Deir Dibwan Town Profile Prepared by The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem Funded by Spanish Cooperation 2012 Palestinian Localities Study Ramallah Governorate Acknowledgments ARIJ hereby expresses its deep gratitude to the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation for Development (AECID) for their funding of this project. ARIJ is grateful to the Palestinian officials in the ministries, municipalities, joint services councils, village committees and councils, and the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) for their assistance and cooperation with the project team members during the data collection process. ARIJ also thanks all the staff who worked throughout the past couple of years towards the accomplishment of this work. 1 Palestinian Localities Study Ramallah Governorate Background This report is part of a series of booklets, which contain compiled information about each city, town, and village in the Ramallah Governorate. These booklets came as a result of a comprehensive study of all localities in Ramallah Governorate, which aims at depicting the overall living conditions in the governorate and presenting developmental plans to assist in developing the livelihood of the population in the area. It was accomplished through the "Village Profiles and Needs Assessment;" the project funded by the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation for Development (AECID). The "Village Profiles and Needs Assessment" was designed to study, investigate, analyze and document the socio-economic conditions and the needed programs and activities to mitigate the impact of the current unsecure political, economic and social conditions in Ramallah Governorate. The project's objectives are to survey, analyze, and document the available natural, human, socioeconomic and environmental resources, and the existing limitations and needs assessment for the development of the rural and marginalized areas in Ramallah Governorate. In addition, the project aims at preparing strategic developmental programs and activities to mitigate the impact of the current political, social, and economic instability with the focus on the agricultural sector. All locality profiles in Arabic and English are available online at http://vprofile.arij.org. 2 Palestinian Localities Study Ramallah Governorate Table of Content Location and Physical Characteristics ________________________________________________4 History _________________________________________________________________________5 Religious and Archaeological Sites ___________________________________________________6 Population ______________________________________________________________________6 Education _______________________________________________________________________7 Health Status ____________________________________________________________________8 Economic Activities _______________________________________________________________8 Agricultural Sector _______________________________________________________________10 Institutions and Services __________________________________________________________12 Infrastructure and Natural Resources _______________________________________________12 Environmental Conditions _________________________________________________________14 Impact of the Israeli Occupation ____________________________________________________15 Development Plans and Projects ____________________________________________________18 Implemented Projects _____________________________________________________________18 Proposed Projects ________________________________________________________________19 Locality Development Priorities and Needs ___________________________________________20 References: _____________________________________________________________________21 3 Palestinian Localities Study Ramallah Governorate Deir Dibwan Town Profile Location and Physical Characteristics Deir Dibwan is a Palestinian town in Ramallah Governorate, located 6.4km east of Ramallah City. Deir Dibwan is bordered by „Ein ad Duyuk al Foqa territories to the east, Rammun and „Ein Yabrud territories to the north, Beitin and Burqa villages to the west and Mikhmas village and „Anata territories to the south (ARIJ GIS, 2012) (See Map 1) Map 1: Deir Dibwan location and borders Source: ARIJ GIS, 2012 Deir Dibwan is located at an altitude of 739m above sea level with a mean annual rainfall of 455mm. The average annual temperature is 16o C and the average annual humidity is approximately 60% (ARIJ GIS, 2012). Since 1956, Deir Dibwan has been governed by a Municipal Council which is currently administrated by 13 members appointed by the Palestinian National Authority with an additional 18 employees working 4 Palestinian Localities Study Ramallah Governorate in the