Water Scarcity and Degradation in Palestine as Challenges, Vulnerabilities, and Risks for Environmental Security

Abstract

Historic Palestine consists of Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza Strip. Palestine or the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) as presented in this paper consists of the West Bank including East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. The OPT equals 23 per cent of the land of historic Palestine. The West Bank and the Gaza Strip are those parts of historic Palestine which were occupied by the Israeli army during the 1967 war between Israel and Egypt, Syria, and Jordan. The land area of the West Bank is estimated at 5,572 km2 extending for about 155 km in length and about 60 km in width. The Gaza Strip, with an area of 367 km2 extending for approximately 41 kilometres in length and approximately 7 to 9 kilometres in width (figure 22.1; Abdel Salam 1990; Haddad 1998).