Water Banking and Adaptation of Agriculture to Climate Change in Northern Gaza - Environmental and Social Safeguards

published in July 2019
Including Environmental and Social Impacts Assessment, Environmental and Social Management Plan, Resettlement Action Plan.
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Water Banking and Adaptation of Agriculture to Climate Change in Northern Gaza

The set of documents available through the link below represents the environmental and social safeguards, under AFD and Green Climate Fund standards, for the Water Banking and Adaptation of Agriculture to Climate Change Project. These documents describe the norms, procedures, processes and tools that will apply for the management of environmental and social impacts of the aforementioned Programme. The following abstract summarizes the main conclusions of the environmental and social assessment:

► Click here to download the Arabic version

 

Important Environmental Outcomes and Considerations
  1. No significant changes have occurred in any of the physical or biological environment of the project areas since 2013.  The main physical and biological characteristics of the environment in the vicinity of the project area therefore remain unchanged. 
  2. Recent monitoring results reveal nitrate concentrations ranging from 20mg/l to 70 mg/l in 2017, both in the monitoring wells and in the recovery wells, indicating an increase in nitrate concentrations since 2012. These numbers far exceed the WHO standards that indicate a maximum value of 55 mg/l for nitrate, and, other Jordanian standards, Palestinian standards, Egyptian standards and Palestinian standards. 
  3. Pathogenic bacteria was also found in the groundwater in monitoring wells in close proximity to the infiltration basin, since partially treated sewage has been infiltrating the aquifer for 9 years.  
  4. Heavy metals were analyzed in the same wells close to the infiltration by PWA in mid of year 2016. The heavy metals concentrations in all analyzed wells were less than the Palestinian standard values for irrigation. While trace elements were found occasionally in slightly higher levels than indicated in standards, this was only the case in very few monitoring wells and would therefore not limit the use in irrigation as a general rule. It is only recommended that these elements are continuously monitored to avoid water use where limits are exceeded.
  5. All results of major water parameters monitored in first stage recovery wells such as Acidity (PH), E.C., T.D.S, T.A., B.O.D., SO4, and K have been found to be compliant with Palestinian standards.
  6. Water in monitoring wells meets most quality parameters limits set by international and local standards for unrestricted use in irrigation with the exception of the high nitrate levels. 
Important Social Outcomes and Considerations

The general outcomes and recommendations of the social part include:   

  1. Importance of engaging stakeholders, including persons or groups who are directly or indirectly affected by the project, as well as those who may have interest in the project and/or those who have the ability to influence its outcome, either positively or negatively taking their comments, ideas and concerns into consideration;
  2. Communicating and implementing a viable community grievance mechanism;
  3. Municipalities should be involved, engaged and consulted in the process of land acquisition and compensation to contribute in resolving disputes;
  4. Land acquisition should be appropriately handled and addressed as suggested in the RAP. Project affected people (private well owners and operators) should be compensated, to account for both property and job losses in a fair and timely manner;
  5. Importance of the institutional framework as it is the basis for the operation and success of this project.
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available also in : en
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