"Yet, Israelis in Gaza have no restrictions on water consumption. Rather, their consumption is subsidized, encourgaing overuse and misuse (Isaac 1997). They have also been favored through selective appropriation of agricultural land having the best groundwater quantity and quality, and uneven pricing schemes. Gaza Palestinians pay up to $1.20/cubic meter while Israeli settlers only pay $0.10/cubic meter for water. Elmusa (1994) states that "relative to per capita income, Palestinians pay as much as twenty times what Israeli settlers pay for water........"
II. WATER
Water scarcity has played a very large part in this conflict. To best understand the magnitude of its role, it is essential to examine the various reasons for its scarcity, linking the socio-political climate with changes in the ecosystem. The three categories of resource scarcity listed below are borrowed from Homer-Dixon and Kelly (1995) as they provide a clear means of organization for examining the Gaza Strip's complex environmental conditions. Although discussed separately, these types of scarcity exist concurrently and play a significant part in this case.
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A. STRUCTURAL SCARCITY
Structural scarcity is thought to be the result of the inequitable distribution of water in Gaza. In 1967 Israel declared all water resoutces to be state owned and controlled by the military. During this time, Military Order 158 was enacted and prohibited only the Arab population of Gaza from drilling new wells without a permit. Palestinian water consumption was also regulated by strict quotas, the uprooting of thousands of citrus trees, the demolition of cisterns, and the blockage of natural springs and existing wells. These consumption levels have for the most part been maintained to present (Homer-Dixon and Kelly 1995).
Yet, Israelis in Gaza have no restrictions on water consumption. Rather, their consumption is subsidized, encourgaing overuse and misuse (Isaac 1997). They have also been favored through selective appropriation of agricultural land having the best groundwater quantity and quality, and uneven pricing schemes. Gaza Palestinians pay up to $1.20/cubic meter while Israeli settlers only pay $0.10/cubic meter for water. Elmusa (1994) states that "relative to per capita income, Palestinians pay as much as twenty times what Israeli settlers pay for water."
Discriminatory Israeli water policies in Gaza can be viewed as an attempt to transfer the brunt of water scarcity to Palestinians while buffering Israelis. As such, Israeli settlements prosper in the midst of a faltering Palestinian economy. This widening gap can only continue to foment substantial conflict between the two communities.
B. DEMAND-INDUCED SCARCITY
Demand-induced scarcity is defined as that "caused by population growth or increased per capita activity; the resource must be divided among more people, or more intensive activity increases demand for its use (Homer-Dixon and Kelly 1995)." As previously mentioned, the mass exodus of refugees to the Gaza Strip area in 1948 created a serious shock to its population size. 70% of Gaza's population today is thought to be comprised of the original 1948 refugees and their descendants. Gaza's population is estimated between 700,000 and one million people, but is not an exact number as no census has been taken since 1967. Although this region has a high infant mortality rate, it boasts one of the highest growth rates in the world between 5.2 and 6%. Fertility is highest in refugee camps, those areas though to be under significant environmental stress (Homer-Dixon and Kelly 1995). As a result, per capita water availability has decreased dramatically. Some predict that drinking water alone will soon exceed safe supply levels.
As a result of this dense population, the Gaza Strip Aquifer has been thought to be over-pumped for some time, outstriping its sustainable supply of 65 MCM. Moreover, Israel has been tapping this aquifer and its replenishment from outside Gaza (Shawa 1994). Consequently, the aquifer's water table has been pumped far below its recharge rate, making it susceptible to severe saltwater intrusion and causing supply-induced scarcity (Isaac 1997).
C.SUPPLY-INDUCED SCARCITY
Supply-induced scarcity, a drop in renewable resource supply due to water degradation or depletion, has existed in the Gaza Strip since Egyptian control (Elmusa 1994). Overpumping of the Gaza aquifer draws approximately 15-20 centimeters from its original level of 3-5 meters above sea level. As the water table falls, saltwater from the Mediterranean and nearby saline aquifers introduces itself into the Gaza aquifer. Saltwater intrusion from the Mediterranean Sea has been detected up to 1.5 kilometers inland, and continues to threaten the salinization of the entire aquifer. In many parts, the water is so saline that it may damage soil and crop yields, and hence is unsuitable for irrigation. Thus, citrus farming, Gaza's main agricultural product which is highly intolerant of salt, is suffering from declining quality and crop yields.
Supply-induced scarcity is also the product of the unregulated use of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers which have chemically contaminated Gaza's groundwater (Bellisari 1994). Since the aquifer is close to the surface, it is highly susceptible to this type of pollution.
Lastly, Gaza water is being contaminated by the improper disposal of waste matter. Roughly 10% of Gaza's population is not served by any type of wastewater management system, and thus dumps raw sewage onto sand dunes. In addition, poorly maintained septic tanks and soaking pits frequently overflow into streets and homes. All refugee camps have solid waste collection, but no sanitary landfill sites exist anywhere in Gaza.
These various contaminations of the Gaza water supply have drastically decreased the amount of potable water available. These effects obviously pose serious health hazards for the people of Gaza who suffer high incidence of kidney and liver complaints, high infant mortality, cancer, waterborne infectious diseases such as cholera, and intestinal parasites.
III. CONCLUSION
These three types of water scarcity have contributed to deteriorating health standards, agricultural and economic decline, and increased socio-political tension between Israelis and Palestinians. As matters continue to worsen, the Palestinian Authority will find itself increasingly incapable of effectively dealing with problems, maintaining peace, and thus upholding its legitimacy both in the eyes of its people and the Israeli nation. Resolving the issues presented by water scarcity are essential to containing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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