18 June 2024
Executive Summary
This Preliminary Assessment was prepared by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). It is an initial response to an official request from the State ofPalestine, issued in December 2023, that UNEP conduct an assessment of the environmental impacts of the conflict in Gaza. Conflict was ongoing in Gaza through- out preparation of this report. The security situation and access restrictions prevailing in Gaza influenced the type of analysis UNEP was able to undertake.
The Preliminary Assessment provides a summary of what is known about the environmental impacts of the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip. In addition to describing known, and in many cases visible, environmental impacts, this assessment highlights conflict-related environmental issues that are of serious concern, but about which the United Nations has limited information at this stage. Some conflict-related impacts—such as the likely contamination of soil and the Coastal Aquifer by chemi- cals and heavy metals—can only be fully understood through more detailed sampling and analysis, which is not possible under current conditions.
Gaza is a small, densely populated coastal area, the environment of which has been affected by repeated escalations of the decades-long conflict, unplanned urbanization and population growth. Interventions to protect the environment from pollution, and to restore degraded ecosystems, have been highly constrained by complex governance arrangements prevailing since 2007 – which include de facto control of internal arrangements within Gaza by Hamas-led authorities; Israeli closures; and restrictions on the import of goods. These factors have contributed over the past decades to a severely degraded environment, with consequences that reach beyond the confines of the Gaza Strip. Despite these constraints, major investments had been made during the past five years in environmental management– especially in wastewater treatment and solid waste infrastructure. These investments were helping to control contamination and protect people, terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems from pollution. Palestinian and international partners were also taking steps towards the recovery of the critical Coastal Aquifer, and restoration of an internationally important wetland, Wadi Gaza.
The escalation of conflict since 7 October 2023 has clear- ly had a profound impact on people and the environment in Gaza. Intensive bombardment by Israel has led to unprecedented intensity of destruction in terms of infrastructure, productive assets and service delivery. Sewage, wastewater and solid waste management systems and facilities have collapsed. The destruction of buildings, roads and other infrastructure has generated over 39 million tons of debris, some of which is contami- nated with unexploded ordnance, asbestos and other hazardous substances. Human remains are buried in this vast quantity of building debris.
Another set of urgent but less immediately visible environmental challenges include the contamination of land, water resources and the air by munitions and unexploded ordnance; possible instability of land arising from the prior construction of an extensive system of tunnels; and contamination of soil and water resources arising from the recent destruction and flooding of such tunnels.
Understanding the scale, extent and appropriate remediation measures to address these challenges will require a specialised, science-based assessment. Such an assessment helps to minimize long-term impacts on the environment, and mitigate the harm caused by conflict to the greatest extent possible. Such assessment should be undertaken as soon as possible, and measures put in place to protect people and prevent further contamination of soil, freshwater and the marine environment.
Environmental analysis also needs to be incorporated into plans for humanitarian response and early recovery. The vast quantity of debris must be safely managed and, to the extent possible, recycled to avoid further contami- nation of land and watercourses and minimize depletion of scarce natural resources. Systems for the manage- ment of sewage, wastewater and solid waste must be restored, and contamination from munitions, chemical and fuel spills must be identified and removed. This will require environmental management frameworks, carefully sequenced repair and reconstruction of damaged infrastructure, restoration of movement of people and goods within Gaza, and resumption of the power supply. Further, specialised analysis will be required to understand and address the complex challenges associated with munitions debris and the tunnels.
Further, joint analytical and planning work will be required during 2024 to support the recovery of Gaza’s environment and people.The Preliminary Assessment concludes with a summary of the types of assesment work envisaged during the months ahead. These include incorporation of environmental issues fully into the envisaged multilateral Rapid Damage and Needs Assess- ment process, and a further, field-based assessment of priority environmental issues, which should be undertak- en by qualified specialists whenever conditions permit.
Table of Contents
About this Preliminary Assessment…………….. ………………………………….. ………………….. 10
The United Nations Environment Programme ……………… …………………10
Request from the State of Palestine to the United Nations Environment Programme ………………… 10
Status and structure of the Preliminary Assessment…………………………………………………………………11
Section 1: The environment and natural resources in Gaza before the current conflict…………. 12
Section 2: Interruption of ecosystems services, environmental management systems
and facilities …………………………………… ….. 18
- 2.1 Water, wastewater treatment and sewage systems ……………………. ………….. …………. 19
- Potential implications for people and the environment……………………… ……. ………….21
- 2.2 Solid waste collection and treatment……………………………….. ………………………….22
- Potential implications for people and the environment……………………….. …. …………..23
- 2.3 Destruction of buildings, infrastructure, conflict-related debris……………. ……………..23 Potential implications for people and the environment…………………………… … ………..26 Sustainable debris management…………………………………………………………. .. . …………27
- 2.4 Energy, fuel and associated infrastructure………………………………………. ……….. ……….29 Potential implications for people and the environment…………………………. ……. ………30
- 2.5 Marine, coastal environments and fisheries ………………………………….. ……………. …….31 Potential implications for people and the environment…………………………. .. ……… …..31
- Terrestrial environments (terrestrial ecosystems, soil, cultivated lands) ….. …………..32 Potential implications for people and the environment…………………….. …………….35
- Air pollution……………………………………………………………………………. .. …………………….35 Potential implications for people and the environment……………………….. ………………37
Section 3: Contamination and other conflict-related environmental impacts ……………. 38
3.1 Chemicals and waste associated with armed conflicts…………………………………….. …38 Potential implications for people and the environment………………… ….. …………………40
3.2 Construction, destruction and flooding of tunnels in Gaza ………….. ….. …………………. 42
The Gaza tunnel system…………………………………………………………………… ….. ………… .42 Potential implications for people and the environment…………………………….. …………42
Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………………. …………… 43
Future environmental assessment work ………………………………………………. ……….. 43
Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment ………………………………………………………….. 43
Planning for a field-based environmentalassessment……………. …………………………..44
Bibliography ……………………………………………………………………………………………….45