On May 9th, WEDO/FoEME and local municipalities came together to sign the new Protecting Groundwater project´s Memorandum of Understanding. The ceremony took place in Auja environmental center, north of Jericho.
The MoU was signed between WEDO/FoEME and representatives from the participating local communities of Yatta, Baka Sharkia, Auja, Fasayel and Wadi Fukin. Nader al Khatib, WEDO/FoEME´s Palestinian Director, said that the project is funded by the European Union and helps to deliver the message of protecting the groundwater. Khatib stressed the importance of raising professional awareness of the project and coordinating between the municipalities. Thus, throughout the project, representatives of each community will meet weekly for GIS training in order to create environmental risk maps. Field researchers report hazard sites and provide data and photos.
During the project two conferences will also be held, one in Jerusalem and one in Malaga, Spain in order to raise awareness about the severe question of groundwater issues and the imbalance between Palestinian citizens and settlers in the region. The project targets the fair share of groundwater.
The main aim of this project is to reduce and prevent groundwater pollution, through the development of principals of water usage and for the monitoring and evaluation of groundwater contamination in the communities. Together with the project partners FoEME/WEDO this project aims to promote sustainable development for groundwater in the Mediterranean Basin.
This post was written by FoEME intern Lena Siedentopp. Lena is based in FoEME’s Bethlehem office.