The Gaza Strip suffers from a severe water crisis; over 95 per cent of the water extracted from the Aquifer is considered unfit for human consumption, and inaction is leading to potentially irreversible damage to the Aquifer by 2020. To address this crisis, UNICEF, with funding from the European Union, initiated the implementation of a seawater desalination programme. It is meant to help vulnerable families access safe drinking water at an affordable price while contributing to the prevention of an environmental catastrophe. This seawater desalination plant is the largest in Gaza and produces 6,000 m3 per day. It will be extended to produce 20,000 m3 per day and ultimately serve a population of 250,000. Seawater desalination is an energy-intensive process and, given the limited availability of electricity within Gaza, UNICEF has focused on identifying innovative means of generating and conserving energy to tackle the energy–water nexus by incorporating renewable energy and energy recovery to maximize the plant’s viability. An innovative strategy to operate the plant with renewable energy sources has also been formulated to ensure self-reliant and economical operation, and awaits donor funding for implementation. This is expected to become a model to be followed for the building of other future plants in the Gaza Strip.

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CEP (Centre for Engineering and Planning), PWA (Palestinian Water Authority), and GiZ (German Corporation for International Cooperation) (2015) Survey of Private and Public Brackish Desalination Plants in Gaza Strip which Will Provide the Necessary Data and Information to Improve the Drinking Water Supply in the Gaza Strip, September 2015, Jerusalem: GiZ.

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EU/UNICEF and GVC (Gruppo di Volontariato Civile) (2013) Environmental and Social Impact Assessment for the Short Term Low Volume (STLV) Sea Water Desalination Plant for Southern Governorates of Gaza Strip, Jerusalem: EU.

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UNICEF-WHO (2015) Progress on Sanitation and Drinking Water: 2015 Update and MDG Assessment [pdf], Geneva: WHO; New York: UNICEF <www.wssinfo.org/fileadmin/user_upload/resources/JMP-Update-report-2015_English.pdf> [accessed 6 June 2017].

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AFD (French Development Agency) (2016) ‘Public–private–NGO partnership for adaptation to the drinking water crisis in the Gaza Strip’, Concept Paper, Jerusalem: AFD.

CEP (Centre for Engineering and Planning), PWA (Palestinian Water Authority), and GiZ (German Corporation for International Cooperation) (2015) Survey of Private and Public Brackish Desalination Plants in Gaza Strip which Will Provide the Necessary Data and Information to Improve the Drinking Water Supply in the Gaza Strip, September 2015, Jerusalem: GiZ.

El Sheikh, R. and Nigim, H. (2016) ‘Gaza Desalination Project: renewable energy considerations’, presented at the Desalination for the Environment: Clean Water and Energy Conference, Rome, Italy, 22–26 May 2016.

EU (2016) Pre-Feasibility Assessment Study on Renewable Energy System for the STLV Desalination Plant in Gaza, Assignment No GT#09/GPVDP-PFA, Jerusalem: EU.

EU/UNICEF and GVC (Gruppo di Volontariato Civile) (2013) Environmental and Social Impact Assessment for the Short Term Low Volume (STLV) Sea Water Desalination Plant for Southern Governorates of Gaza Strip, Jerusalem: EU.

GETAP (Gaza Emergency Technical Assistance Programme) (2017) Gaza Emergency Technical Assistance Programme on Water Supply to the Gaza Strip. Component 1: The Comparative Study of Options for an Additional Supply of Water to the Gaza Strip (CSO-G), updated final report, Report 7 of the CSO-G 31 July 2011, Jerusalem: Phillips, Robinson & Associates.

PCBS (Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics), UNICEF and UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) (2015) Palestinian Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2014 [pdf], Palestine: PCBS <https://mics-surveys-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/MICS5/Middle%20East%20and%20North%20Africa/State%20of%20Palestine/2014/Final/State%20of%20Palestine%202014%20MICS_English.pdf> [accessed 6 June 2017].

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UNICEF-WHO (2015) Progress on Sanitation and Drinking Water: 2015 Update and MDG Assessment [pdf], Geneva: WHO; New York: UNICEF <www.wssinfo.org/fileadmin/user_upload/resources/JMP-Update-report-2015_English.pdf> [accessed 6 June 2017].

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WHO (2016) Report of a Field Assessment of Health Conditions in the OPT, Jerusalem: WHO.

AFD (French Development Agency) (2016) ‘Public–private–NGO partnership for adaptation to the drinking water crisis in the Gaza Strip’, Concept Paper, Jerusalem: AFD.

CEP (Centre for Engineering and Planning), PWA (Palestinian Water Authority), and GiZ (German Corporation for International Cooperation) (2015) Survey of Private and Public Brackish Desalination Plants in Gaza Strip which Will Provide the Necessary Data and Information to Improve the Drinking Water Supply in the Gaza Strip, September 2015, Jerusalem: GiZ.

