An-Najah National University Faculty of Graduate Studies Environmental Assessment and Economic Valuation of Wastewater Generated from Israeli Settlements in the West Bank. By Dorgham Adel Shreim Supervisor Dr. Anan Jayyousi This Thesis is Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master in Water and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Graduate Studies, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine. 2012 III To My Father, Adel Ibraheem Shreim To My Mother, Ameneh Shreim To My Wife, Lina Mahmmoud Hamarshi To My Sisters, Hanin and Thaera Shreim IV ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost I would like to thank God to given me the power to believe myself, pursue my dreams and helping me in making this thesis possible. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Dr. Anan Jayyousi for his supervision, and for his, patience, motivation, enthusiasm, and immense knowledge. I would like to thanks to Palestinian Water Authority (PWA) and Austrian project for funding my master study and helping me in providing the data. Special thanks go to Eng. Adel Yasin, Dr. Subhi Samhan, and Eng hazem Kitana. My mother and father, you have given me so much, thanks for your faith in me, and for teaching me that I should never surrender. My wife I love you so much, thank you for your understanding and love during my study. V : Environmental Assessment and Economic Valuation of Wastewater Generated from Israeli Settlements in the West Bank. Declaration The work provided in this thesis, unless otherwise referenced, is the researcher's own work, and has not been submitted elsewhere for any other degree or qualification. Student's Name : : Signature : : Date: : VI TABLE OF CONTENTS No. Subject Page Dedication III Acknowledgments IV Declaration V List of Tables IX List of Figures X List of Pictures XII Abstract XIII Chapter One: Introduction 1 1.1 General 2 1.2 Motivations 3 1.3 Research Questions 3 1.4 Research Objectives 3 1.5 Research Overall Methodology 4 Chapter Two: Literature Review 7 2.1 The fact and figures on the impact of the Israeli 8 expansion 2.2 Neglect of the wastewater treatment in the west bank 9 2.3 Troubled waters Palestinians denied fair access to 10 water 2.4 The impact of Israeli industrial zone on environmental 11 2.5 Pollution of mountain aquifer by sewage 12 2.6 Report (Btselem) 12 2.7 Interview the Department of Health and the 13 Environment in the municipality of salfit 2.8 Interview (the head of Jalbun council) 14 2.9 Interview (the head of head of Kufur Kadum council 14 2.10 Investigation on groundwater pollution 15 VII 2.11 Ecosystem. 15 Chapter Three: Study Area 18 3.1 General Background about West Bank 19 3.2 Settlements in the West Bank 21 3.3 The Selection of Israeli Settlements 24 3.3.1 Ariel 24 3.3.2 Alon Morieh 26 3.3.3 Shar Teqva 27 3.3.4 Kadumim 28 3.3.5 Jalbou and Merav 29 Chapter Four: Questionnaire Developments 31 And Structure 4.1 The Survey 32 4.1.1 The Population of the study 33 4.1.2 Sample of the Study 33 4.1.3 Questionnaire Design 33 4.1.3.1 Part One 33 4.1.3.2 Part Two 34 4.1.3.3 Part Three 35 4.1.4 Statistical Analysis 35 Chapter Five: Analysis of the Questionnaire 36 5.1 Environmental element Result 37 5.1.1 Ground Water. 37 5.1.2 Air 39 5.1.3 Soil 39 5.1.4 Plant 41 5.1.5 Animals. 42 5.1.6 Statistical analysis 42 5.1.7 Summary 44 5.2 Palestinian Environment Results 45 5.2.1 Noise From Settlements 45 5.2.2 Smell From Wastewater 46 5.2.3 Spread of Insect 47 VIII 5.24 Disposal of Wastewater Near Grazing Place 47 5.2.5 Animal Disease 48 5.2.6 Impact to The Agriculture Lands 49 5.2.7 Impact to The Quality Of Water Wells 50 5.2.8 Crops Damage Due to Wastewater Flows 50 5.2.9 Loss of Money Due to Wastewater Flows 52 5.2.10 Statistical Analysis 53 5.2.11 Summary 54 5.3 Attitude and Level of Awareness 55 5.3.1 Governmental Institutions 55 5.3.2 Nongovernmental Institution 56 5.3.3 People Who Live In Surrounding Area 56 5.3.4 Statistical Analysis 57 Chapter Six: Environmental and Economic 58 Impact 6.1 Environmental Impact 59 6.1.1 Soil and plants 59 6.1.2 Ground water resources 60 6.1.3 Air 62 6.2 Economic Impact 63 6.2.1 Soil and Plants 64 6.2.2 Animals 66 6.2.3 Water 66 Chapter Seven: Conclusions and 68 Recommendations 8.1 Conclusions 69 8.2 Recommendations 70 References 71 Appendix 75 IX List of Tables Table population and area of the West Bank districts 20 3.1 Table The number of settlement, population and 23 3.2 wastewater generated. Table