Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit login

From what i can see by following the cited sources in the graphic (and then following the sources they cited) it's seems that the graphic is a big flocking hyperbole. They compare the average house hold water usages in Israel to the average P/P usage in the PA. They also make the graphic look like the vast majority of the water is coming from the western aquifer which currently is less than 300 MCM per year. The abstraction rates that they specified also ignore the actual destination of the water, as they ignore both the fact that Israel pumps water directly to the water system run by the PA and that 60-70% of the Arab residents of the west bank are connected to the Israeli water system and not the one which is run by the PA.

While Israel does control nearly 100% of the access to that aquifer and uses it as a political bargaining chip for various agreements and negotiations with the Palestinians it doesn't seem to employ a policy that prevents individuals from access to water.

P.S. I also find it odd that they've decided to use the WHO recommended numbers instead of quoting the ones from the UN water report which although isn't a fluff peace for Israel does states that a large disparity between the water usage on both sides is oddly due lower usage of showers and lavatories especially in the more nomadic parts of the west bank than is due to lack of access to water. Based on the UN water report the average water usage per person in the Ramallah is 141 liters, so in a city where they got multiple showers and toilets per apartment and houses with pools the water usage seems to be very simmilar to Tel Aviv...




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: