Research and technical notes: Obstacles and chances to cut pollution load discharges from urban Palestine

This paper presents the results of a descriptive study on assessment of pollution loads discharged from three areas in Palestine. The difficulties and chances to reduce pollution loads of combined municipal sewage and urban stormwater discharges are discussed. Major obstacles behind a poor sewage infrastructure in Palestine were identified as the followings: insensitive Israeli environmental policy now and during the past period of occupation, lack of financial and technical human resources, and insufficient maintenance of sewage facilities, poor environmental awareness, and commitment. The result is a severe negative environmental impact on the aquatic environment and public health. Through personal contacts, actual data on the sewage infrastructure facilities of three representative large cities in the West Bank (Jenin, Albireh, and Hebron) are presented and discussed. By 2005, about 255,000 inhabitants will be living in the three selected Palestinian large cities (Jenin, Albireh, and Hebron). The total annual organic (BOD) and inorganic (NH4-N) pollution loads from Albireh and Jenin cities are 3,500 t and 850 t per year This annual pollution is exacerbated through the Israeli settlements, which has been estimated to reach a pollution load of about 400, 000 population equivalents (PE). The estimated load emissions in BOD and nitrogen from Albireh sewage works are 3 and 35 percent of the initial pollution loads, respectively. A summary of the urgent research priorities to minimize the pollution loads and measures to abate the negative impacts on the aquatic environment and public health is provided.