The project “Improvement of the access to water resources of Palestinian farmers through the improvement of the human resources of the water plants in the West Bank”, has recently finished, it was funded by the AECID, and it has been developed by the FPSC jointly with the Palestinian Water Authority (PWA).
Access to water and sanitation is a matter of prime necessity in Palestine. However, this right is not guaranteed for the population, and state institutions do not have total control over it. Israeli occupation and aspects related to climatology and the environment, such as scarce rainfall and contaminated aquifers, are some of its causes.
The implemented project has worked to ensure that facilities related to the water sector respond to the present and future needs of the people. In this way, the water supply for personal use (consumption and hygiene) and domestic must be sufficient and continuous, and at an affordable price.
In recent years, there have been important regulatory developments in the region, such as the new Palestinian Water Act, which regulates and establishes a new stage for the water and wastewater sector. The project has contributed to this, allowing us to lay the foundations to homogenize standards and regulate the minimum requirements to have a body of professionals who adapt their work to the requirements of the water treatment plants in Palestine. In this way, important efforts have been devoted to the training of qualified personnel, in order to adapt the international quality standards according to the ISO17024 standard.
Adopting these measures will ensure, on the one hand, the access of the Palestinian population to this right, thanks to quality services related to water and wastewater systems; and, on the other, the exercise of this right for the professionals of the sector, thanks to its correct qualification that will guarantee the quality of the adaptations and the work in the network of water supply.