Environment Sector Strategy 2011-2013.

This Environment Sector Strategy is a nationwide sectoral document, the second one, after the e Palestinian Environment Strategy of 1999. The Vision of the environment sector was conceived as follows: “A Palestinian environment that is protected, maintained and safe and that achieves sustainability of natural resources to respond to the current needs of the Palestinian society while ensuring the rights of future generations to enjoy a healthy and safe environment as well as social welfare under an independent Palestinian sovereignty”. Six priorities and objectives were identified for the Environment Sector Strategy that would serve for this 4-year period and extend to the long run. These are (i) a Palestinian environment that is clean, safe, and pollution-free; (ii) natural environment and cultural heritage are preserved and maintained; (iii) Palestinian natural resources are managed sustainably; (iv) all measures required to cope with climate change, combat desertification and confront environmental and natural disasters are taken; (v) the institutional and legal environmental framework is strong, effective and working in an integrated and concerted manner; and (vi) the State of Palestine is committed to international conventions and treaties on the environment.
To make agriculture more productive and sustainable, the document envisages interventions mainly aimed at coping with climate change, such as (i) the use of agricultural patterns and methods capable of adapting to the effects of climate change; (ii) controls on the quantity and quality of fertilizers and pesticides used; and (iii) expanded use of treated wastewater from wastewater treatment plants.
In order to increase the resilience of livelihoods to disaster, the Strategy provides interventions in different fields, such as disasters of various kinds, climate change adaptation and combat desertification, pollution control, waste management, and water conservation. The main measures envisaged are (i) strengthening capacities to deal with emergencies and natural disasters; (ii) establishing, equipping and training an environmental emergency body to deal with environmental disasters; (iii) implementing programs to raise awareness on how to cope with climate change; (iv) a national strategy and funding mechanisms to combat desertification; (v) implementing the outputs of desertification combating strategy; (vi) develop a plan to manage and rehabilitate pastoral areas; (vii) cultivate additional areas of lands to increase the size of green areas; (viii) rehabilitate and reclaim lands vulnerable to erosion; (ix) improve systems for the management of liquid, solid and hazardous waste; (x) implement programs to develop water harvesting systems; (xi) expand the use of alternative and non-traditional water sources.
As for Governance, it is necessary to (i) upgrade institutional work in the environment sector; (ii) upgrade the legal framework regulating work in the sector; and (iii) upgrade the capacity of environmental institutions, in particular empower the staff of EQA and sectoral institutions, and develop a system to monitor air, water, and soil pollutants and cross-border pollutants.