constitute 72 percent of those who are self-employed and 71 percent of business owners. Men also make up 80 percent of ministerial positions in government, leaving a disproportionally small percentage of women in positions of authority. The largest discrepancies in employment are evident when discussing uneducated women and girls.
Women in Serbia are disadvantaged due to an educational system that does not promote a balance between work, school and domestic duties. Many lose opportunities to pursue education or attain work experience because of the expected duties of women, such as unpaid household work. Women who are in need of work, due to their economic situation or cost of living, are often forced into lower-paying jobs.
Employment rates rose 4.7 percent for women between 2012 and 2014, but many of these jobs proved to be temporary positions, leaving many uneducated women and girls living in rural locations at a disadvantage. However, various entities are looking at education and work-related gender equality reforms to enhance women’s empowerment in Serbia.
Multiple NGOs and gender advocates are working to influence the government for women’s empowerment in Serbia. The areas of concern relating to gender inequality include the electoral quota, violence against women, women’s entrepreneurship and gender-responsive budgeting. Several laws have been passed to address these issues, some being the Gender Equality Law of 2009, National Strategy for the Improvement of the Status of Women and Promotions of Gender Equality and the Action Plan for 2010-2015. These laws center on the elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against women.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) also promotes its goal of equal participation in economic activities and decision making. UNDP’s initiative focuses on building lives free of violence against women, in order to enhance women’s empowerment in Serbia. UNDP’s focus on violence against women addresses the fact that 54 percent of women are exposed to some sort of violence. This program supports state institutions and actors that aid in gender equality and benefitting women and girls against discrimination and violence.
U.N. Women and U.N. Global Impact also worked with twelve companies to sign the Women’s Empowerment Principles. These twelve companies committed to transforming current business methods to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment as core business objectives. The principles addressed flexible working arrangements, such as maternal leave, promotion of enterprise development, marketing empowering women and advocacy on behalf of women. These principles, laws and organizations are actively working to improve the lives of women in Serbia.
– Bronti DeRoche
Photo: Flickr
Women’s Empowerment in Romania
After the collapse of communism, Romania began the slow process of democratization, which triggered many economic, political and social transformations, all with varying outcomes regarding gender equality.
In 2009, a financial crisis occurred throughout the country, resulting in financial assistance packages from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, the European Commission and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
During this time, continuous changes were made in legislative provisions involving employment and the work-life balance of Romanians. This posed an issue, especially with the dissolution National Agency for Equal Opportunities between Women and Men in July of 2010. Between 2008 and 2010 the unemployment rate increased by 1.2 percent for men and by 1.8 percent for women, exposing the labor market as favorable to men.
According to a recent report, many laws still make it difficult for women to get a job, start a business or fully participate in the economic life of Romania. Discriminatory rules remain utilized in the country which ban women from certain jobs, limit their ability to make legal decisions and even restrict access to capital from women-owned firms.
Despite these changes, there are many crucial efforts being made to increase women’s empowerment in Romania. The International Finance Cooperation (IFC) through its Banking-on-Women Program has established a loan agreement with Garanti Bank to help Romanian women run their own businesses. Since launching in Europe, the Middle-East and North Africa in 2011, the Banking-on-Women Program has provided over $130 million to six banks for lending to women entrepreneurs.
The labor market segregation is also closely linked to the educational system. Unfortunately, many women in Romania have been greatly deprived of receiving an education. Traditional female domestic roles are still upheld by society and even taught in the school system. Textbooks promote a male-dominated world, leaving girls feeling inferior. Many women do not see the connection between education and getting a job, therefore girls are often taken out of school in order to marry or help with household chores.
Location also impacts the connection between women and education. Around 68 percent of women in urban areas are gaining a secondary education, while only about 42 percent of women in rural areas are receiving a secondary education.
Furthermore, evening attaining a university degree does not help women outright. Despite large numbers of women graduates and high qualifications, women are not equally represented in decision making or professional levels.
To combat this, the Educational Priority Areas (EPA), in partnership with UNICEF and the Institute for Education Sciences, targets disadvantaged communities to increase women’s access to education. With an emphasis on quality communication between schools and parents, and schools and authorities, this project trains teachers with inter-cultural approaches to education while creating a curriculum that will keep students interested and informed.
In addition, UNICEF has helped set up a number of education centers with girl-friendly educational programs. By changing the curriculum and textbooks to accurately represent a balanced gender perspective, this project seeks to decrease the school dropout rate and promote education for everyone, especially women. Since knowledge is power and education drastically alters the economy, this is a positive step towards women’s empowerment in Romania.
With these work and education efforts being made, women in Romania stand a chance to gain their own independence and positively improve the Romanian economy.
– Kailey Brennan
Photo: Flickr
Credit Access in Jamaica
This initiative seeks to implement limited credit pledges to compensate approved financial institutions to upturn their lending to micro, small and medium enterprises in Jamaica. It will benefit the credit enhancement facility that was formed in 2009 and managed by the Development Bank of Jamaica.
