§ Tom BrakeTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what projects his Department are involved in in(a) Gaza and (b) the West Bank, aimed at improving public access to water for (i) consumption and (ii) agriculture. [148929]
§ Hilary BennWe have had broad engagement with the Palestinian Water Authority for several years supporting the effective delivery of water services in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Four projects that have improved access to potable water, sanitation and environmental health in some of the poorest communities have just been brought to a successful conclusion. We currently fund two projects.
Our support for the Sustainable Management of the West Bank and Gaza Strip Aquifers project will enhance the Palestinian Water Authority's understanding of the western aquifer, which is an essential source of water in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The project includes consideration of the management and allocation of water resources between various uses—agriculture, industry and domestic—to allow the implications of alternative policies to be assessed. We also support a Water Access and Storage project to enable villages in the south 1296W Hebron district of the West Bank that do not have access to the networked water supply to obtain more secure access to drinking water and sustainable improved sanitation.