Palestinian entitlements for water include the underground water of the West Bank and Gaza aquifers and their rightful shares in the water of the Jordan River as riparian. However, at present, Israel is utilizing 85% of the water from the Palestinian groundwater aquifers, and Palestinians are denied access to the water of the Jordan River. This policy let to a severe water crisis in the Palestinian territory in general and the Gaza Strip in particular.
The task of articulating water policies is considerable. This paper highlights the complexities of the Palestinian water policy and calls the establishment of a central water authority in order to coordinate all water related issues. It highlights the options for a Palestinian water strategy to meet the water need of the Palestinian population for agricultural, industrial and domestic purposes. Baseline consumption for 1990 which is about 225 CMC as a total for all purposes and demand projections for 2000, 2010 and 2020 which are estimated to be about 497, 826, and 1263 MCM, respectively.