Theme for World Water Day 2018 is "Nature for Water"

On the occasion of World Water Day, March 22, PCBS and PWA Issue a Press Release. The UN announced that the theme of World Water Day 2018, is "Nature for Water".

48% of Water Pumped from Underground Wells Goes to the Agricultural Sector
The percentage of cultivated land in Palestine is about 15.5% of the total area, of which about 84.5% are rain-fed and 15.5% are irrigated, which consumes about 47.5% of the water pumped from underground wells.

Amount of Rainfall in 2017 is Less than the Mean Average
The amount of rainfall in 2017 was 356 mm in Hebron Station (60% of main average), and 46 mm in Jericho Station (28% of main average), and the distribution of rainfall level was concentrated in most of the governorates in January and February during the year 2017.

95% of the Palestinian Households have Access to an Improved Water Source
The results of 2015 showed that 94.9% of households in Palestine live in housing units with access to an improved water source according to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) definition, which includes public network and  domestic well.


83 Liter/capita/day Palestinian Water Consumption Rate
The daily allocation per capita from consumed water for domestic purposes is 83 liter/capita/day in Palestine. 82.3 (l/c/d) in the West Bank,  while it is 84 (l/c/d) in Gaza Strip in 2016.

More than 97% of the Water Pumped from the Coastal Aquifer does not Meet the Water Quality Standards of the World Health Organization
The amount of water extracted from the coastal aquifer  for domestic use was 167.2 MCM in Gaza Strip in 2016, but this quantity is obtained via unsafe pumping that jeopardizes sustainability of the source knowing that the basin sustainable yield should not exceed 50-60 MCM a year. More than 97% of the water pumped from the coastal aquifer in Gaza Strip does not meet the water quality standards of the World Health Organization.

77 % of Available Water is from Surface and Ground Water
Data showed that the percentage of the exploitation of surface and ground water from available water in the year 2016 was high, with an average of 77.2%.

It should be noted that the Palestinians have been denied access to extraction from the Jordan River since 1967, which was estimated about 250 MCM.

 On the other hand, the quantity of Water Pumped from Palestinian Wells in the West Bank in 2016 was 84.4 MCM from Eastern aquifer, Western aquifer and North-Eastern aquifer.