CMWU Receives the Chairperson of the Environment Quality Authority at Its Headquarters in Gaza

CMWU Receives Her Excellency the Chairperson of the Environment Quality Authority at Its Main Headquarters in Gaza

CMWU - Gaza

CMWU received, at its main headquarters, Her Excellency the Chairperson of the Environment Quality Authority Eng. Adala Al-Atira, within the framework of her visit to the Gaza Strip aiming to learn about the environmental conditions after the end of the Israeli aggression on the Strip, with a delegation from the Environment Quality Authority and the Palestinian Water Authority participating in receiving her.

Ms. Adala Al-Atira was received by Eng. Monther Shoblaq, CMWU's Director-General, who began his remarks by welcoming Her Excellency the Chairperson of the Environment Quality Authority, affirming the distinguished relations between CMWU and the Environment Quality Authority and the necessity of strengthening bridges of friendship and communication between them.

Our Message Is to Provide Healthy, Clean Water and Sanitation Services That Preserve the Environment for the Residents of the Gaza Strip

Shoblaq addressed, in his remarks, the establishment of CMWU and affirmed the existence of a clear vision and strategy at the Utility, based on a scientific study of the water and sanitation situation in the Gaza Strip and setting creative and feasible solutions at both the urgent and strategic levels, and that the Utility works with all effort and strength to remain a leading institution in the field of providing water and sanitation services.

Shoblaq also addressed the projects implemented by CMWU and the achievements it has made to advance the level of the water and sanitation sectors in all governorates of the Gaza Strip and improve the services provided to residents, and stressed that among the most important goals the Utility seeks to achieve is preserving a stable environment by developing sewage water treatment and reusing it, giving as an example the temporary treatment plant project for Wadi Gaza, which aims to reduce sea water pollution and preserve the Wadi Gaza area as a nature reserve and reuse treated water in agriculture.

Shoblaq praised the level of partnership and cooperation with the Palestinian Water Authority at all levels to develop water and sanitation sector services, despite the difficulty of the circumstances facing the Gaza Strip.

There Is No Life Without Water

In her remarks, Ms. Adala Al-Atira, Chairperson of the Environment Quality Authority, expressed her happiness at visiting the Gaza Strip and affirmed that she views the relationship between the Environment Quality Authority and water service providers as a partnership relationship, and that attention to water issues must be at the top of priorities.

Ms. Al-Atira praised the efficiency of the water utilities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and their distinction at all scientific, administrative, service, and technical levels, and also stressed the wonderful and distinguished efforts made by CMWU in the Gaza Strip during and after the aggression on the Gaza Strip, and said that the young people of water service providers are fighters on the ground.

From the concept that there is no life without water, the Chairperson of the Environment Quality Authority affirmed the necessity of supporting desalination projects as a priority in the Palestinian Authority's strategy to place them on the donors' agenda and bring in the necessary funding for them, and also affirmed the necessity of enshrining the concept of partnership as a foundation among all bodies and institutions in the homeland, because preserving the environment is the responsibility of every person, institution, and decision-maker, and the environment must be included in all strategic programs and plans in addition to the economic and social programs to achieve sustainable development.

Al-Atira added that the environment in Palestine must be at the top of priorities as an issue, not a slogan, and that we work to increase awareness among everyone, individuals and institutions, of the broad concept of the environment, so that everyone contributes to preserving it for coming generations, and we must work systematically to build international files and prosecute the occupation for environmental violations, and in this context she called on international institutions to conduct tests on water and soil to assess the environmental damage after the aggression on the Gaza Strip, out of fear of dangerous pollutants reaching them.

Desalination Projects Are Important and the Energy Shortage Is a Major Problem

For his part, Eng. Mahmoud Sha'ban from the Palestinian Water Authority welcomed Ms. Adala Al-Atira, Chairperson of the Environment Quality Authority, and affirmed the ties of cooperation between the Environment Quality Authority and the Water Authority, and also affirmed the partnership relationship between the latter and CMWU, and praised the role of CMWU, which works like a beehive to provide services to residents despite the difficulties and problems it faces, especially the problem of electricity outages and fuel shortages, which cause great difficulty in managing and operating water and sanitation facilities.

Sha'ban stressed the importance of desalination projects and the necessity of expediting the implementation of these projects to reduce the water crisis in the Gaza Strip, and pointed to the importance of finding a solution to the electricity problem simultaneously with implementing desalination projects to ensure they operate as planned.

For his part, Eng. Monther Shoblaq affirmed the importance of desalination projects in supplying residents with their water needs and reducing groundwater extraction, and also affirmed the necessity of providing energy so the Utility can operate and manage water and sanitation facilities and preserve the environment from pollution.