Stream restoration under conditions of water scarcity:
Insight from the Israeli experience /
Avital Gasith and Yaron Hershkovitz
Since the early 1990s’ stream rehabilitation measures and recovery of the stream’s environmental and social functions have taken an increasingly important place on the public agenda in Israel. The nature of the attempts to restore streams in Israel where water resources are fully exploited is fundamentally different from efforts conducted in relatively water-rich countries due to the severe competition by different sectors for the limited resource. Presently, reclaimed waste water is the only alternative water source for replenishing water abstracted from the streams. Moreover, most of the watersheds are shared with neighboring countries which for geopolitical reasons there is virtually no cooperation of watershed management. This chapter considers the attributes and current state of streams in Israel, focusing on recently studied transboundary polluted streams – in particular the Alexander stream. The chapter presents fundamental principles for stream rehabilitation under conditions of fully exploited water resources for what should be a transboundary restoration strategy. Although efforts are being made with some success to involve the international community it is time that the sides find the political will and use the help of the international community to overcome geopolitical and financial constraints that impede the implementation of existing rehabilitation plan.
The Condition of Streams and Prospects for Restoration in Palestine / Nader El-Khateeb
While a rich variety of streams flow through the Palestinian Authority, most of them are highly polluted, mainly from untreated waste water. Wastewater from olive mills is also a major pollutant in Palestinian streams. Palestine is famous for its olive production. Industrial wastes also constitute a source of pollution, although a less significant one in Palestine than in Israel, due to the absence of heavy industry. The pollutants not only flow in the surface water, but often infiltrate the groundwater which both parties use for drinking and for other purposes. The present condition of the streams is exacerbated by the geopolitical context.
Many streams in the PA are transboundary, and do not recognize political borders. The end result is that contaminated waters flow across the border in both directions causing pollution and degradation of water quality. While Israelis frequently focus on streams that flow west -- from the West Bank towards the Mediterranean Sea there are numerous examples of streams that flow east: from Israel to Palestine, bringing with them considerable pollution. Since so many of the Palestinian streams have become heavily polluted with sewage, for many years, farmers have been using sewage water to grow crops, including salad vegetables, with severe public health consequences.
The chapter considers specific NGO and research initiatives in the area of stream monitoring and recommends specific measures for stream restoration. The first step in cleaning up Palestine’s streams requires the prevention of further pollution from point sources. This will require significant investment in regional wastewater collection and treatment systems.