Climate Change Risk Profile: West Bank and Gaza
This profile provides an overview of climate risk issues in the West Bank and Gaza, including how climate change will potentially impact agriculture, water resources, human health, and coastal zones.
This profile provides an overview of climate risk issues in the West Bank and Gaza, including how climate change will potentially impact agriculture, water resources, human health, and coastal zones. The brief includes an overview and climate summary of the region, as well as projected climate changes. Also included is information on the policy context and information regarding ongoing climate change projects in the West Bank and Gaza.
The West Bank and Gaza are home to approximately 4.4 million people, with the population expected to reach 8.9 million by 2050. Among various socio-economic and environmental challenges, key issues include water scarcity, limited land and natural resources, rapid population growth, urbanization, land degradation, and high levels of poverty. Water scarcity is a critical concern in the West Bank and Gaza, because the annual share of renewable internal freshwater resources for inhabitants is less than 200 cubic meters per capita, well below the World Health Organization’s water scarcity threshold of 500 cubic meters per capita. Climate change will likely exacerbate the region’s water scarcity concerns, as well as increase challenges to agricultural productivity, coastal areas, and human health.
The Palestinian Government recently established the National Committee on Climate Change (NCCC) to support the government in implementing and evaluating climate policies. The NCCC has proposed a National Institutional Framework for Climate Change (NIFCC) as an integrated approach to address climate change.