National Water and Wastewater Policy and Strategy for Palestine 2013 - 2032.

This National Water and Wastewater Policy and Strategy is a double sectoral document (ground and surface waters, fresh, brackish and salt waters as well as the water and wastewater services) valid for all the Palestinian territory and to be implemented in the next 20 years.
The National Water Policy 2013 - 2032 provides the planning and management framework necessary for the protection, conservation, sustainable management and development of water resources and for the improvement and sustainable management and provision of water supply and wastewater services and related standards in the Palestinian Territories. To this end it seeks for (i) reinforcement of the Palestinian Authority’s approach to sustainable water resources management by ensuring that Government works together in the pursuit of shared water resources management goals; (ii) establishment of a framework for the coordinated development, regulation and financial sustainability of water supply and wastewater services to ensure concerted efforts towards improved water systems management, rehabilitation and maintenance; and (iii) being a platform for ensuring close collaboration and cooperation among all water-related agencies and stakeholders at the national, governorate, municipal and local levels.
The Wastewater Strategy aims to improve the water and wastewater services provided to Palestinian citizens over the next 20 years. It is will be achieved through (i) increasing the quantity of water delivered to customers; (ii) maximizing the volume of water made available for irrigation; (iii) providing all citizens with good access to a reliable source of water, with an affordable tariff, in particular for the poorest families; (iv) reducing inequalities among regions and localities; (v) improving the quality of the water delivered to customers; (vi) improving the sanitation to protect the natural water resources from pollution and excessive depletion; and (vii) managing the water resources in sustainable and environmental manner.
Guiding principles formulated in the Policy are (i) separation of service delivery; (ii) policy formulation and regulation to achieve higher efficiency and transparency; (iii) the right to water; (iv) a legislative framework to treat water as an economic good; and (v) manage it in an integrated way.
To make agriculture more productive and sustainable, the Water Policy up to 2032 will seek for (i) establishing and enforcing national standards for wastewater reuse in agriculture and suitable crops for this reuse; (ii) maximizing the volume of water made available for irrigation while ensuring an optimal irrigation planning; (iii) protecting the natural water resources from pollution by wastewater.
In order to reduce rural poverty, main actions shall be directed to (i) take into account the needs and interests of all gender groups (marginalized, restricted access, women) including poor people; and (ii) assess the citizens’ ability to pay for water and wastewater services for tariff reviews, with particular attention to the poor and disadvantaged sections of the community.
To enable more inclusive and efficient agricultural system, it is needed to (i) encourage the involvement of formal water users’ associations to ensure optimal management of shared water resources (including wells, springs and treated wastewater) used for economic purposes (irrigation); and (ii) ensure the adequate involvement of all stakeholders (from a gender perspective) in water and wastewater programs and projects.
To increase the resilience of livelihoods to disasters, the document envisages (i) ensuring water security to meet future increases in demand for water and enable the socio-economic development;(ii) deploying the principles of Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM); (iii) developing a protection program against flash flood risks; (iv) developing flexible strategies to deal with the impact of climate change on water resources; and (v) adding, in the long term, sources of water by new wells from groundwater aquifers (basins) together with the rehabilitation of existing wells and springs.
As for the Governance, the document aims to (i) separate the policy, regulatory functions from those of service delivery; (ii) encourage the institutional restructuring of the Water Sector and involvement of the private sector in the funding, implementation, operation and maintenance of water supply and wastewater systems; and (iii) stipulate that the organizations responsible for the water sector produce financially and technically sound plans to achieve the strategic objectives of the sector.