Mapping the Refugee Camps of Gaza: the Surveyor in a Political Environ M E N T

O U R C O M M O N E S TAT E Mapping the refugee camps of Gaza: the surveyor in a political environ m e n t James Kavanagh Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Rob Home University of East London © RICS Foundation Aims and scope of the Editor October 2001 RICS Foundation Our ISSN 1464-648X Common Estate Paper Adarkwah Antwi Aditi Chatterji ISBN 1-84219-076-8 Series School of Engineering and the Calcutta University, India Published by • combat disadvantage and Built Environment RICS Foundation inequality in our use of natural and University of Wolverhampton Rob Home 12 Great George Street built resources Wulfruna Street University of East London, UK London SW1P 3AD, UK • put forward best practice in the [email protected] management and operation of Wolverhampton WV1 1SB land systems and markets United Kingdom Kasim Kasanga This guide is printed on paper • focus on the worldwide aspects University of Science and derived from sustainable forests. of research, policy and practice within the built and natural tel: +44 (0)1902 322261 Technology, Kumasi, Ghana The views expressed by the environments email: [email protected] author(s) are not necessarily those Robin Palmer of the Foundation. 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Lynne Armitage Geoffrey Payne Associates, UK Queensland University of Copies of this report can be made free of charge for teaching and Technology, Australia Jerome Robinson research purposes, provided that Ministry of Agriculture and the For matters rel a t i n g directly Paul Asabere Environment, Dominica • the permission of the RICS to the RICS Foundation, Foundation is sought in please contact: Temple University, Philadelphia, advance USA Amy Khor Lean Suan • the copies are not Stephen Brown National University of Singapore, subsequently resold Director of Research Alexandra Bernasek Singapore • the RICS Foundation is RICS Foundation acknowledged 12 Great George Street Colorado State University, USA London SW1P 3AD, UK Alan Tinkler [email protected] Bruce Boaden Alan Tinkler and Co, Mauritius University of Cape Town, South Tel: +44 (0)20 7695 1568 Fax: +44 (0)20 7334 3894 Africa Mika Törhönen FM-International Oy FINNMAP, The RICS Foundation is a charity, Peter Bower Finland registered number 1085587, and a company limited by guarantee, Staffordshire University, UK registered in England and Wales, Saad Yahya UK, number 4044051 Spike Boydell Saad Yahya and Associates, University of the South Pacific, Fiji Nairobi, Kenya 2•RICS Foundation Contents Introduction 1 Mapping and surveying for refugee management 3 Refugee camps of the Gaza Strip 4 Land law and ownership in the Gaza Strip 6 Mapping needs of the Peace Implementation Programme 8 The practical experience of field surveying in the refugee camps 10 Conclusions 12 Bibliography Illustrations Abbreviations w w w. r i c s - f o u n d a t i o n . o rg RICS Foundation • 3 Mapping the refugee camps of Gaza: the surveyor in a political enviro n m e n t James Kavanagh Royal Institution of Charte r ed Surve y o r s Rob Home University of East London Abstract The need for good maps to assist the physical settlement of refugee populations, and the opportunities created by recent technological advances (such as remote sensing and global positioning systems), are increasing the importance of the land surveyor in humanitarian crisis situations. The creation of new Palestinian authorities for Gaza and the West Bank after the Oslo peace accords has combined with major investment in environmental improvements to create an urgent need for the first accurate large-scale maps of the refugee camps of the area. Based upon the field experience of one of the authors, this paper explores some political factors affecting this surveying and mapping work, and its relationship to complex local land codes and disputed land rights. Contact James Kavanagh Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors 12 Great George Street London SW1P 3AD, UK t: +44 (0) 20 7695 1598 e: [email protected] MAPPING THE REFUGEE CAMPS OF GAZA: THE SURVEYOR IN A POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT 1 Introduction The management of land – that basic resource – offers a Refugee camps, during the initial emergency stage, are particular challenge to governments and international typically laid out in military style, with rows of tents, agencies confronted with refugee situations, in which the standpipes, refuse outlets, simple roads, etc. Then the needs of displaced populations may be superimposed upon refugees may start to improve their dwellings into more existing structures of land law. Political settlements of long- permanent structures, using indigenous building materials running refugee situations, as in Gaza and the West Bank, such as mud-brick, wood, and finally concrete and brick. create new demands for the regularisation of occupation The infrastructure, however, requires major public and land title, and for the upgrading of refugee camps investment for permanent roads, sewage, refuse collection, through infrastructure investment and environmental water supplies and schools, and the lack of such improvements. Such initiatives require accurate large-scale investment can create long-term social, environmental and maps, the field survey information for which usually has to ecological consequences, both for the refugees and the be obtained under difficult physical conditions, in a surrounding community. Where located near existing politicised environment, and using as source materials urban areas, refugee camps can offer access to markets maps that are outdated and perhaps subject to political and jobs, but can also create environmental and public manipulation. health problems associated with lack of drainage, roads, and public health facilities. Examples linked to the Arab- Israeli conflict are the Shabra and Chatila Camps of In 1997 there were an estimated 22 million refugees in the suburban Beirut, and the Beach and Sheikh Radwan world (as well as some 3.2 million Palestinians, who are Camps within Gaza. These camps, initially envisaged as separately classified by the UN special committee on entities separate from the local population, were laid out in Palestine). Their organised settlement has been the subject a formal style of planning at odds with the more organic of increasing amounts of research by aid agencies, style of Arab city development. especially those seeking to minimise adverse environmental effects. Refugees can settle in a number of The initial location of refugee camps should recognize a different ways, each with its own pattern of development number of factors, which the United Nations Commission and possible side-effects on the host community and for UNHCR and World Food Programme have addressed environment. For example, refugees may self-settle during the last few years through their Emergency amongst the local community, often unregistered with Strategy Frameworks and guidelines. Security of the international agencies and host governments. They receive population and possible defence capability are high aid directly from the local population and remain heavily priorities, while other considerations include the usual reliant on the host community and on links between the physical planning aspects: availability of land, water, fuel two groups. The establishment of organised settlements to and food; links to road networks; and distances from major contain the refugee influx during the early stages of an towns and hospital facilities. Choosing the right location is emergency is the internationally preferred way to settle most important, as a bad location can cause unrest, and refugees, so that they can receive official assistance and be put already environmentally and socially unstable areas at registered. This type of settlement, which may start with risk of further destruction from the hands of the refugees temporary structures, can easily become permanent if themselves. Environmental guidelines concern such political solutions are not found. matters as camp maintenance, awareness programmes to combat the ecological degradation of surrounding areas (e.g. from fuel collection by the refugees themselves), and medical programmes to combat water supply contamination. w w w. r i c s - f o u n d a t i o n . o rg RICS Foundation •1 MAPPING THE REFUGEE CAMPS OF GAZA: THE SURVEYOR IN A POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT The formation of refugee settlements depends not on the facilitate speedy and efficient eventual repatriation. wishes of the refugees themselves, but on the socio- The international aid agencies, while recognising the political climate in the area of influx. Host governments limitations of the camp system, have to operate within the prefer formal camps, which allow the movement of the confines of the political agenda of the host country, on refugee population to be controlled by registration, and whom they rely heavily for logistical support and security. THE GAZA PROFILE Land status and categories according to jurisdictional control under Oslo agreements: First category: Palestinian full jurisdiction territories represented by areas (in green and orange). Second category: Israeli full jurisdiction territories represented by settlements (triangles and installations in red). Third category: Israeli overriding security jurisdiction and

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