Untitled Document

Latest Poll:

Poll No. 155
Date: 06 June, 2006

On the occasion of the World's Environment Day

The Environmental Condition in the Territories
of the Palestinian Authority
A Survey Study*

Prepared by: Dr. Nabil Kukali
Director of the Palestinian Center for Public Opinion, Beit Sahour
Associate Professor at the Hebron University, Palestine

Introduction:
The researcher has the pleasure to introduce the final results of the poll conducted on the issue:" The Environmental Condition in the Territories of the Palestinian Authority "during the period from January (10 – 18), 2006. For this survey a random sample of (1276) adult Palestinians, 18 years onwards, has been interviewed, representing the whole spectrum of the demographic specimens of people living in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip. The target of this poll is to investigate and determine the environmental interests and priorities as seen by the Palestinian public, to evaluate the development of the people's awareness and understanding of the environmental realities.

In this context, it should be pointed out that the challenges encountered by the Palestinian people throughout the era of occupation and the destruction of the Palestinian environment arising there from do not exempt anybody from his obligation to preserve the sources and resources, to publicize the environmental culture among the Palestinians, to raise their awareness in this field and to induce and reactivate researches on environment protection. It's the right of every citizen to live in a sound environment, to breath fresh air, to drink good water, to eat healthy food and to enjoy God's creation on earth, displayed in form of plants and animals, and in the beauty of the landscape, mountains, valleys and plains. The researcher trusts that the information provided by this poll will benefit all people interested in the environmental issues, including –but not limited to – the planners, decision-makers and researchers in order to set a real starting point in the future of Palestine for preserving the country's environmental and natural resources and determining the appropriate environmental policies.

The Objective of the Study:

The objective of this survey study is to examine the inclinations, affinities and notions of the Palestinian public on the following issues:

Evaluation of the present condition of the environment compared with that ten years ago.

To be aware of the problems of the environment in the territories of the Palestinian Authority.

Evaluation of the performance of the Palestinian institutions working in the environmental field.

To be acquainted with the favorite means of the Palestinians to obtain environmental information.

Assessment of the Palestinians' interest in participating in activities focusing on the enhancement of the environmental awareness in the areas of their residences.

Importance of the Study:

It is remarkable that the environmental issues are increasingly gaining the interest of almost all countries in the world, due to the aggravated dangers of the pollution in all its manifold forms on the one side, and the immense speed at which the natural resources are exhausted on the other side. The issue "environment" became therefore one of the fundamental issues in the developed countries. In the countries of the so-called "third world", the environmental condition is rapidly deteriorating. Real environmental protection or nature preservation remained slogans and show effects for the media in these countries. Presumably, no factual application is taking place.

In Palestine, however, is the theme "environment" one of the basic and substantial themes for the Palestinian public because of the dismal environmental condition the country is sustaining, and this condition is increasingly deteriorating. This is attributable to many reasons, the most important of which are: the political situation, the siege imposed on the Palestinian territories, the construction of the partitioning wall which confiscates along its route the most fertile agricultural land of the Palestinians, especially those pieces of land which are planted with olive, fruit, almond and other kinds of trees. ( "Al-Quds" Newspaper, dated 13.3.2006), exhaustion of the country's water resources, policy of collective punishment and the prevention of the Palestinians from cultivating and preserving their own land. Smuggling and transport of solid garbage from Israel and its burial in the Palestinian dumping grounds for garbage and waste. ground, and hindering the allocation of hygienic .( "Al-Quds" Newspaper, dated 13.3.2006).

All this exposed the Palestinian environment to serious threats, which conduced to the emergence of many critical, environmental problems. The conduction of this survey became therefore essential for examining the problems facing the Palestinian environment and for the exertion of much efforts in seeking solutions for them. This survey, so modest it is on a bulky issue like "Environment", could contribute a lot to achieve the anticipated target and take its place among other scientific studies.

