World Bank to invest $117 million in water for the Gaza Strip
The project is intended to clean up the water supply in the Gaza Strip as those have been contaminated by untreated sewage.
By OMRI RONPalestinians place sandbags as they try to prevent rain water from flooding their house following heavy rain in Gaza City November 27(photo credit: REUTERS)
The World Bank announced on Monday that it will grant US$15 million for a water desalination program for the Gaza Strip.The new project was founded with the aim of improving the quality and quantity of water in Gaza, and will have additional funds of US$42 million from other donors. Another US$60 million will be handed over by the Kuwait fund for Arab Economic development.“The Gaza ground water aquifer is rapidly deteriorating in both quantity and quality with 97% of the available water undrinkable for the rapidly growing population in the Gaza Strip, said Kanthan Shankar, World Bank Country Director for West Bank and Gaza."Furthermore, there has been a downward trend in average rainfall by 20-30% over the last five years,” he added. "Hence we are embarking on this much-needed and coordinated effort with our donor partners to increase and provide a more stable supply of safe water to Gazan families.”The project is intended to help clean up the water in the Gaza Strip as much of it has been contaminated by untreated sewage, as well as high salinity from seawater following a lowering of the groundwater level due to over-pumping the coastal aquifer.The Associated Works project is part of a bigger donor-funded Gaza Central Desalination Program which will cover all of Gaza. It aims to construct a plant with the initial capacity to produce 55 MCM per year. Meanwhile, other measures will be taken to ensure that the need for fresh water in the Gaza Strip is met.The international community supported the construction of short-term desalination plants.The Associated Works project will construct a south water carrier, including storage reservoirs to convey and properly blend desalinated water along with water purchased from Mekorot (the Israeli national water company) and groundwater sources.“Almost everyone in Gaza is relying on water from expensive and unregulated small-scale private providers. The project will not only improve the quality of life of about 870,000 people and provide water security, it will allow substantial cost savings for households in this fragile and conflict-affected environment,“ said Suhail J. S. Jme'an, World Bank Sector Leader for Sustainable Development.All of these will help strengthen the capacity of water institutions in Gaza, as well as make way for the future establishment of a small unit to manage bulk water supply in Gaza, and a future National Water Company.
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