Palestine- Pollution poses threat to Gaza environment, amid exhausted natural resources

Location: Gaza, Palestine

Language: Arabic

Duration: 00:04:52

Sound: Natural

Source: A24 Gaza

Restrictions: A24 subscribers

Date: 05/06/2022

Storyline:

The Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees in the Gaza Strip organized an inspection tour of sewage and solid waste recycling projects on the occasion of the World Environment Day.

The tour also included a visit to agricultural projects and the nature reserve in Strip.

The environmental conditions in Gaza are alarming due to the overall air, water and soil pollution.

Wars on the strip and the use of large amounts of explosives also had a devastating effect, deepening the pollution and increasing the spread of diseases like cancer.

Farmers also said chemicals used to treat contaminated soil and could transmit to vegetables and crops are toxic to humans and can have both acute and chronic health effects.

Palestinian agriculture and environmental expert Nizar al-Wahidi spoke to A24 News Agency reporter Mohammed Al-Najjar about the dire situation, warning that severe pollution in Gaza will lead to an environmental disaster unless measures are taken to avert the crisis.

World Environment 2022 is celebrated on June 5 of each year with the aim of marking the importance of nature and raising awareness for its protection

Shotlist:

-Soundbite (Nizar al-Wahidi  Environmental specialist in producing solid and liquid fertilizers):

            “The environment in Gaza is very fragile, and natural resources have been drained. There are soil issues such as pollution and salinization due to mismanagement and misuse of agricultural production. There is also solid and liquid waste, but no projects to provide solutions to this issue. Environmental issues include sea water pollution, air pollution due to gas emissions, landfills, concrete plants, plastic incinerators and many others, all in an area of three hundred and sixty-five square kilometers, in which more than two million people live. The environmental conditions in Gaza are very alarming, as they have caused the spreading of deadly diseases, mainly cancer.”

-Soundbite (Mutaz Thabit  Coordinator for Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees (PARC) in Gaza):

            “The Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees (PARC) organized, in commemoration of World Environment Day that falls on June fifth, a tour for university students in agricultural and environmental studies. The tour involved many projects that enhance and support the ecological balance in Gaza such as “compost” factory that works in waste recycling and extraction of solid and liquid fertilizers used in agriculture. The tour included a visit to an agricultural station that follows safe agricultural practices to ensure ecological balance, efficient use of water and fertilizers in order to achieve safe agricultural production free from pesticides. The station has poultry farms and beehives and other projects that follow safe agricultural practices, to obtain animal, vegetable or food products free from pesticides, or any other material harmful to human health. As we know, the entire world is struggling with changes in climate; all projects implemented by the Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees (PARC) focus mainly on adapting to these changes that greatly affect the agricultural sector, in order to preserve natural resources and achieve sustainability for as long as possible in light of the scarcity of natural resources available in Gaza, especially water and soil components.”