Methodology of the Survey Study:

1. The Questionnaire:

The questionnaire is designed by the magazine:"Environment and Development" with the participation of the United Nations Program for Environment and the Technical Secretariat of the Arab Council of the Ministers of Environmental Affairs and is modified by the researcher himself, who also added some questions thereto so that the whole concept of the questionnaire suits the Palestinian requirements. A pilot study has been carried out on a sample of (20) respondents. To make sure that any possible misunderstandings of the wording of the questions by the respondents are excluded, all questions are free of ambiguities and conform with the normal standard of the people, we have obtained the expert opinion of two independent arbitrators, who finally attested the adequacy of the questions. The degree of validity of this questionnaire according to the Alpha equation is (0.8471), which means that the questionnaire enjoys a high degree of validity.

2. Sample choice:

For this poll, a random sample of (1276) adults, 18 years and older, are interviewed. All the interviews were carried out face-to-face inside the respondents' homes, which were randomly chosen. The choice is made out of (136) electoral centers (96 in the West Bank and 40 in Gaza Strip) in conformity with the directions and allocations of the Central Election Commission. These centers are randomly chosen by the application of the simple random sample method, and are themselves considered as starting points for the choice of the random sample in accordance with the scientific methodology experienced and applied by PCPO. The rate of the margin of error of this poll was found to be (±2.74 %) at a level of confidence of (95%). Rate of the female respondents was (47.8 %) and that of the males (52.2 %).

3. Data Analysis:

Data analysis has been carried out by computer. For recording and analysis of the research data and their arithmetical and statistical processing, the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) has been applied.

Key findings of the study were:

(78.1%) are concerned about the condition of the environment in the Palestinian territories.

(74.9%) believe that the air pollution is the most serious problem.

(84.7%) consider the mismanagement of the environmental affairs as the main reason for the deterioration of the environment>

(76.7%) are ready to participate in environmental awareness Campaigns.

(82.3%) say the TV is their favorite means to obtain environmental information.

(37.6%) evaluate the condition of the environment in the territories of the Palestinian Authority as "bad".

Sample Characteristics:

01- Gender

Response	Total
1. Male	52.2%
2. Female	47.8%

02- Average age of the sample: (32.0) years.

03- Education:

Response	Total
1. Illiterate	7.5%
2. Primary (1 – 8 years)	10.3%
3. Partial secondary (9 –11 years)	14.1%
4. Full secondary (12years)	26.5%
5. Further (13 – 14 years)	12.8%
6. Academic (15+ years)	28.7%
7. Refused to answer	0.2%

04- Number of individuals currently living in the house (of all ages): (6.9) person.

05- Martial status:

Response	Total
1. Single	62.9%
2. Married	29.5%
3. Divorced	3.0%
4. Widowed	4.6%

06- District:

Response	Total
1. Jenin	8.9%
2. Nablus	8.9%
3. Ramallah	7.1%
4. Bethlehem	5.1%
5. Jerusalem	3.2%
6. Hebron	12.9%
7. Jericho	1.2%
8.Tulkarem	7.3%
9. Tubas	1.4%
10. Qalqilia	2.3%
11. Salfit	1.9%
12. Gaza City	12.8%
13. North Gaza	7.8%
14. Deir El – Balah	6.0%
15. Khan Younis	7.8%
16. Rafah	5.4%

07- Type of residence:

Response	Total
1. City	49.6%
2. Village / Town	30.7%
3. Refugee camp	19.7%

The Findings:

Evaluation of the Environmental Condition:

Responding to the question:" Do you feel that the condition of the environment in the town, village or camp, where you live, has changed during the last ten years?" the answers were as follows:

Response	Total
1. Yes, it improved	33.8%
2. No, it became worse	36.7%
3. Remained unchanged	28.1%
4. Don't know	1.4%

And responding to the question: "How do you evaluate the environmental condition in general comparing between the present condition and that ten years ago?" the answers were as follows:

Response	Total
1. Improved	32.9%
2. Deteriorated	37.6%
3. Remained unchanged	28.0%
4. Don't know	1.5%

The Environmental Problems:

Responding to the question:" How would you – according to your opinion- classify the significance of the following environmental problems?" the answers were as follows:

