Canary in the coal mine: Gaza, the Levant, and climate change

The environmental degradation in Gaza should be an early warning for what is to come for the whole of the Levant.

Located on the dividing line between the Mediterranean climate to its north and the desert to its south, Gaza was first settled as an oasis by the sea. It was built to take advantage of the coastal groundwater aquifer as well as Wadi Gaza, into which several streams flowed from across the Negev Desert. It benefitted from fertile soils, access to the Mediterranean, and excellent trade links which made it a strategic and economic hub. However, in the 19th century, Gaza’s significance declined, as it was eclipsed by the ports of Jaffa and Haifa, while the creation of Israel in 1948 disconnected it from the rest of historic Palestine. Today, the Gaza Strip is not only economically devastated but also considered “unlivable” by the United Nations, in large part due to repeated Israeli military assaults and a debilitating 13-year siege imposed by Israel. Gaza’s limited freshwater resources are being pumped at an unsustainable rate, and 95 percent of its groundwater is deemed undrinkable due to contamination with wastewater and seawater. In addition, its agricultural land, constantly shrinking due to Israeli military encroachment, is increasingly insufficient to feed its rapidly growing population.