The research case study 24 3.3 Table Settlements information y 30 3.4 Table Total population of study villages 33 4.1 Table Statistical analysis of the environmental elements 43 5.1 Table Statistical analysis of the Palestinian environment 53 5.2 Table Statistical analysis of the level of awareness 57 5.3 X List of Figures Figure flow chart that depicts the methodology of the research 4 1.1 Figure The district of the West Bank 19 3.1 Figure West Bank settlements 22 3.2 Figure Areil settlement 25 3.3 Figure Alon Moreih Settlement 26 3.4 Figure Sh ar Tiqva Settlement 27 3.5 Figure Kadumim Settlement 28 3.6 Figure Jalbou and Merav Settlements 29 3.7 Figure Impact to the ground water 38 5.1 Figure Impact to the Air 39 5.2 Figure Impacts to the soil 40 5.3 Figure Impacts to the plant 41 5.4 Figure Impacts to the Animals 42 5.5 Figure Noise from settlements 45 5.6 Figure Smell from the wastewater 46 5.7 Figure Spread of insect 47 5.8 Figure Disposal of wastewater near the grazing place 47 5.9 Figure Animal diseases 48 5.10 XI Figure Impact to the agricultural lands 49 5.11 Figure Impact to water wells 50 5.12 Figure Crops Damage 51 5.13 Figure loss of money 52 5.14 Figure Attitude from governmental institution 55 5.15 Figure Attitude from nongovernmental institution 56 5.16 Figure Attitude from the people 56 5.17 Figure Groundwater Aquifer Basins 60 6.1 Figure Settlements in the aquifers 61 6.2 XII List of Pictures Picture Picture 5.1 Effect of wastewater flow from Ariel 38 5.1 Settlement to Almatwei well in Salfeet Picture Picture 5.2 Wastewater from Ariel settlement flow into 40 5.2 the soil Picture Picture 5.3 Wastewater from Jalbou settlement flow into 41 5.3 the plant Picture Picture 5.4 wastewater from Jalbou settlements flow 46 5.4 between Jalboun houses Picture Picture 5.5 wastewater from Purkan settlements, flow 48 5.5 near grazing place Picture Picture 5.6 wastewater from Alon Moreih settlement 49 5.6 Picture Picture 5.7 Wastewater from Kfar Etsion settlement 51 5.7 Picture Picture 6.1 Wastewater flow between olive trees in Deir 64 6.1 Alhatab village Picture Picture 6.2Wastewater flow between Graps trees in Beit 65 6.2 Omar village XIII Environmental Assessment and Economic Valuation of Wastewater Generated from Israeli Settlements in the West Bank. By Dorgham Adel Shreim Supervisor Dr. Anan Jayyousi Abstract Since 45 years of the Israeli occupation to Palestine, Israel continues to destroy the Palestinian lands, and the land may be deteriorated over time due to the cumulative effects of several years of practices. The work of this thesis focused on the environmental assessment and economic valuation of wastewater generated from Israel settlements in the West Bank. The questionnaire was developed to achieve the objectives of the research and the result was analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2010. Results show the total numbers of settlements in the West Bank are 173 settlements with total population equal 483thousand, which produced around 60MCM/year, this means that the wastewater generated per capita per day per each settler approximately 343liter according to the calculations throw this research. Results show that the numbers of settlements in the in the Western aquifer are 65 which produced 25 MCM/year, while in the Eastern aquifer are 97 settlements which produced 33 MCM/year and in the Northeastern aquifer are 9 settlements which produced nearly 2 MCM/year. Results confirm that the wastewater generated from Israel settlements considered as one of the main sources of pollution for Palestinian land, environmental, groundwater resources and it is affect on the economy. Overall, the recommendations call all relevant authorities to assume their XIV responsibilities and to take immediate actions to control an if possible to prevent deterioration of the Palestinian land and the groundwater contamination. CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 General From the beginning of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank in 1967, Israel started to negatively impact on the Palestinians environment. There are many associated problems that transpire from Israel practice, which is in fact very common; they destroyed villages, building settlements, changing in land use by these settlements and by opening a new road in the Palestinian land. In addition; Israel controls the water resources in the West Bank from both the Jordan River basin and the groundwater resources.