National Water Sector Strategic Plan and Action Plan (2017-2022) - Strategic Development Plan (SDP).

This Strategic Development Plan (SDP) is a nationwide sectoral document that contributes to the process of evaluating and identifying resources and needs at a national level related to the Water Sector. The resources and needs, on both national and regional levels, are identified in the two following Water Sector documents (i) the Water Sector Policy and Strategy for 2012-2032 and (ii) the National Water Sector Strategy for 2014-2016. The main objective of the National Water Sector Strategic Plan and Action Plan project is to guide the technical assistance to the Palestinian Water Authority (PWA). This includes (i) to prepare a detailed water sector SDP that includes Vision, priorities and, anticipated results for the coming 6 years based on existing resources and capacities; (ii) to develop needed Action Plans based on the SDP; (iii) to develop an implementation plan within a set time frame and its related financial estimates; (iv) to develop monitoring methodology for implementation as well as setting implementation success targets and measurement tools; (v) to link the SDP document to the other spatial, national, local, sectorial, and inter-sectorial plans and policies; and (vi) to link the SDP (2017-2022) with the Water Sector Policy and Strategy for 2012- 2032, and the National Water Sector Strategy for 2014-2016.
The Vision adopted for the Water Sector in Palestine envisages a long-term development towards an organized Water and Wastewater Sector, which contributes in building up the Palestinian sovereignty and ensures the sustainability of water resources according to robust health, environmental, social and economic structures capable of achieving the essential and developmental requirements of the Palestinian people.
The SDP identifies strategic objectives to be achieved by 2022 in the various areas of which the water sector is composed; they are (i) integrated management and sustainable development of the water resources (quantitatively and qualitatively); (ii) improving the quality and reliability of water supply services as well as ensuring fair water distribution; (iii) improving wastewater services and structure (collection, treatment, and reuse); (iv) development of Water Sector institutions to reinforce good governance bases within an integrated legal and institutional framework; and (v) ensuring the financial sustainability of water utilities and water service providers.
To make agriculture more sustainable and productive, the SDP aims at (i) protecting water resources from pollution and depletion; (ii) improving the efficiency of water distribution systems; (iii) increasing agricultural areas suitable for treated water irrigation from unconventional water resources; and (iv) constructing desalination plants.
As for the Governance, the document seeks for the development of Water Sector institutions to reinforce good governance foundations within an integrated legal and institutional framework, in particular increasing the capacity of Palestinian Water Authority (PWA) in planning and management of water resources.