This concept paper will summarise the findings following an analysis of historical climatic data for the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt). Data on temperature and rainfall has been compiled and analyzed to assess the extent to which climate change is occurring. Climatic data is also analyzed against water availability data (discharge from springs and abstraction from groundwater wells) to assess if there is a correlation between changes in climate and water resource availability. This paper will start by defining the process of climate change and its anticipated regional changes as projected by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC). A summary of the potential impacts of these changes on water resource availability and land use will follow the analysis. The analysis contained within this report can help decision-makers within the Palestinian environmental sector to aid the development of appropriate environmental policy to respond to climatic change. These changes will impact agricultural production, food security, water resource availability, and land use and further influence the rate of economic development and growth across the oPt, as further outlined in this paper. Data from different time periods has been collected from a variety of sources, notably the Palestinian Metrological Department (2000-2012), the 02WS Jerusalem Weather Station (1964-2012) and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of United States Department of Commerce (1845-1964).
