A study on the available options for mitigating water scarcity in the Hebron District, Palestine

Abstract

Water is the soul of life, and many communities will face the problem of water scarcity in the coming years. Water scarcity is the lack of available water resources, which lead to a gap in the coverage of demands in an area. Many countries are working continuously to reduce water scarcity. Palestine is one of the areas that suffer from water scarcity significantly in the Middle East. The Israeli occupation, is a major cause of the growing problem of water scarcity in Palestine. Hebron district suffers significantly from water scarcity compared to other districts in Palestine. This danger threatens Hebron entity from all aspects of life (domestic, agricultural and industrial). The main aim of this research is to study the available options of water resources covering both local resources and nonconventional sources in the Hebron District that can mitigate water scarcity in the district to create a state of balance between demand and supply based on scientific facts. The method that has been followed is by calculating the value of the Falkenmark index, based on the amount of water available, and the amount needed for domestic, agricultural and industrial water use, at the current situation and the future situation at 2035. It was found that the current total water required to satisfy a person’s needs for domestic, agricultural and industrial sectors is (42.42 Mcm/yr), and the current renewable water resources in Hebron District per person for domestic, agricultural and industrial sectors is (10.97 Mcm/yr). Generally, it was found that Hebron district experience absolute scarcity. And it was found that the available options to mitigate water scarcity in the Hebron District were: water right, water demand management, rainwater harvesting, reduction of water leaks and thefts and treated wastewater reuse. And it was found that when integrated these available options all together will create a state of balance between demand and supply. The result showed that the total water required to satisfy a person’s needs for domestic, agricultural and industrial sectors at 2035 will be (48.22 Mcm/yr), and the Future renewable water resources in Hebron District due to integrated available options all together will be (86.10 Mcm/yr). The results show a lack of management for water sector in Hebron District. This research has shown that the political situation resulting from the Israeli occupation, is the main problem that impede applying of these options.