RAMALLAH, June 25, 2011 (WAFA) - Head of the Palestinian Water Authority (PWA), Shaddad Attili, in a press release Saturday welcomed the Union for the Mediterranean’s (UfM) formal adoption of a proposal to construct a desalination plant for Gaza on Friday.

The proposal was submitted by the Palestinian Water Authority and was unanimously endorsed by all 43 member states as the first project labelled by the UfM, said the press release.  

“Desalination in Gaza is a vital component of the Palestinian Authority’s water supply programme. Winning the support of the Union for the Mediterranean will significantly boost our efforts to both overturn the acute water crisis currently facing Gaza, while securing adequate and safe water supplies for Gaza into the future,” Attili said.

PWA said that the proposal put forward by the Palestinian Authority includes the construction of a desalination plant capable of generating up to 100 million cubic metres (MCM) of water a year, as well as the development of a North-South carrier system designed to transport fresh water throughout Gaza. This proposal is part of a broader programme that will include the development of water and waste water treatment facilities.

The press release said that the water crisis facing Gaza continues to worsen as the coastal aquifer that runs mainly beneath Gaza remains the only source of fresh water available to Gaza’s 1.6 million residents.

Massive over pumping due to a lack of alternative water sources has led to its rapid deterioration as approximately three times more water is extracted from the aquifer each year than the aquifer is able to sustainably recharge. This has led to increasing volumes of seawater from the Mediterranean seeping into the aquifer, rendering the water unsafe for drinking, according to the press release.

“Today, the aquifer shows clear signs of imminent collapse, with the World Bank estimating that only 5-10 percent of the water extracted from the aquifer meets minimum safe drinking water standards,” PWA warned.

“Providing Gaza’s 1.6 million residents with more water is first and foremost a humanitarian imperative given the poor quality and inadequate quantity of water currently available to them. We face significant health risks, with water borne diseases on the increase in Gaza. Water is also absolutely essential to domestic, industrial and agricultural use,” Dr. Attili said.  

Attili thanked the member states of the Union for the Mediterranean for their endorsement of the Gaza desalination project. He also thanked both President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad for their continuing guidance and support.

R.Q./F.R.