Hydro-Peacebuilding in Palestine

Jens Iverson, Leiden University (United States/Netherlands)

Water is an underappreciated aspect of the conflict in Palestine. It is harder to photograph than ruined buildings, explosions, or the result of hunger. The breakdown in agriculture, sanitation, and resulting suffering and death caused by water insufficiency and insecurity is central to the conflict — and conversely, addressing it holds great promise. This paper argues that rebuilding the water infrastructure and related services is an optimal way of building a just and sustainable peace in the West Bank and Gaza. It builds on my research on Gaza and water (see https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5543279). Gaza and the West Bank have very different hydrology, but the issue of water security is important in both areas.