Palestinian prime minister cites occupation as "great threat" to the environment

The Palestinian Prime Minister during his speech at COP26 in Glasgow, November 2, 2021. AFP - IAN FORSYTH

Text by: Alice Froussard Follow

3 min

At COP26 in Glasgow, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh told the podium that the Israeli occupation was "

".

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With our correspondent in Ramallah

,

According to the Palestinian Prime Minister at

, Israeli policies are destroying the traditional Palestinian environment through the expansion of settlements, uprooted trees or the dependence of the Palestinian people on Israel.

On the

side

, interest in the environmental issue is a little contrasted even if Palestinian life is filled with cultural references to the environment: starting with the olive tree, a symbol of resistance and peace.

There are also many allusions to the land or the sea. Elements that are constantly refused or made inaccessible to the Palestinians.

Yet in the Palestinian territories, talking about environmental and climate challenges is still considered a luxury in many communities.

The decades of occupation have clouded the discourse and some see these issues as "

", others, worse, find them "

" or "

".

No environmental policy ...

In the Palestinian territories, environmental policies are struggling to see the light of day.

In Ramallah, for example, the city's extension perimeter is constrained, access to water and energy is incredibly restricted and residents' movements are limited.

Not to mention the political tensions which are constant.

But above all, the government is more than ill-equipped to push such issues. The Palestinian Authority does not have sovereign control over more than 60% of its territory - what is called Area C, which is under Israeli control - where the fertile land and water resources are located.

In a way, the Palestinians are perpetually dependent on Israel for water, food, but above all energy.

However, some voices are raised and specify that to speak of “

”, it is to think about a better optimization of the few resources which the Palestinians have.

For them, it is moving from an unsustainable development under military occupation to a development for its own survival, for a reliable and ecological future, which one could call a " 

".

... But local initiatives

However, there are some initiatives that are emerging, but only at the local or individual level. Around Ramallah, many agroecological farms are developing with the idea of ​​growing new forms of local and sustainable agriculture, with natural elements, no chemicals and seasonal fruits to try to move towards some kind of food sovereignty, to have Palestinian fruits and vegetables, organic, as opposed to those imported from Israel.

There are also start-ups that are looking into the issue of recycling or others that are considering installing water use limiters.

Many solar panels have been installed on houses to heat water without using electricity because with an average of 320 days of sunshine per year, solar energy has a future in the region.

Yet, and this is what the

explained to COP26 on Tuesday, November 2, Israeli control of the West Bank prevents a wider use of this sustainable energy, blocking all energy production, for example by preventing construction. solar panels in zone C, particularly in the Jordan Valley.

► Also to listen: Grand Reportage - Gaza: towards an ecological disaster?

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