The MEDRC-PWA Center of Excellence (CoE) is expected to be a central coordinating point for desalination and water reuse research and training activities in Gaza and the West Bank. It is expected to provide programs related to direct needs of the PWA in partnership with the universities, NGOs and the private sector.
We developed the idea of the CoE with the PWA through a series of meetings in which we discussed how to help tackle current and future water needs in the PA. We would like to thank Dr. Shaddad Attili, Chairman of the PWA and Dr. Rebhy El Sheikh, Vice Chairman of the PWA who wrote the initial profile of the PWA CoE , along with their colleague Dr. Hazem Kittani for without their vision and support, we would not have been able to establish the CoE.
In June 2009, the Secretariat, which is made up of MEDRC and PWA Management worked to establish the Steering Committee of the CoE. The Steering Committee is working together to create an outline of a first year program of activities. This program is being refined and will be presented to the international donor community and international private sector for support and immediate action once completed. One of the premier benefits of this activity is to build awareness in a focused and concise manner of immediate and growing needs in the Palestinian territories and offering solutions that donors will find attractive to support and that have been well coordinated with the PWA.
Palestinian Water Needs and the Role of Desalination and Water Reuse
Water is being taken from the Gaza aquifer at almost twice the sustainable rate. Gaza is a narrow strip of coastal land. As the water level in the aquifer falls, sea water enters. The aquifer is becoming brackish; 80% is brackish. It is also becoming polluted through the poor condition of the waste water disposal infrastructure and the lack of water for basic sanitation purposes. The level of nitrates in Gaza water is as much as six times the maximum level recommended by the WHO. The quantity of this brackish, polluted water available per inhabitant of Gaza is less than one tenth the norm for the western world, and less than 70% the international standard minimum requirement for health and sanitation.
Desalination of sea water is the principal means available for increasing the fresh water supply for Gaza. It is a key element of the master plan developed by the Palestinian Water Authority (PWA).
Goals and Functions of the CoE
It is foreseen that the CoE will become a facilitator to further build managerial, scientific and technical, operational, maintenance, and administrative capabilities required to meet the water needs.
The CoE is not to be a building with a sign that says “Desalination and Water Reuse Center of Excellence”. At least initially, it is to be groups of people in several different organizations, with the organizations and individuals working together to apply the right mix of capabilities to the tasks necessary to meet Palestinian water needs.
Benefits to the PWA
When decisions regarding water needs are made at higher levels of government or at international levels, the PWA should provide the technical, cost, and operational information needed for decision making and the CoE can become a valuable resource of information for the PWA.
The development of the human technical capabilities will require education, training, and opportunities to participate in all the activities necessary for operation of water facilities and systems. All the means of technology transfer – training, participation, data – will be the focus of the CoE.
Partnership with PA Universities and NGOs
The CoE is seen as a facilitator to enrich existing University programs and establish new programs for scholarships, fellowships, participation in international research projects, and possibly cooperative programs with companies in the water industry.
International NGOs can be valuable sources of technical assistance and sponsorship, therefore the CoE should develop relations with such organizations. These can be a valuable means of transferring and communicating technology, particularly if they are part of an international network.
International Ultraviolet Association
