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Palestinian Integrated Rural Environmental Protection Plan

ByHossam Zaqoot

June 2005

European CommissionLIFE Third Countries

Palestinian National AuthorityEnvironment Quality Authority

EQA

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This project is co-financed by European Commission

LIFE Third Countries January 2002- Dec 2003

Overall Goal:To Reverse and Prevent Further Depletion and Deterioration of the Palestinian Rural Environment.

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The urgent environmental issues:• Sustainable Energy Generation.

• Environmental Directives for Stone Quarrying.

• Rural Information System with Results.

• Establishment of an International Rural Center.

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Project Purposes

Developing a Rural Environmental Action Plan.Building an Environmental Information System.Developing a Rural Energy Action Plan.Developing Directives for Environmental

Protection from Stone Quarrying pollution.Broadcasting Information about Rural areas for

all interested Institutions.Establishing an International Center for Rural

Environmental Protection.

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Project Activities

• About 95% of the energy requirements are imported from Israel.

• 20% of the population have no or irregular access to electrical services.

• More than 65 villages in the West Bank obtain their electricity use from diesel generators.

• Increasing demand of energy forced the people to cut trees, burn wood, use used oil and waste plastics for cooking and heating water.

1. Rural Energy Generation Action Plan

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Needs Assessment:- • Projects and applications of solar energy.

• Wind energy application in the West Bank rural areas.

• Geothermal energy evaluation.

• Training programs.

• Evaluation and testing of renewable energy equipment.

• Establishment of special laboratories.

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• Assessment of current practices and status of energy generation.

• Development of long list of projects and interventions for energy development in the rural areas.

• Identification of evaluation criteria to select the most urgent actions.

• Setting priorities of the projects and programs with the participation of the related stakeholders and public.

• Described detailed action plan for each alternative.• Institutional arrangements.• Completion of rural energy action plan .

Plan Activities

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Energy Generation Action Plan

1. Emergency solution for lightening purposes in rural areas of the West Bank.

2. Electrification for rural areas by using PV system (106 units for 9 villages).

3. Utilization solar energy for irrigation purposes in the rural areas (5 units for agricultural farm irrigation purpose).

4. Farm-scale biogas plant for rural areas/3 pilot projects.

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2. Regulations and Directives for Stone

Quarrying • Stone quarrying activities entail major

environmental consequences, including increase level of air and noise pollution, ground water pollution, increased production of solid waste, and distortion of aesthetic view of the country.

• The Formulation of an effective strategy in relation to the environmental consequences of stone quarrying should be a high priority on the agenda of public sector institutions.

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Stone Quarrying Regulations Activities

• Current settings of the stone industry.• Detailed assessment of environmental problems

related to stone quarrying.• Preparation of the first draft regulations and

guidelines.• Presentation of proposed outline of regulations and

guidelines of stakeholders.• Elaborating regulations and guidelines.• Preparing legal arrangements, if necessary.• Implementation of regulations and guidelines.

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Environmental Directives for Stone quarrying

• Adoption of air quality standards. • Adoption of appropriate provisions for solid waste

collection. • Adoption of industrial waste water standards • Adoption of appropriate provisions for landscape

of the quarry. • Adoption of appropriate provisions for site

rehabilitation.• Adoption of developed land use plans. • Adoption of appropriate provisions for surface

runoff.

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3. Rural Information System

• Outline of data requirements for the information system.

• Preparation of first test version of the system.

• Testing system and presentation of team of experts.

• Making adjustments and making first working plan.

• Implementation of system in reminder of project and the international center.

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4. Establishment of International Center for Rural Environment Protection.

(ICREP)

Aim of the center:

To develop, collect and disseminate technical and practical methods to overcome the urgent environmental issues that are typical for rural areas in the region.

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The ICREP Activities• Identification and elaboration of key subjects to be

covered.• Identification of stakeholders in terms of users of

the center and providers of information.• Assessment of the environmental problems.• Evaluation of international regulations and

guidelines.• Outline of data requirements for the information

system.• Setting priorities of measures and alternatives.

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Functional Structure of the Centre

ICREPChairman of

EQA

Chairman of EQA

Director of ICREP

Director of ICREP

Planning &projects Department

Planning &projects Department

Information & research

Department

Information & research

Department

International Relation

Department

International Relation

Department

Admin. & finance Department

Admin. & finance Department

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Main constraints relevant to the policy development

• The regional political circumstances were obstructing some of the project activities.

• willingness of the stakeholders to participate and to take corresponding responsibilities, including sharing of information.

• The rural energy plan and regulations for stone quarrying will only be effective if it includes reliable, feasible, affordable and acceptable measures and actions.

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Key stakeholders in terms of users and providers of information

• Environment Quality Authority. • Palestinian Water Authority (PWA).• Ministry of Health (MoH).• Ministry of Local Government (MoLG).• Ministry of Industry (MOI).• Ministry of Agriculture (MoA).• Palestinian Energy Authority (PEA).• Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS).

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Scientific Organizations: Hebron university. Birzeit University. En-Najah University. Islamic University of Gaza (Environmental Rural

and Research Center).

NGOs: Agricultural Relief association. Applied Research Institute-Jerusalem (ARIJ). Union Of Agriculture Relief Committees (UAWC). Palestinian Hydrology Group.

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International Organizations: Global Environmental Facility (GEF).United Nation Development Program

(UNDP).United Nation Environmental Program

(UNEP). World Bank.

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Project Achievement

• Establishing an International Center for Rural Environmental Protection.

• Preparing Rural Energy Generation Action Plan.

• Drafting Directives for Stone Quarrying.

• Establishing Rural Information System.

• Disseminating the Project Results.

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END