Trans-Boundary Water Allocation Between Israel and the Gaza Strip: Desalination, Recycling, and Fresh Water

Abstract

The availability of water in the Gaza Strip in relation to its population size and climatic conditions results in a water scarcity problem almost unparalleled in the world. Population density in the Gaza Strip is estimated at 2,000 people per square kilometer (compared to 200 hundred in Israel). In 1991, average annual water consumption was 35 cubic meters per capita (compared to the Israeli urban consumption of about 100 cubic meters per capita). Israeli-Palestinian cooperation over integrated water management addresses multiple regional objectives. It captures the utilization of multiple water resources such as fresh, desalinated, and recycled water, by multiple users in the agricultural, urban, and industrial sectors. Conveying water from various sources to users depends on spatial distribution. In order to address the problem, a conceptual model based primarily on the theory of optimal control is used to derive optimal solutions. Empirical data and computer simulation assist in the estimation of several solution scenarios.

The authors are grateful to the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Maryland, for support that led to the completion of this paper. At the time of this study, Eyal Brill held a post doctoral appointment and Eithan Hochman was visiting professor, both at the University of Maryland, College Park.