Water Conflicts in the Middle East: Israel

Question 1

Where is Israel?

Answer 1

It borders Lebanon in the north, the Golan Heights and Syria in the northeast, the West Bank and Jordan in the east, the Gaza Strip and Egypt in the southwest.

Question 2

Where does the water come from?

Answer 2

This part of the Middle East has low seasonal rainfall and a growing population. 
Water is derived from:
•The River Jordan and The Sea of Galilee
•Three important aquifers –
The Coastal Aquifer
The Mountain Aquifers
The Gaza Aquifer.

Question 3

What are Israel’s Water Issues?

Answer 3

Overconsumption
Growing Population
Degradation of existing water supplies- saltwater incursion
Border disputes- Shifting borders- who owns the water?

Question 4

How has conflict arisen?

Answer 4

•Shifting borders have not helped. Many Palestinians live in areas that were once Israel occupied. However Israel still claims that water as their own. There are huge disparities between water useage in Israel and Palestinian occupied areas.
• The Israelis fear that the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza strip will use too much water and that this will cause salt water to seep into the aquifer and cause contamination of water supplies.
•The Palestinians think that Israel’s high demand for water leaves them with too little.
-There are allegations that the Israeli army have demolished Palestinian reservoirs.

Question 5

What is “the wall”?

Answer 5

A wall separates Palestinian controlled territories and Israeli controlled territories. It has separated Palestinians from their farmland and water sources and freed up water supplies for Israelis. The line of the barrier appears to follow the edges of the Western Mountain Aquifer which flows towards Israel.

Question 6

How does Israel tackle its water issues?

Answer 6

Expansion of territories?
Recycling of sewage and use of desalination
Long standing plan of importing water from Turkey- giant ships importing gallons of fresh-water across the Eastern Mediterranean.
Transboundary conflicts between Syria, Turkey, Iraq and Israel- rivers flowing through all: River Tigris and Euphrates.
A combination of water transfer and desalination
Red Sea -> Dead Sea