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This paper examines the interacting problems which govern poor access to quality drinking water, as well as the related problems of solid waste treatment and recycling. The need for a stable political resolution of the Israel–Palestine conflict is paramount. Although long-term solutions to the crisis require a regional political solution, there are several local activities that can reduce the degradation of water supplies and larger eco-systems. These include desalination of seawater and brackish water, water import and domestic water filtration units. The big problem is to allow the groundwater aquifer to recharge over time. Other problems – all caused by the unresolved conflict – are unemployment, land degradation, agriculture limitation, smuggling of pesticides and fertilisers, absence of monitoring and licensing, and the collapse of the political system.