Response	Big Problem	Normal Problem	No problem	No opinion
1. Air pollution	74.9%	22.3%	2.5%	0.3%
2. Traffic jam	45.4%	49.1%	5.2%	0.3%
3. Accumulation of refuse (solid municipal garbage)	61.0%	31.1%	7.4%	0.5%
4. Clamor (loud noises)	50.8%	38.0%	10.4%	0.8%
5. Potable water	59.5%	23.4%	16.4%	0.7%
6. Waste – water (sewage)	58.2%	28.5%	12.6%	0.7%
7. Contamination of sea-water and beaches	50.4%	34.3%	13.5%	1.8%
8. Health risks caused by insecticides and fertilizers	57.6%	28.1%	13.0%	1.3%
9. Dangerous garbage	62.1%	22.6%	13.3%	2.0%
10. Industrial pollution	52.8%	32.5%	13.6%	1.1%
11. Contamination of food-stuff	60.3%	28.0%	10.9%	0.8%
12. Energy misuse (electricity, fuel..)	46.6%	39.7%	12.8%	0.9%
13. Debility of environmental awareness.	56.6%	30.6%	11.0%	1.8%

Reasons for the Deterioration of the Environment:

With respect to the question: "What are the most grave reasons for the deterioration of the environment in the territories of the Palestinian Authority?" the following answers were given:

Response	1. Yes	2. No
1. Mismanagement of the environmental affairs	84.7%	15.3%
2. Debility of the environment protection organs	73.7%	26.3%
3. Debility of the work of the civil societies	67.2%	32.8%
4. Debility of the environmental awareness programs.	67.9%	32.1%
5. Debility of the governmental spending on the environment.	72.5%	27.5%
6. Debility of the environmental laws and regulations.	67.0%	33.0%
7. Debility of the private sector investments in the environment protection	70.2%	29.8%
8. Confliction of the decisions between the various authorities.	71.2%	28.8%

The Concern about the Environmental Condition:

The responses to the question:" To which extent are you worried about the present condition of the environment in the Palestinian territories?" were as follows: (32.1%) are "too much worried", (46.1%) are "worried", (16.3%) "not so much worried", (3.6%) are "not worried at all" and (1.9%) have no opinion.

Performance of the Environmental Institutions:

Responding to the question: "How do you evaluate, in general, the performance of the institutions working in the environmental field in the Palestinian territories?" (8.9%) said "very good", (37.1%) "Good", (31.8%) "Mediocre", (11.1%) "Bad", (10.0%) even "very bad" and (1.1%) "Don't know".

The favorite means for obtaining Environmental Information:

Responding to the question: "What is your favorite means for obtaining environmental information?" the answers were as follows:

Response	1. Yes	2. No
1. Daily newspapers	55.2%	44.8%
2. General magazines	38.9%	61.1%
3. Specialized magazines for environmental issues	38.4%	61.6%
4. Broadcasting stations	71.8%	28.2%
5. Television	82.3%	17.7%
6. Internet	37.7%	62.3%
7. Books	38.7%	61.3%
8. General / public lectures	43.6%	56.4%

Importance of the Environmental Information:

With respect to the question: "How do you evaluate the benefit and importance of the environmental information you obtain from the various media?" the answers were as follows:

Response	Total
1. Very important	27.9%
2. Important	48.6%
3. Middling (so-so)	17.5%
4. Unimportant	2.9%
5. Absolutely unimportant	2.3%
6. Don't know	0.8%

Participation of the Public:

Responding to the question: "Are you ready to participate in raising the standard of the environmental awareness in the region of your residence?" the answers were as follows:

Response	1. Yes	2. No
1. Participate in environmental awareness campaigns	76.7%	23.3%
2. Abide by the environmental laws and regulations.	73.0%	27.0%
3. Perform voluntary work for environmental societies	63.2%	36.8%
4. Contribute to a national or local fund for environmental protection.	54.7%	45.3%
5. Accept the imposition of an extra tax or fee by the government for environment protection.	50.1%	49.9%

Summary of the Results:

