EcoFuture Pilot Demonstration in Palestine: Advancements for a Sustainable Future

The Ecofuture project is creating great advancements in the Palestinian section of the Jordan Valley with its pilot demonstration, by using the Living Labs to co-design solutions in order to address key challenges of the WEFE Nexus.

The Palestinian pilot focuses on the reuse of wastewater for irrigation.  Only 2% of the wastewater in the Palestinian territory of the Jordan Valley is being reused.  Given the difficulties of obtaining permits to drill new groundwater wells, the water demand for irrigation in the area is significant.  Increasing wastewater reuse is a priority, however, most of the villages do not have a sewer collection system.  So, the Palestinian partners together with the stakeholders identified a village of 800 people and they have designed the main sewer pipe that houses part of the village will connect to. The wastewater will be treated in an off grid solar powered 25 CM/d wastewater treatment facility developed by the Arava Institute. The water will be treated to the level for agricultural water use, and it will be used for irrigation. In addition, the partners will upgrade an existing desalination unit that has not been operational for the past 8-10 years. Desalinization of local groundwater mixed with the treated wastewater will increase the amount of water available for agriculture and enable farmers to produce cash crops in greenhouses, increasing local food supplies.  The power needed to run the off-grid wastewater treatment facility, and the desalination pump will be supplied through clean solar energy.

The EcoFuture project’s pilot demonstration in Palestine is a key step forward in encouraging sustainable agricultural practices and improving the local WEFE Nexus ecosystem.