The State of the Natural Environment in Palestine by Dana Visalli: We tend to forget in times of conflict and tension that all human life is dependent upon a healthy and functional natural environment. Everyone needs adequate clean water to drink, fresh air to breath, and fertile soil in which to grow food. Without these basic attributes of nature individuals and entire societies will become unhealthy. Thus it is important to consider the natural environment in Palestine, even while learning about the conflicts over land here and how they might be resolved.

The key to adequate and clean water, as well as to healthy air and fertile soil, is plants. It is plants that first create and then bind soil with their intricate root systems. It is plants that are responsible for the fact that the atmosphere is 21% oxygen; they release oxygen in the process of photosynthesis. And it is plants that creates the humus in soil that retains moisture when it rains and filters impurities out of water.

The average rainfall in the West Bank is 20” (53cm) a year. That is quite enough to grow a forest of trees, but observing the landscape of the West Bank there are in fact almost no trees. Why? It is because this portion of the planet is the location of the first emergence of human agriculture, animal husbandry and urban settlements, dating to over 10,000 years ago. Over the intervening years most of the native vegetation has been decimated by human and domestic animal impacts. Prior to that time more than 75% of Palestine and Israel were forested. Humans adapt to any current state of affairs—Palestine without trees looks natural to our eyes–but it is important to understand our cumulative impact over time.

Throughout the world an abundant and growing human population create a challenge for maintaining a healthy environment. In this area there are 2,618,191 Palestinians living in 734 communities in the West Bank (excluding East Jerusalem), along with 486,000 settlers living in 181 Israeli settlements. It is estimated that the Palestinian population will reach 6,060,000 by 2025, and 11,320,000 people by 2050, which will of course only add increasing demands and pressure on the natural environment.

Unfortunately, the ‘occupation’ of the West Bank by Israeli forces and Israeli settlers has only exacerbated the deterioration of the environment. The settlers are much more well-to-do than the Palestinians, thus their lifestyles take more land, more energy and more water than do the Palestinians. As a case in point, it is estimated that settlers use approximately eight times more water per person than Palestinians, while paying about eight times less for the resource.

The production of both garbage and human sewage is poorly managed in the West Bank, by both the resident Palestinians and the settlers. Most Palestinians use on-site septic systems for human effluent, while the Israeli settlements are primarily on high ground, causing sewage to seep onto Palestinian land. In addition, it is estimated that about 80% of the solid waste generated by Israeli colonists is dumped at sites located on Palestinian land. Furthermore, the Israeli chemical and military industries have both dumped hundreds of thousands of tons of hazardous waste in the West Bank.

Thus overall the picture that emerges for the health of the West Bank environment is not encouraging. On a more sanguine note, most of the biodiversity of Palestine is still extant, although greatly challenged by ever-shrinking habitat. There are over 2,500 species of plants, 150 of which are endemic to Palestine; 70 species of mammals; 480 of birds; 90 of reptiles and 80 of amphibians.

Environmental awareness is increasing throughout the world, and Palestine is no exception. There exists for example an umbrella organization called the Palestinian NGOs Network, a consortium of 21 member organizations with goals covering a wide range of environmental issues such as defending land against misuse, sustainable agriculture, water conservation, rural issues, sustainable development, protection of cultural heritage, health and sanitation, biodiversity protection, human rights and community participation.

There is still time to wake up to the critical importance of maintaining an intact, healthy and functional natural environment. It is certainly possible that our affection and connection with the larger sphere of life on earth will help us see beyond the divisions and conflicets created by the human mind. We may yet rise to the challenge of maturing into wise stewards of the good earth, ensuring a healthy future for our children, and indeed for all living things.