National Action Plan For Reduction of Pollution of Mediterranean from Land Based Sources PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY The Document is carried out in the framework of the operational strategy of the implementation of the Strategic Action Programme SAP and Sponsored by MED-POL Prepared By Dr. Mohamad Abou Auda Dr. Usama Shahin September, 2005 TABLE OF CONTENT LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................................... 2 LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................................. 3 1. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................ 5 1.1 BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................................. 5 1.2 SCOPE ............................................................................................................................................... 5 1.3 CURRENT SETTING .......................................................................................................................... 6 1.3.1 DEMOGRAPHY............................................................................................................................ 6 1.3.2 TOPOGRAPHY............................................................................................................................. 6 1.3.3 COASTAL GEOLOGY ................................................................................................................. 7 1.3.4 COAST AND SEABED CHARACTERISTICS.................................................................................... 7 1.3.5 SEAWATER QUALITY ................................................................................................................ 8 1.4 METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................................................. 8 2- INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK............................................................................................... 9 2.1 INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION........................................... 9 2.1.1 ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AUTHORITY (EQA) ...................................................................... 9 2.1.2 STAKEHOLDERS ......................................................................................................................... 10 2.2 MARINE AND COASTAL ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION TASK FORCES ...................................... 11 2.3 COASTAL & MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION COMMITTEE (C&MEPC) ................. 12 2.4 LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR COASTAL AND MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION .............. 14 3- SECTORIAL PLANS.................................................................................................................... 16 3.1 WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT ................................................................................................. 16 3.1.1 WASTEWATER POLLUTION LOAD ............................................................................................ 16 3.1.2 WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVE.............................................................................. 17 3.2 COASTAL ACTIVITIES ................................................................................................................... 18 3.3 AGRICULTURAL POLLUTANTS ..................................................................................................... 18 3.3.1 BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................................ 18 3.3.2 MEANS OF TRANSPORT ......................................................................................................... 18 3.3.3 EFFECT ON THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT ................................................................................ 19 3.4 INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION .............................................................................................................. 19 3.4.1 PROFILE OF THE INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITIES IN GAZA STRIP ................................................... 19 3.4.2 INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER................................................................................................... 19 3.4.3 INDUSTRIAL SOLID WASTE.................................................................................................... 19 3.4.4 INDUSTRIAL AIR POLLUTION .................................................................................................... 23 3.5 SOLID WASTE ................................................................................................................................24 3.5.1 COMPOSITION OF SOLID WASTES IN GAZA STRIP.................................................................... 24 3.5.2 PROPORTION OF TOTAL WASTE GENERATED BY DIFFERENT SOURCES IN GAZA CITY ...... 24 3.5.3 MODE OF POLLUTION ............................................................................................................ 25 3.5.4 TOXIC & HAZARDOUS WASTE EFFECT ON MARINE LIFE ...................................................... 25 3.5.5 INSTITUTIONAL SET UP FOR SOLID & HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT......................... 26 1 4- PRIORITY ACTIONS............................................................................................................... 28 4.1 PRIORITIZATION ......................................................................................................................... 28 4.2 STRATEGY ELEMENTS ............................................................................................................... 29 4.3 PRIORITY ACTIONS ....................................................................................................................... 29 5- IMPLEMENTATION ASPECTS........................................................................................... 32 5.1 POLICY INSTRUMENTS............................................................................................................... 32 5.2 INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY BUILDING......................................................................................... 32 5.3 ROLE OF NON GOVERNMENTAL SECTOR ..................................................................................... 32 5.4 ROLE OF KEY STAKEHOLDERS ................................................................................................ 33 5.5 ROLE OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES................................................................................................ 33 5.6 ROLE OF THE PUBLIC AND THE PRIVATE SECTORS.................................................................... 33 REFERENCES:.................................................................................................................................. 34 2 LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1.1 Gaza Strip coastal area map (White-shaded areas are Israeli settlements)………...5 2.1 Institutional Framework for Coastal & Marine Environmental Protection…………..…13 3.1 Pollutant Discharges from Wastewater to the Sea ………….…………..……..…16 3.2 Pollutant Discharges from Wadi Gaza to the Sea ……………………………..…17 3.3 Total Pollutant Discharges to Coastal Area …………………………….……..…17 3.4 Annual Wastewater Production of Selected Main Polluting Industries ……………..…20 3.5 Wastewater Effluent Characteristics of Selected Industries …………………..…20 3.6 Main Producers of Industrial Solid Waste in Gaza Strip …………………………..…21 3.7 Main Air Polluting Industries in the Gaza Strip ……………………..………..…23 3.8 Air Quality at Gaza Industrial Estate ………………………...………………..…23 3.9 Composition of solid wastes ……………………………………………………..…24 3.10 Proportion of Total Waste Generated by different sources in Gaza City …..………..…24 3.11 Achievements, ongoing and future work in the solid waste management …….……….29 4.1 Strategy elements affecting marine pollution……… …….…………….……..…..…29 3 LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1.1 Gaza Strip coastal area map (White-shaded areas are Israeli settlements)………...5 2.1 Institutional Framework for Coastal & Marine Environmental Protection…………..…13 4 CHAPTER I Introduction 1.1 Background The Environmental Quality Authority (EQA) has participated in the MED POL (Mediterranean Pollution) that made an assessment of land based pollution sources in 2001. EQA also have worked closely with a consultant who has been hired to calculate a baseline budget of these pollutants. The two projects were sponsored by the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP/MED- POL). A great deal of work has been done to identify both point and non-point sources of land based pollutants. An inventory of industrial establishments was included which was based on a survey prepared by the Ministry of Environmental Affairs (MEnA1999). The current political situation has complicated the environmental management in the occupied Palestinian territories. It induced negative impact on sectors of the environment. Marine pollution has been increased due to flow of wastewater from destroyed wastewater treatment plants (Rafah and Gaza) or by restrictions imposed by the Israeli on the movement of civil Palestinian crews to repair these plants. Proper management of solid waste could not been achieved due to inability to collect and transport to sanitary landfills. Over the past two years, the curfews and road blocks, prevented proper waste disposal leading to accumulation of huge amount which contributed to the burden of coastal and marine pollution especially. The