1. The deterioration of the economical situation in Palestine has caused a rapid decline in the standards of living (e.g., the per capita GDP in Palestine dropped from US$1800 in 1991 to US$800 in 1994, while the per capita GDP in Israel reached some US$16,000 with a comparable cost of living). Serious deterioration of the Palestinian environment and natural resources has been among the consequences of such economic deterioration as poorer people tend to rely on biomass for fuel wood and drive their range and agricultural lands harder to eke out a living.
2. Palestinian farmers play a central role in the conservation of germplasm resources since they retain some seed stock for the preservation and evolution of new varieties. This positive role is now threatened by the pauperisation of local communities since they are increasingly having to consume their entire harvest and becoming more dependent on imported high-yielding varieties (HYVs). This situation is already narrowing the diversity of genetic resources.
3. The continuing pressure of Israeli occupation has caused further impoverishment of Palestinian communities as they have been denied access to their lands and other natural resources. For example, access by Palestinians to both rangelands and ground water resources is limited to 15%, and bypass roads and land confiscation for Israeli settlements and security zones have removed land and other natural resources from use for the development of Palestinian communities. This situation has created serious constraints for the equitable sharing of natural resources, which, in turn has worsened the picture within Palestine, and has put further pressure on the diversity of biotic systems in Palestine.
4. In the absence of a national government in Palestine between 1967 and 1994, a mix of economic and political considerations shaped Palestinian agricultural practices that adversely affected agro-biodiversity. In Gaza irrigated agriculture, for example, farmers shifted from fruit trees to high value cash crops such as strawberries and flowers: the area planted to citrus declined from 69,200 dunums in 1983 to 43,574 in 1996 (Isaac, 1998). In the rainfed areas of the West Bank, on the contrary, farmers shifted from field crops to the "improved" Nabali olive trees, which proved to be intolerant to drought, vulnerable to pests and diseases, and dependent on more water and agrochemicals. This trend, based mainly on a perception of insecurity of tenure in treeless lands, was not based on economic considerations as olives became a surplus product, while the food security suffered due to a reduction in staple crops.
5. Another major threat to marine biodiversity in Gaza is a result of the extremely inequitable sharing in the benefits of marine biotic resources as Palestinian fishing communities are denied fair access. In addition, significant environmental pollution and habitat destruction in marine and coastal zones by Israeli settlements and other activities, have reduced potential economic and environmental benefits from both marine and coastal biodiversity.

Agenda for Action

Immediate Priority (implementation within 1-5 years)

1. Carry out participatory action research on the conservation of biodiversity and the actual or potential benefits and costs (e.g. damages by wildlife) it entails.
2. Establish systems of collaborative management of natural resources, thus providing stakeholders with the possibility of negotiating the benefits they most value for the resources they are willing to help managing.
3. Strengthen local capacity for maintaining and benefiting from crop and genetic diversity.
4. Support efforts of indigenous people to maintain traditional systems of resource management and adapt them to modern pressures and conditions (e.g. support medicinal plant projects run by local communities)
5. Encourage local communities to explore opportunities for developing a larger market share for domesticated products harvested sustainably.
6. Establish equitable licensing/use arrangements for marine fishing, grazing and other uses of common biodiversity resources, balancing commercial and subsistence use.
7. Include Palestinian rights and sovereignty over its biodiversity and the protection of its rights of intellectual property, particularly for the benefit of local communities.

Mid-term Priority (implementation within 6-10 years)

1. Establish "polluter pays" legislation to ensure that the cost for rehabilitation of damaged or impacted common biodiversity resources is not borne by subsistence users.
2. Establish "developer pays" legislation to ensure that the cost of replacing lost common biodiversity resources is not borne by subsistence users.
3. Manage ecotourism activities to ensure that they are sustainable, and that local communities are involved in ecotourism management and share in its benefits.
4. Establish guidelines for the collection and export of genetic resources originating in Palestine, including equitable licensing arrangements and return technology transfer for materials used in pharmaceuticals or other biotechnology-based products.
5. Promote recognition of the value of local knowledge and genetic resources and affirm local peoples’ rights (especially of farmers).
6. Promote the role of local communities in the management of wild lands, as well as, in stewardship of their natural resources as a whole.
7. Include consideration of Palestinian rights and sovereignty over biodiversity-related issues in the international political agenda to ensure the integrity of ecological and natural resource management systems. This includes the adverse ecological impact of Israeli settlements in Palestinian lands as well as exploitation of ground water and other mineral resources, transportation schemes like bypass roads, tunnels, industrial and agricultural activities, interference with surface water regimes, and the impact of environmental pollution from local and transboundary Israeli sources on Palestinian ecosystems.

Long-term Priority (implementation > 10 years)

• Improve co-ordination aincrease harmonisation of sector policies, programs and legislation in order to fill institutional gaps and reduce overlap.

Notes

The equitable sharing of biodiversity benefits within Palestine is pursued here mostly via the full participation of the Palestinian society (including indigenous communities, less privileged groups and women) in resource management systems. In this way, enhanced equity is combined with enhanced human dignity, and not limited to economic considerations.

Specifically, the promotion and support of multi-stakeholder meetings and collaborative management institutions promotes the active involvement of different social actors in management – which includes both the sharing of benefits and the sustaining of responsibilities. Economic incentives for sound resource management are also an important means to re-direct natural resource benefits in a more equitable way. Not less important is the equitable access of rural peoples, particularly, small farmers, landless, and indigenous people to land, water and forest resources and to productive technologies, financing, marketing, processing and distribution. Last but not least, in establishing protected areas the resident population needs to be involved and take part in decision making - including decision making on the allocation of economic and other benefits from the protected areas.

Potential Partners

Rural and indigenous communities, as well as the Palestinian Authority including PEnA (Palestinian Environmental Authority), MOA (Ministry of Agriculture), Ministry of Planning and International Co-operation, Palestinian NGOs, relevant international organisations (e.g. UNDP) and donors.