El Sheikh, R. and Nigim, H. (2016) ‘Gaza Desalination Project: renewable energy considerations’, presented at the Desalination for the Environment: Clean Water and Energy Conference, Rome, Italy, 22–26 May 2016.

EU (2016) Pre-Feasibility Assessment Study on Renewable Energy System for the STLV Desalination Plant in Gaza, Assignment No GT#09/GPVDP-PFA, Jerusalem: EU.

EU/UNICEF and GVC (Gruppo di Volontariato Civile) (2013) Environmental and Social Impact Assessment for the Short Term Low Volume (STLV) Sea Water Desalination Plant for Southern Governorates of Gaza Strip, Jerusalem: EU.

GETAP (Gaza Emergency Technical Assistance Programme) (2017) Gaza Emergency Technical Assistance Programme on Water Supply to the Gaza Strip. Component 1: The Comparative Study of Options for an Additional Supply of Water to the Gaza Strip (CSO-G), updated final report, Report 7 of the CSO-G 31 July 2011, Jerusalem: Phillips, Robinson & Associates.

PCBS (Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics), UNICEF and UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) (2015) Palestinian Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2014 [pdf], Palestine: PCBS <https://mics-surveys-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/MICS5/Middle%20East%20and%20North%20Africa/State%20of%20Palestine/2014/Final/State%20of%20Palestine%202014%20MICS_English.pdf> [accessed 6 June 2017].

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UNICEF-WHO (2015) Progress on Sanitation and Drinking Water: 2015 Update and MDG Assessment [pdf], Geneva: WHO; New York: UNICEF <www.wssinfo.org/fileadmin/user_upload/resources/JMP-Update-report-2015_English.pdf> [accessed 6 June 2017].

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WHO (2016) Report of a Field Assessment of Health Conditions in the OPT, Jerusalem: WHO.

AFD (French Development Agency) (2016) ‘Public–private–NGO partnership for adaptation to the drinking water crisis in the Gaza Strip’, Concept Paper, Jerusalem: AFD.

CEP (Centre for Engineering and Planning), PWA (Palestinian Water Authority), and GiZ (German Corporation for International Cooperation) (2015) Survey of Private and Public Brackish Desalination Plants in Gaza Strip which Will Provide the Necessary Data and Information to Improve the Drinking Water Supply in the Gaza Strip, September 2015, Jerusalem: GiZ.

El Sheikh, R. and Nigim, H. (2016) ‘Gaza Desalination Project: renewable energy considerations’, presented at the Desalination for the Environment: Clean Water and Energy Conference, Rome, Italy, 22–26 May 2016.

EU (2016) Pre-Feasibility Assessment Study on Renewable Energy System for the STLV Desalination Plant in Gaza, Assignment No GT#09/GPVDP-PFA, Jerusalem: EU.

EU/UNICEF and GVC (Gruppo di Volontariato Civile) (2013) Environmental and Social Impact Assessment for the Short Term Low Volume (STLV) Sea Water Desalination Plant for Southern Governorates of Gaza Strip, Jerusalem: EU.

GETAP (Gaza Emergency Technical Assistance Programme) (2017) Gaza Emergency Technical Assistance Programme on Water Supply to the Gaza Strip. Component 1: The Comparative Study of Options for an Additional Supply of Water to the Gaza Strip (CSO-G), updated final report, Report 7 of the CSO-G 31 July 2011, Jerusalem: Phillips, Robinson & Associates.

PCBS (Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics), UNICEF and UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) (2015) Palestinian Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2014 [pdf], Palestine: PCBS <https://mics-surveys-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/MICS5/Middle%20East%20and%20North%20Africa/State%20of%20Palestine/2014/Final/State%20of%20Palestine%202014%20MICS_English.pdf> [accessed 6 June 2017].

UN (2012) Gaza in 2020: A Liveable Place? A Report by the United Nations Country Team in the Occupied Palestinian Territory [pdf], Jerusalem: UN <www.unrwa.org/userfiles/file/publications/gaza/Gaza%20in%202020.pdf> [accessed 6 June 2017].

UNICEF-WHO (2015) Progress on Sanitation and Drinking Water: 2015 Update and MDG Assessment [pdf], Geneva: WHO; New York: UNICEF <www.wssinfo.org/fileadmin/user_upload/resources/JMP-Update-report-2015_English.pdf> [accessed 6 June 2017].

WHO (2006) Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality: First Addendum to Third Edition [pdf], Geneva: WHO <www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/gdwq0506.pdf> [accessed 6 June 2017].

WHO (2016) Report of a Field Assessment of Health Conditions in the OPT, Jerusalem: WHO.