Agro-Water – the environmental impact of wastewater flows in Sarida Wadi - Ramallah area
Key Data
Goal: Investigation of negative impacts on spring water quality by untreated waste water discharge
Method: Geo-spatial water quality analysis
Duration: April 2019 to May 2020
Partner: 2
Description and goals
The main objective of the study is to record and assess the ecological and socio-economic impact of the wastewater discharged from Israeli colonies in the West Bank on nearby or downstream Palestinian communities. The Sarida Wadi area was chosen for this study because there are no data on the impact of the wild landfills and wastewater disposal in the region on the water quality of springs. The detection of pollution and elevated values for certain parameters from sources in the catchment area would pose a potential health risk to local residents and users.
The aim is to determine the pollution level of these sources in terms of physical, chemical and biological parameters. The water quality of these sources is investigated by determining the main and secondary ion concentrations. Their suitability for irrigation purposes and the anthropogenic pollution of these sources will also be assessed. Finally, historical hydrochemical data are evaluated to show the development of water quality over time.
Within the project, the IWW is responsible for sampling and analysis as well as the spatial interpretation of the results.
Partners and funding
The following partners are involved in the research project:
- Institut für Wasserbau und Wasserwirtschaft (RWTH Aachen)
- Institute of Environmental and Water Studies (Birzeit University)
The collaborative project "AgroWater" is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) under the funding number 01DH19005 by the project management Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR) within the framework program "German – Palestinian Cooperation in Science and Research" (PalGer).