NGO LEADERS EXPRESS CONCERN ABOUT SHARED MOUNTAIN

UNCLAS TEL AVIV 002421

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR NEA/RA, NEA/IPA, OES/SENV AND OES/PCI
EPA FOR INTERNATIONAL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV EAID PREL KPAL KWBG JO IS ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
SUBJECT: NGO LEADERS EXPRESS CONCERN ABOUT SHARED MOUNTAIN
AQUIFER AND URGE USG TO REMAIN INVOLVED IN SEWAGE TREATMENT
PROJECTS IN WEST BANK


SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY.

CONSULATE GENERAL JERUSALEM CLEARED THIS MESSAGE.


1. (SBU) PALESTINIAN AND ISRAEL REPRESENTATIVES OF
ECOPEACE/FRIENDS OF THE EARTH MIDDLE EAST (FOEME) MET WITH
NEA SENIOR S&T ADVISOR CHARLES LAWSON, CONSULATE GENERAL
ECONOMIC OFFICER AND EMBASSY ESTH OFFICER AT THE CONGEN IN
JERUSALEM JUNE 14 TO DESCRIBE THEIR FINDINGS ON THE
DETERIORATING MOUNTAIN AQUIFER SHARED BY ISRAELIS AND
PALESTINIANS. THE FOEME REPS NOTED THAT LARGE QUANTITIES OF
UNTREATED WASTEWATER AND SOLID WASTE ARE DUMPED ON THE
AQUIFER'S SENSITIVE RECHARGE AREA ON THE WEST BANK, RISKING
THE FUTURE AVAILABILITY OF SCARCE WATER. THEY SAID THAT
THEIR CONCERNS WERE SHARED BY ISRAELI AND PALESTINIAN WATER
OFFICIALS AND SCIENTISTS. THE FOEME REPRESENTATIVES ASKED
THAT THE USG TREAT SANITATION ISSUES AS HUMANITARIAN
CONCERNS AND THAT USAID CONTINUE ITS PREVIOUS WORK ON SEWAGE
TREATMENT IN THE PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES INCLUDING THE
SUSPENDED HEBRON WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.


2. (SBU) FOEME IS BEGINNING ITS THIRD STUDY OF THE MOUNTAIN
AQUIFER, FOLLOWING EARLIER REPORTS ON THE AFFECTS OF SOLID
WASTE AND SEWAGE ON THE AQUIFER. THE THIRD REPORT, LIKE THE
PREVIOUS STUDIES SUPPORTED BY THE GOLDMAN FUND, WILL FOCUS
ON RURAL SANITATION ISSUES. THE NGO REPRESENTATIVES SAID
THAT MORE THAN 60 PERCENT OF PALESTINIAN SEWAGE IN THE WEST
BANK COMES FROM RURAL VILLAGES. THEY PROPOSED THAT THE USG
FIND WAYS TO BENEFIT PALESTINIANS BY WORKING ON SEWAGE
PROBLEMS IN LOCAL JURISDICTIONS. THEY NOTED THAT GERMANY
WAS MOVING AHEAD WITH SEVERAL LARGE SEWAGE TREATMENT
PROJECTS IN LARGER JURISDICTIONS AND ITALY WAS SUPPORTING
THE CREATION OF LOCAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT COUNCILS. THEY
SAID THAT RESTRICTIONS ON THE MOVEMENT OF PALESTINIANS WERE
THE SINGLE BIGGEST OBSTACLE TO PROPER DISPOSAL OF SOLID
WASTE. FOEME PLANS TO MEET WITH GOI DEFENSE MINISTER PERETZ
TO DISCUSS HOW THE MOD COULD HELP ALLEVIATE SUCH PROBLEMS.

JONES