30 July - 5 August 2012 - orsam

Water wars will be the future
It covers 70.9 per cent of the Earth's surface, but only 2 per cent is fresh water, which must be
conserved. Demand for renewable fresh water has already outstripped supply. The critical shortage
affects every function related to human existence: drinking, bathing, cleaning, cooking and growing
crops.
Yet, as populations and faddish hi-tech innovations go out of control, greed continues - polluting,
diverting, pumping and wasting our limited water supply at an expedient level.
The West Bank settler population has mushroomed from 110,000 to 320,000. Of the water available
from West Bank aquifers, Israel uses 73 per cent, West Bank Palestinians use 17 per cent and Jewish
settlers use 10 per cent. While 10-14 per cent of Palestine's GDP is agricultural, 90 per cent of its
farmers must rely on antiquated rain-fed methods. Israel's agriculture accounts for only 3 per cent of
its GPD, but Israel irrigates more than 50 per cent of its own land.
Under international law, it is illegal for Israel to expropriate the water of the Occupied Palestinian
Territories for use by its own citizens, and doubly illegal to expropriate it for increasingly aggressive
settlers. Furthermore, Israel owes Palestinians reparations for past and continuing use and abuse of
water resources. Regarding the Jordan River system, the Palestinians have no access and remain
unconnected to any water infrastructure whatsoever.
The Israeli-Palestinian stalemate has featured diversion tactics to wage a bullyrag war with Iran at the
expense of a negotiated settlement. This, even though the tentatively agreed-upon key components
are in place: mutual recognition, borders, security, control of Jerusalem, occupation, settlements,
Palestinian freedom of movement, the refugee question and water rights.
Palestinians justifiably contend that "water war" politics is just part of the demeaning and humiliating
injustices of occupation. Issues that adversely affect West Bank residents' health, hygiene and rights
should be addressed in an international forum. But, without fair-minded outside intervention, they
undoubtedly won't be.
―Water wars will be the future‖, 31/07/2012, online at: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Water-wars-will-bethe-future-30187291.html
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