Reversing the trend towards biodiversity loss in Palestine
Main Forces Driving Biodiversity Loss
The three main factors driving biodiversity loss in Palestine are:
- Habitat destruction;
- Pollution; and
- Illegal hunting and trade.
Habitat destruction comes from a broad range of sources including: unplanned urban expansion; unplanned forestry activities; settlements; overgrazing in dryland areas; wetland reclamation; and mining and quarrying. Different activities affect different habitats and thus different species, however the basic forces undelying all forms of habitat destruction are the constant increase in population density on a fixed amount of land and resources and the unplanned development.
The stabilisation of population is a long term goal of most societies, which goes hand in hand with socio-economic development and sound environmental management. These goals are all consistent with the conservation of biodiversity and will occur over the long term. They are not a direct concern of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan as such. A more direct concern is the poor planning of land uses. Zoning for urban, industrial, agricultural, recreational, protected areas and territories for other destination is urgently needed. The zoning should include effective mechanisms for enforcement. In fact, some good examples of land-use plans exist in the Psalestinian Territories, but their implementation and enforcement is poor.
Map
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Land Use in the West Bank
There are three basic forms of pollution: (i) agro-chemicals; (ii) liquid waste; and (iii) solid waste. Agro-chemicals are heavily used in horticulture operations and increasingly in vegetable production. They are often misused and over used. This has led to decreasing groundwater quality and poisoning of birds and other herbivores.
Liquid waste is a severe problem in Gaza. An estimated 42,000 m3 a day are pumped into wetlands and the ocean. The effects include the contamination of critical wetland habitats and unknown consequences on the marine life. In addition, the wadis of the West Bank are filled with liquid waste coming from a variety of sources, with a major impact on the water resources of the West Bank.
In many areas, solid waste is simply strewn about into the nearest vacant lot. In more severe cases it is dumped into critical ecosystems (wetlands and beach ecosystems). Unsanitary landfills have impacts on the groundwater and general health of surrounding areas.
Illegal trade and hunting is common in Palestine. Species effected by illegal trade include various desert reptiles and songbirds. Large mammals are vulnerable to hunting. In addition there are reports of farmers using poisons to kill wolfs and hyenas as a precautionary measure to protect their herds. This form of hunting is highly damaging as it is indiscriminate and kills many species besides the target animals. In addition, species such as scorpions and snakes are subject to indiscriminate killing, as people are generally very afraid of them.
There are four main needs that Palestine must meet to embark in a successful strategy and action plan for biodiversity:
- Biodiversity information;
- Human resources trained in the biodiversity field;
- An effective legal framework for the conservation of biodiversity;
- The organisation and action of Palestinian society for the sound management of their land and natural resources.
- The gap in information is related to primary, scientific data on biodiversity in Palestine. Current reports are generally drafted from secondary sources, with informal field verification. It is believed that this method effectively captures the broad trends, but for monitoring purposes a more hard core scientific approach is needed.
- Primary information on the exact number of species, species populations and habitat is needed for all kingdoms (Prokaryota, Protoctista, Fungi, Plantae and Animalia). It is suggested that work begin with the large mammals and predators and work down through the food chain, as this will provide an indication of habitat health.
- The second need is the lack of trained scientists. There are very few taxonomists, zoologists, biologists (specifically marine biologists and wildlife biologists), oceanographers, conservation managers, etc. It is recognised that this gap will take time to fill, but interim steps are needed. For example, training courses for university professors, graduate students and government officials in species recognition, the latest techniques in scientific wildlife data collection etc.
- The third major gap is the lack of an environmental policy and legal framework on which all activities could be based. It is realised that this is the result of the current political situation. However, an environmental policy and legislation could be drafted incorporating biodiversity concerns and implemented de facto before its de jure implementation. This is in fact the case with many international agreements. Countries sign them and act in the spirit of them long before they are passed into formal legislation.
All the above, however, will amount to little effects “on the ground” if the Palestinian people will not be themselves organised and will not themselves take action to conserve their natural resources and manage them in a sound way. This is not just a matter of “environmental education” or “awareness”. The traditional background of Palestinian people includes practices that signal a profound knowledge of local ecosystems, as well as of their opportunities and limitations to sustain human livelihoods. Such knowledge and practices should be recognised, re-vitalized and duly adapted to the changed conditions they have now to face. This can only happen with the full consent and participation of the local communities of Palestine – the Bedouins, the peasants, the fisher-folks, the merchants, the administrators and the government officials. At the same time, new opportunities can be provided to the people of Palestine to produce what they need with the least damage possible to their environment. Ultimately, it is only via a fair sharing of functions, benefits and responsibilities in the management of land and natural resources that the biodiversity of Palestine will have a chance to survive.