Council. The Council owns a permanent headquarters and two vehicles for the collection of solid waste (Deir Dibwan Municipal Council, 2012). It is the responsibility of the Municipal Council to provide a number of services to the residents of Deir Dibwan, including (Deir Dibwan Municipal Council, 2012): Solid waste collection, road construction and restoration, street cleaning and social development services. Organizing construction and licensing processes. Providing headquarters for governmental services (post, security, etc.). Implementing projects and case studies that contribute to the town‟s development. Protecting historical and archeological sites in the town. Protecting governmental properties. History Deir Dibwan town was originally a monastery („deir‟) for Roman monks, where a monk known as Divan lived. Over time, the town‟s name shifted to Deir Dibwan. The town dates back to 1024 (according to the Hijri calendar), and its residents originate from East Jordan, Al Balqa‟ and Yemen (Deir Dibwan Municipal Council, 2012). Photo of Deir Dibwan 5 Palestinian Localities Study Ramallah Governorate Religious and Archaeological Sites There are two mosques in the town: Deir Dibwan Grand Mosque and Omar ben al Khattab Mosque. The town has several sites of archaeological interest, including Khirbet Hayyan, Khirbet al Khudariya, Khirbet at Tall, Khirbet Qasr at Tareez, Khirbet al Maqater, As Sabaq Monastery, Ad Darb Well, As Sahel Well, and Al Jabiya Spring (Deir Dibwan Municipal Council, 2012) (See map 2). Map 2: Main locations in Deir Dibwan Town Source: ARIJ GIS, 2012 Population According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), the total population of Deir Dibwan in 2007 was 4,937, of whom 2,268 were male and 2,669 female. There were 990 households living in 1,343 housing units. 6 Palestinian Localities Study Ramallah Governorate Age Groups and Gender The General Census of Population and Housing carried out by PCBS in 2007 showed that the distribution of age groups in Deir Dibwan was as follows: 36% were less than 15 years of age, 55% were between 15 and 64 years of age, and 8.8% were 65 years of age or older. Data additionally showed that the sex ratio of males to females in the town is 85:100, meaning that males and females constitute 45.9% and 54.1 % of the population respectively. Families The inhabitants of Deir Dibwan town are from several families, mainly the Al „Awawdah, Al Manasrah and As Sarmah families (Deir Dibwan Municipal Council, 2012). Education According to the results of the PCBS Population, Housing and Establishment Census-2007, the illiteracy rate among population was about 11%, of whom 81.6% were females. Of the literate population, 14.5% could only read and write, with no formal education, 28.3% had only elementary education, 24.7% had preparatory education, 15.4% had secondary education, and 6% completed higher education. Table 1 shows the educational level in the town of Deir Dibwan by sex and educational attainment in 2007. Table 1: Deir Dibwan population (10 years of age and above) by sex and educational attainment S Can Associate Higher E Illiterate read & Elementary Preparatory Secondary Bachelor Master PhD Unknown Total Diploma Diploma x write M 77 276 550 396 282 35 84 3 11 1 - 1,715 F 343 278 529 548 307 32 51 - 10 2 3 2,103 T 420 554 1,079 944 589 67 135 3 21 3 3 3,818 Source: PCBS, 2009. There are 5 public schools in the town run by the Palestinian Ministry of Higher Education (MoEHE), but there are no kindergartens (See Table 2) (Directorate of Education in Ramallah, 2011). Table 2: The Schools in Deir Dibwan by name, stage, sex, and supervising authority School Name Supervising Authority Sex Deir Dibwan Girls Secondary School Government Female Deir Dibwan Co-educated Secondary School Government Mixed Deir Dibwan Boys Industrial Secondary School Government Male Deir Dibwan Boys Elementary School Government Male Deir Dibwan Girls Elementary School Government Female Source: Directorate of Education in Ramallah, 2011 There are 1,539 students, 112 teachers, and 55 classes in Deir Dibwan (Directorate of Education in Ramallah, 2011). The average number of students per teacher in the schools is nearly 14, whilst the average number of students per class is approximately 28. 7 Palestinian Localities Study Ramallah Governorate Health Status There are a number of healthcare facilities available in Deir Dibwan town: a health center run by a charitable society, 3 physician‟s clinics (governmental, private and one run by a charitable society), 6 specialized physician‟s clinics, a medical laboratory run by a charitable society, a governmental motherhood and childhood center, a private physiotherapy center, and 3 pharmacies (governmental, private and one run by charitable society) (Deir Dibwan Municipal