(THIS ARTICLE IS MACHINE TRANSLATED by Google from Norwegian)
It is an eternal vicious circle, which ultimately always finds its origin in the blockade of Israel. As long as the Israelis guard the door, the Palestinians on the Gaza Strip have no chance to improve their situation because they are deprived of all means and opportunities to do anything.
During the war in 2014, crucial parts of Gaza's infrastructure were destroyed by Israeli attacks. The international community joined in on donations to help the Palestinians remedy the desperate situation, but Israel withholds the building materials. Meanwhile, the already desperate people in Gaza are suffering in worse conditions than usual. At the same time as there is a shortage of fuel, there is an hourly power failure daily, and while there is a shortage of water, the sewage system breaks down and aggravates the already contaminated water that exists. Again and again, every single attempt to do something about the impossible situation is undermined by Israel's administrative enthusiasm. Everything depends on the Israelis, which they are fully aware of.
The coast off Gaza flooded with garbage, the water has changed color due to all the pollution, and is full of toxins from the sewer. In the absence of water at home, people head to the beach hoping to cool off and take a bath as a replacement for the shower they have to manage without – but what meets them is garbage and smelly water. The fisheries sector in Gaza is about to collapse. Even more serious is that the groundwater level drops.
Finding new resources is urgent. The little fresh water they have in Gaza is already very polluted, and it is diminishing. The local desalination plants are constantly disturbed by a lack of electricity, and as a result, the population is getting worrying amounts of polluted water.
Worldwide, millions of people die every year because there is insufficient drinking water. This problem does not subside – it increases. And this is not just the case in war-torn areas; California, too, sees bleak times coming. Think how long it will take before we stop importing the cheap almonds from California in Norway, which is one of the biggest causes of the drought in the US region? Meanwhile, there are places where so-called green technology can provide better prospects both for the future and for today's precarious state. In the Middle East, the conversion of salt water into drinking water costs enormous oil resources, with associated negative effects on the environment.
A more sustainable one however, the method is within reach.
Norwegian DNV GL has carried out experiments in wave power technology in the Aegean Sea, which have similar conditions as the Gaza coastal zone. By using the energy of wave power, reverse osmosis can be used to convert saline water to fresh water in a liquid plant, thus providing Palestinians directly with much needed potable drinking water. Currently, both power outages and oil shortages sabotage the methods available to purify their water in Gaza, and the results are fatal.
Latest news from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Middle East (UNRWA) is that infant mortality in Gaza has exploded in recent years. For the first time in five decades, the statistics have risen, and both doctors and researchers are wondering why. Absence of medical equipment due to Israel's blockade is likely to be a factor, while this is nothing new. Despite all the wars that have taken place in the area since the 1950s, it is only in recent years that infant mortality has increased. From 127 per 1000 born in 1962, the number of children dying before the first year of life dropped steadily – until 2008, when it was 20,2. From then until 2013, which is the last year for which statistics are available, the rate suddenly increased to 22,4 per 1000 live births.
Infant mortality is a symptom. This means that the population in general has got worse health – in this case, the study conducted by UNR-WA Palestinian
refugees in Gaza. Lack of clean drinking water can be one of the causes. There are many potential reasons why the population is now slimmer than it has been in the last 50 years, but apart from the obvious damage people receive during warfare and inadequate health care, an increased infant mortality indicates more profound and long-term health problems, which it takes time to fix The supply of pure drinking water is alpha and omega for a functioning organism. If the water you drink does more harm to your body than it does well, that is, the body already has a weakened starting point to withstand further challenges – such as war, mental and physical fatigue, and poor nutrition. Disorders such as kidney stones and heart attack are the most acute consequences of dehydration.
Environmental issues elsewhere will someday hit us here at home.
In Norway it is common belief that we live in an equal society where everyone deserves a chance. It is not enough to narrow this line of thinking to just ourselves – then it loses its meaning and legitimacy. This idea must necessarily be exported to be valid. We need a more comprehensive agenda that takes into account that everything is linked. Environmental issues elsewhere will someday hit us here at home. Raising one finger to assist the situation there will have positive consequences for us here. Even in times of access to electricity, Gaza's treatment facilities do not have the capacity needed for such a densely populated area – one of the most densely populated in the world. Although the EU and the World Bank have decided to fund new plants to purify and desalinate the waters of Gaza, residents need electricity access that avoids Israel's chokehold – for example, via wave power plants that can be mounted off their own coast, giving them direct access to electricity in addition to convert the salt water on site. Here, Norwegian technology can lead, but financial support is needed. DNV GL has the expertise, and with a support device in the back from the public, the possibilities are great. Estimates from the Gaza water authorities suggest that only five percent of the water is drinkable today – and that in 2016 it will be empty. There is no time to lose.
