The Palestinian policy on regional cooperation in the field of the
environment is an integrated part of the proposed environmental
strategy put forth for the next five years, first by the
Palestinian Environmental Protection Authority (PEPA), and then
stressed by the Palestinian delegation to the multilateral peace
talks and the bilateral negotiations, and lately by the
Environmental Planning Directorate (EPD). Our strategy is based on
building the infrastructure and institutions in such a way as to
ensure the possibility of implementing practical projects and plans
for the preservation of our limited resources, on the one hand, and
for building Palestinian capabilities in the field of environmental
monitoring, on the other.
The Palestinian policy as presented by its delegation to the
multilateral negotiations in the 'peace process has always been
clear: "to explore the potential for cooperation in the field of
the environment in an effort to further promote the peace process,
to achieve sustainable stability in the Middle East, and to make
the world a greener and safer place to live in."
One of the reasons why we have called for regional cooperation in
the field of the environment is our firm belief that "...
environmental systems are naturally inter-related, interactive,
inter-meshing and complementary." Thus, international cooperation
is needed to preserve natural resources and to maintain
environmental equilibrium, with the objective of sustaining human
life.
The State of the Palestinian Environment
The prevailing environmental conditions in the West Bank and in the
Gaza Strip are the result of over 30 years of occupation policy
which made the Palestinians dependent upon the resources and
services provided by Israel. The aim was to prevent future
political arrangements which would evolve into a separation of the
two entities. This Israeli policy was predicated on the physical
control of Palestinian land and water resources; the integration of
the infrastructure; the absorption of the Palestinian work force
into the Israeli economy; the subordination of the economy of the
occupied territories as a tariff-free market for Israeli
commodities without reciprocation; and, finally, the control of
pollution should its effects reach Israel proper.
Given the above facts, the various Palestinian delegations have
emphasized the reality of a continued Israeli military occupation
in the West Bank and parts of the Gaza Strip, and brought up some
of the environmental issues that should be addressed:
Land Confiscation: It is estimated that the proportion of
Palestinian land confiscated, closed off or seized by the Israeli
authorities has exceeded 60 percent of Palestinian-owned land.
Despite the Israeli authorities' claim that they were not building
any new settlements in the West Bank, the expansion of existing
settlements still continues, e.g., Ariel which has doubled in less
than one year.
Water and Water Supply: Water sources in the occupied territories
are under the total control of the Israeli authorities who use over
80 percent of the precious resource. New water wells, networks and
reservoirs are being built for the Jewish settlements in the West
Bank at a time when most of Palestinian towns and villages are
suffering from severe water shortages.
Waste Management: Most of the environmental issues in the West Bank
and the Gaza Strip were neglected by the Israeli Civil
Administration during its occupation of the area. Wastewater
collection and treatment were not given the required attention;
therefore, only four towns in the West Bank had collection systems
or treatment plants built in the early 1970s. None of the
Palestinian villages has any collection or treatment plants other
than cesspools, which has affected the quality of most of the
rain-fed cisterns, the only source of drinking water for most of
the villages.
Solid waste collection and disposal were also neglected in the West
Bank and in the Gaza Strip. This has led to the accumulation of
waste all over the area, especially in the Gaza Strip where crude
dumping is evident and poses environmentally related health
hazards. Local municipalities face serious difficulties in the
disposal of certain wastes, like pumped sewage, construction and
demolition debris, hospital and slaughterhouse waste and, to some
extent, industrial waste.
Agriculture: Palestinian farmers have been denied access to
information services on the current use of pesticides and
fertilizers. Some of the internationally suspended or banned
pesticides are still being used in the occupied territories.
Furthermore, agriculture is being impeded by restrictions imposed
on water usage, as well as by massive land confiscation by the
Israeli authorities.
Deforestation: It is estimated that the total forest area in
Palestine is close to 0.5 percent of the total land area. It is a
fact that the Israeli authorities have prohibited the wide-scale
planting of trees to avoid legal obstacles to subsequent
confiscations of land, as the presence of trees slows down the
legal procedure permitting confiscation.
The Policy
The Palestinian policy towards regional cooperation in the field of
the environment was formulated in the first round of multilateral
negotiations and then expressed in the Protocol concerning civil
affairs in the Israeli¬-Palestinian peace documents as part of
the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government. In the
Protocol, it was agreed that Israelis and Palestinians shall act
together for the protection of the environment and the prevention,
among other things, of environmental risks, hazards, and nuisances,
and was clarified in the following points:
• Environmental problems are common to all nations,
regardless of national boundaries, and cooperation and coordination
are needed to put forward common environmental policies, including
the exchange of technical expertise.
• The prerequisites for regional cooperation as spelt out by
negotiators include an atmosphere of peace, security and stability,
based on the national rights of peoples; a relationship based on
equality, mutual respect and good neighborly relations; an
enhancement of administra¬tive and legislative infrastructure
in the occupied territories in order to create common grounds of
action; and an achievement of tangible progress in bilateral talks
in order to promote the required atmosphere for rational and
long-lasting regional cooperation.
• Specific environmental issues, such as industrial
pollution, desertifica¬tion, and nuclear activities were
identified and considered as areas of possible cooperation.
• The Palestinian Environmental Protection Authority was
proposed, and tasks and activities were identified.
Framework for a Cooperation Policy
While environmental problems are supra-boundary, necessitating a
regional solution, nonetheless every state/party has the full right
to formulate its own environmental policies with regard to its
natural resources, but taking care not to affect negatively the
environment in neighboring countries. In fact, economic development
in each country should be in harmony with environmental protection.
And as political issues are tackled by politicians, non-political
issues, such as the environment, can and should be handled through
regional environmental cooperation to the benefit of all
parties.
In keeping with the above principles, Palestinians have
participated in all rounds of the multilateral talks and in
inter-sessional and joint research activities. Palestinians were
sent to a number of neighboring countries to train in
environment-related fields. We started formulating our
environmental laws, regulations and by-laws, based on the
experience of other regional and non-regional countries, and,
finally, we have established the Joint Environmental Experts
Committee.
Are We Ready for Regional Cooperation?
All of the Palestinian delegations to international, regional or
bilateral meetings have stressed the fact that Palestine is not yet
ready for regional cooperation for a number of reasons. First,
cooperation should always take place between equals, and Palestine
is still lagging• behind in terms of infrastructure,
technology and information. We have always stressed that Palestine
would be part of regional cooperation efforts were we to be given
the chance and the means to achieve parity with the other countries
in the area. Second, the Israeli practices of continued uprooting
of trees and of land confiscation for "security" purposes or for
bypass roads or any other reason, lead to the degradation of the
environment in Palestinian land and do not indicate any respect for
Palestinian rights on the part of Israel. Finally, the current
Israeli reluctance, indeed, unwillingness to recognize Palestinian
rights, and the possibility and the belief that Israel will create
obstacles for the performance of the Palestinian Authority or for
the establishment of an independent state, hinder the acceptance by
Palestinians of a smooth reconciliation process or for forgetting
the past easily.