The field survey has shown that (74.8%) of the Palestinian public believes that air-pollution is the most serious environmental problem, followed by the dangerous waste (62.1%) and in the third position the accumulation of rubbish (solid municipal garbage) at (61.0 %), followed at (60.3%) by the contamination of the food-stuff, then the potable water at (59.5%) and in the sixth position the waste-water (sewage) at (58.2%). The health risks caused by the insecticides and the fertilizers scored (57.6%) and in the ninth position comes the debility of the environmental awareness at (56.6%).
The field survey has revealed that the mismanagement of the environmental affairs is the main reason for the deterioration of the environment in the territories of the Palestinian Authority and stands in the first position with (84.7%), followed in the second position by the debility of the organs and institutions charged with the environmental protection, and in the third position the debility of the governmental spending on the environment at (72.5%).
It is established that the majority of the Palestinian people (76.7%) is ready to participate in campaigns for environmental awareness, followed by the willingness to abide by the environmental laws and regulations at (73.0%) and (63.3%) expressed their readiness to work voluntarily with the environmental associations and institutions.
(78.2%) of the Palestinian public pointed out that they are, at various degrees, worried about the condition of the environment in the Palestinian territories. (85.7%) of these live in Gaza and (72.2%) in the West Bank.
Only (8.9%) of the Palestinian people evaluated the performance of the various environmental societies and institutions operating in the Palestinian territories at "very good", while (37.1%) gave them the rating "good".
The field survey revealed that (36.7%) of the Palestinians feel that the condition of the environment in the area of their residences has "deteriorated". (45.6%) of these respondents live in the West Bank and (23.5%) in Gaza Strip.
The overwhelming majority of the Palestinians, namely (82.3%), consider the TV their favorite means for obtaining environmental information, followed by the broadcasting stations (71.8%) in the second position, and in the third position the daily newspapers scoring (55.2%).
A total of (76.5%) of the Palestinians evaluated the importance of the environmental information obtained from the various media as "very important" (27.9%) and "important" (48.6%). From these (84.5%) live in Gaza and (71.3%) in the West Bank.

Conclusion and Recommendations:

The present study has revealed that the Palestinian public believe that the environmental condition in the territories of the Palestinian Authority is deteriorating. The condition is at present unacceptable. The Palestinian Authority should therefore establish an emergency scheme and a national strategy for the protection of the environment. A good functioning environmental policy must be boosted by consolidated efforts of the environmental institutions and societies. As to cope with the requirements of the present and future generations, modern environmental laws and regulations with visions ahead must be issued and efficiently implemented. The coming government have to be committed to a series of difficult, partly critical tasks, as to improve the dismal condition of the Palestinian environment. I would like therefore to propose, in this context, the following recommendations:

01. Setting-up of a scheme for the rectification and upgrading of the present environmental condition.

02. Design environmental awareness programs linked with a public informative program to make people become aware of the importance of the environmental preservation.

03. Introduction of the "Environmental Education and Awareness" as a school and academic subject at schools and universities in order to create an environmental awareness with the young generation. This environmental education should be boosted by the establishment of clubs and teams for the protection of the nature at the schools and universities.

04. Preservation of the water resources and underground water reservoirs, as
well as the rain-water collecting valleys.

05. Training of the cadres required for the administration of the forests, the sanctuaries and the conservation of natural beauty and wildlife.

06. A forestation of uncultivated land, protection of natural parks and trust properties. Make the year 2010 the "Year of Green Palestine"

07. Development of means, methods and priorities for periodical studies and researches, exchange of experience and know-how on environmental issues, especially with the neighboring countries, and keep up contacts with international centers for environmental information as to be acquainted with their special programs for environment protection.

08. Allocation of dumping grounds for garbage disposal at a reasonable distance from housing areas, installation of waste water and sewage treatment plants and recycling units for solid waste.

09. Upgrading of the sewerage systems and the installation of new Additional sewers.

10. Carry out a sound urban planning, in which special attention must be made for the requirements of the environment protection, such as population growth control, planning of traffic and allocation of green zones and public parks.

11. Installation of air pollution control stations all over the West Bank and
Gaza Strip.

12. Performance of a strict annual technical test for all kinds of motor vehicles before licensing them, and rule out the air polluting vehicles from the
traffic on the roads.

13. Enact environmental laws and regulations obliging companies and factories to bear the costs of transporting and processing their wastes, and encourage them to carry out recycling processes.

14. Control the use of insecticides and fertilizers.

15. Last but not least, to exert pressure on the Israeli government by the International community in order to stop the building of settlements on Palestinian land, to dismantle the already existing settlements and demolish the partitioning wall, because their existence effects great dangers to the Palestinian people, to their land, environment and economy.

*This research is presented at the First World's Environmental Forum held at the Tanta University , Arab Republic of Egypt, during the period April 1 – 3, 2006 under the title: " A New Strategy for Developing Communities and Environment ".