The loan will permit the credit enhancement facility to assure a higher percentage of loans, with up to a maximum of $385,000.
These partial credit guarantees provided by the credit enhancement facility are anticipated to reimburse micro, small and medium enterprises that are incapable of meeting insurance requirements. As a result, the credit enhancement facility is acknowledging one of the major issues that limit an enterprise’s access to finance. Katzman pointed out that this will be the blueprint for an improved inclination and capability to loan to the micro, small and medium enterprises in the long run.
Such loans will enable relationship-building efforts among financial institutions and the enterprises, along with supporting the growth of the skill-set to measure credit earnestness. Credit access in Jamaica has become widely acknowledged, with enterprise owners becoming aware of the opportunity to obtain loans.
Since creditors have established greater credit access in Jamaica, the island’s central bank updated its reports noting that there was a collapse in new non-performing loans (NPLs). The collapse accounted for more than $1 billion from 2014 to the end of last December.
Securities institutions have, as a result, provided better credit underwriting and supervision for all commercial banks, building societies and merchant banks. These advances validate the banks’ commitment to managing the credit risks inherent in their portfolios, especially in a context where borrowers have demonstrated an increased appetite for debt.
Over the last two years, the Bank of Jamaica has stated that it has approved longer-tenured loans that back the facilitation of credit terms to revamp borrowers’ servicing of loans.
– Jalil Perry
Photo: Flickr
A New Solution: Infrastructure in the West Bank and Gaza
The Basics: What are Gaza and the West Bank?
Throughout the twentieth century, the establishment of the State of Israel in Palestine has been a huge point of contention between Arabs and Palestinians and serves to fuel much of the tension that persists in the Middle East to this day.
The result of Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory in the early 20th Century has been an unprecedented 100-year-long struggle for Palestinians. Their struggle is mostly characterized by an egregious lack of functioning infrastructure in Gaza and the West Bank.
Defining Features of Infrastructure in the West Bank and Gaza
The quality of infrastructure in each of these regions is extremely different from the other. In Gaza, the lack of access to clean water, electricity and proper sewage management are indicative of the region’s current humanitarian crisis. The causes of that situation are many, but the most impactful have been the three wars that have ensued in a period of just 10 years, the rise of Hamas, and the Israeli blockade. Each of these events compounds the other.
For years, the region has had to cope with 12-16 hour blackouts, due in part to the destruction of electricity plants during the wars, but mainly to a political struggle between Hamas (the group that runs the West Bank) and the Palestinian Authority (main Palestinian actor in the West Bank). This strain on the energy infrastructure effects Gaza’s access to clean water, and its ability to treat sewage as well.
The extraction of water from the coastal aquifer, Gaza’s main source of freshwater, requires huge amounts of energy to which Gaza does not have access. Israel is currently providing 10 mcm of water to Gaza every year – an increase from the 5 mcm required by the Oslo Accords of 1995.
Waste management is another of Gaza’s infrastructural problems. Currently, 3.5 million cubic feet of untreated sewage run from Gaza into the Mediterranean every year, threatening not only the health of Palestinians but that of Israelis and the Mediterranean as a whole. Lack of proper infrastructure for schools and hospitals is yet another strain on the livelihoods of Gaza’s 1.8 million inhabitants.
In the West Bank, the picture, though less time sensitive, is still far from acceptable. Governed partially by the Palestinian Authority and partially by Israel, troubles of infrastructure are intensified by the political battle between the two governments.
The most concerning aspect of infrastructure in the West Bank is the access Palestinians have to freshwater. In fact, there is a great discrepancy between the amount of water utilized by the Israeli territories versus that utilized by the Palestinians. In addition to a general strain on water resources, the West Bank is unable to oversee the proper processing of sewage water which leads to groundwater contamination and a lost opportunity – use of recycled sewage water for irrigation.
The difference between infrastructure in the West Bank and Gaza is amplified greatly by the presence, or lack, of Israeli funding. Despite both of the regions experiencing of similar problems related to water and waste management (both impacted by access to electricity), Gaza’s exposure to these troubles is often far worse than those of the West Bank, due to years of isolation from Israel and other wealthy nations.
Is there a solution?
The question of improving Palestinian infrastructure comes down to a finding a solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine. Except unfortunately, this has proven to be one of the most elusive problems of international diplomacy for nearly seven decades.
Though many proposals have been made, the abuses perpetrated by each side continue to bar sustained, positive progression towards peace. Since the end of the Six-Day-War in 1967 in which Israel annexed the West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem, the Sinai Peninsula, and the Golan Heights, a solution has hinged on the idea that Israel will only give up land if they are ensured an end of Palestinian attacks.
Today, the two-state solution, heralded by the United States and the majority of the international community, has reached a standstill as a result of continued conflict and mistrust between Israelis and Palestinians. Yet, some political analysts maintain that peace is still attainable. What it will take to bring about that end, however, remains uncertain.
– Katarina Schrag
Photo: Flickr