Israel/Palestine

Half of Palestinian wells have dried up over the last twenty years and effects are particularly severe for the generally more vulnerable population groups living in Area C. PCBS (2009a) reported that in 2008, 325 Palestinian wells were operational in the West Bank, compared to 774 wells in 1967. Area C is the area where Palestinians should have access to most water sources in the West Bank. However any Palestinian attempt to access new water sources or to connect new areas is inevitably curbed by the restrictions imposed by Israel in Area C. Current project approval rules require a second approval by the Civil Administration if projects touch on Area C, which is the case for almost all wells, water conveyance and wastewater treatment and reuse infrastructure (World Bank, 2009). A number of projects have been approved by the Joint Water Committee, for which detailed planning permission has then not been granted by the Israeli Civil Administration. As a consequence of these policies by 2007 the Palestinian population had access to only about one quarter of the ration of their Israeli counterparts: West Bank Palestinians had about 123 litre per capita per day (lpcd) – a number which has since further declined - and Israelis about 544 lpcd (World Bank, 2009).