Introduction ....

The project area includes the villages of Bet Inan, Qatannah, Qubebeh and Kharab Allehem called also North West Jerusalem Joint Service Council for Planning and Development B (JSCPDB), these are located south of Ramallah and North West of Jerusalem and have a total population of approx 18.000 people. The above village and local councils are responsible for water, waste water and solid waste Management. Water poverty and poor sanitation services are the most evident characteristics of the project area.

The project area is one of the most affected by the current situation where the separation wall has swallowed large part of its territory and represents an obstacle to the commercial and daily life movement. Unemployment rate is more than 70%, where the Israeli labor market is no longer accessible. The local authorities and village councils lacks both technical and financial support.  

Area Description ....

The project area suffers more than any other area in Palestine due to Israeli policy and attitude in confiscating large areas, building settlements and separation wall. The project community is considered one of the most vulnerable communities. Israeli occupation and current conflict holds back development at all levels and negatively affect services (infrastructure, social, educational, economical, etc). The community is suffering lack of financial resources due to high rate of un employment. Up to 1967, agriculture was the main source of income in the project area, due to the occupation policy, the labor power of these villages and towns had been shifted to the Israeli market resulting in an adverse impact on the agricultural sector. The industrial activities of the project area are limited to stone cutting, carpentry, small textile workshops and other primitive handicraft shops.

PWEG is actively participating at development process strengthening since years, where it had been working together with most of  North and North West Jerusalem village councils in different kinds of development and emergency projects such as establishing wastewater management, roads and infrastructural services. PWEG  succeeded in raising funds for the implementation of all above mentioned kinds of projects via its cooperation, reputation and active relations to the community donors. PWEG succeeded in attracting the attention of the Welfare Association (WA) in supporting the rural poor community of the project area in enhancing its economy and increasing food production. The WA is active in supporting development of poor rural areas of the West Bank and Gaza. The project started officially in Feb 6th,2007 where PWEG is implementing the project in cooperation and support and active participation of the WA, the project is composed of twenty on-site grey wastewater treatment plants, twenty green houses of 100 m2 each as well as theoretical and practical training for the selected beneficiaries.

As the project area is very close to Jerusalem, Israel planned to keep the project area under its control, and concentrated on confiscating Palestinian land through the employment of land brokers and dealers who arrange the false purchase documents. As a result of this continued policy, large portion of Palestinian land was occupied by Israel for the sake of settlements construction, the project area is therefore surrounded by Israeli settlements where for example Radar settlement is constructed over land of Qatannah and is continuously expanding. The Israeli military authority ordered the demolition of several houses in Qatannah and Bet Inan and in other neighboring villages. The impact of the Israeli settlement and the separation wall construction are not limited to the confiscation of land but affect all aspects of civil life.
 

Objectives ....

The project objectives are to enhance economy and food production in the project area. In addition, the project will contribute to prevent ground water pollution offering and promoting a low cost and socially accepted approach to sanitation in the aquifer recharge area of the West Bank (WB) with the potential to be extended to all rural areas in the WB and neighboring countries. The project is planned to achieve the following specific objectives:

a. Enhance economy and food security for 20 poor families
    (200 people).
b. Improvement of public health and protection of
     water resources and environment
c. Increase public awareness relative to environment and
    natural resources

Project activities....