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Regional management must be multipurpose, addressing domestic water supply, irrigation, industry, and the needs of nature. It must have multiple objectives , ensuring economic productivity, environmental quality, social equity, and human health. These objectives can be maintained through the use of physical structures, regulations, dissemination of information, and economic incentives. What is needed is to move away from the technical-fix-dominated and largely supply-oriented management structure of water resource management. The focus has to be extended from “blue water” to incorporate also “green water” issues, and from water quantity to incorporate water quality as well. An integrated approach is necessary for environmental management and water management. Planning should incorporate a multi-sectoral framework. All sorts of interdependency linkages and implementation barriers need to be addressed in an overarching and integrated manner. The conventional setup of sectoral water management institutions is not able to cope with the present water problems facing the area. The solutions to these problems require an integrated approach to water, land use, and ecosystems , addressing the role of water within the context of social and economic development and environmental sustainability. Problems that are facing water resource management in the area can be summarized as an increase in demand and waste production due to population growth and socioeconomic development, a decrease in the availability of water per capita, high losses of urban water, and the increasing depletion and pollution of groundwater. Water is the driving force of sustainable development. Thus, rational water management in this region should be founded upon a thorough understanding of all the types of water available and their movement. A major objective should be to view hydrological processes in relationship with the environment as well as human activities , emphasizing the multipurpose utilization and conservation of water resources to meet the needs of economic and social development throughout the area. Proper management of Palestinian water resources requires consideration of both supply and demand. Naturally occurring water resources in Palestine and the demand for their usage are currently critical political, economic, and technical issues. Palestinian water usage, management, protection, and conservation constitute a top-priority strategic package that must be freely developed. With everdeclining safe and sufficient water sources, it is imperative that Palestinians manage their most valuable natural resource—water—if a continued reliable and sustainable water supply is to be expected in the future. The fact is that water problems in Palestine are caused not so much by a shortage of freshwater as by its uneven distribution due to practices during the occupation. Applying more science and technology , rather than bureaucracy, can help mitigate some of the effects of people’s indifference to and abuse of the limited water resources in the area. Water availability is essential to Palestinian socioeconomic development and food security. The agricultural component of the Palestinian economy is the largest user of water and takes the “lion’s share” of total water utilized in Palestine, in both the West Bank and Gaza Strip. This fact is also true for Israel and Jordan. Shared Groundwater Resources 113 The ongoing rapid growth of the Palestinian population, together with the desired extension of irrigated agriculture and industrial development, is sure to stress the quantity and quality aspects of the natural system of water resources in Palestine because of the limited water resources and the increasing problems associated with the expected imposed limitations. Emphasis should be on proper water utilization and water conservation— stressing water demand management, rainwater harvesting, dry-farming of rain-fed crops, methods and techniques of using refined sewage waters, irrigation with brackish water, desalinization, etc. It should be recognized that there exist varying cultural traditions (e.g., urban versus rural), social structures, and degrees of economic development or scientific and physical infrastructure; and these differences— even within the small area of Palestine—can affect the choice, use, and sustainability of different water resource options. The development of Palestinian water resources has as its aim—in common with Palestinian development generally—the enhancement of the conditions of human life and must be recognized as an integral part of the social and economic programs. It must always be remembered that development goals are not realizable in the absence of water adequate in quantity and quality. To date, supply-oriented and resource-oriented water management dominates the scene in Palestine, with emphasis on structural measures to cope with supply of water and water-related services. Since the establishment of the Palestinian Water Authority, intensive and extensive institutional development programs...

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