Environment
by EA Cassie – 5 min read
‘Wissam’s vision was to have a sustainable business of his own. His family have lived in Battir for generations and he carries on their work growing vines, olives and vegetables organically. He began to develop an eco-tourism business, working in partnership with a local environmental consultancy to offer a low-impact and small scale alternative to standard commercial mass tourism – and so the Al Burj Restaurant and Farm was created. The only problem was that the restaurant was located in Area C, an area under full Israeli military control. Over 75% of Battir land is located in Area C.’
‘Until last week Wissam had his own restaurant employing five local chefs. This was before a bulldozer accompanied by Israeli soldiers came to carry out a demolition order on the business. We walk a short distance uphill through olive groves to where the restaurant had been. Olive branches were torn from the trees as the bulldozer passed by and now they lie broken on the ground. A little further on and a pile of stones is all that remains of the toilet and washroom. At the top of the hill, where the restaurant was, there is less to see. A traditional tabouna oven lies on its side on a level stone platform encircled by the shattered stumps of wooden poles which once supported an elegant tarpaulin roof. An environmentally sensitive structure, it has left few traces behind.’ (EA Lesley)
The West Bank was once home to grazing sheep and cows, fields of vegetables, grains, and fruit trees. Today, farmers do not have access to enough fresh water or land to grow crops or raise livestock. Decades of military occupation have brought environmental destruction, and increasing challenges due to climate change have impacted Palestinians’ ability to access water, grow crops, and raise livestock on once-fertile land.
Climate change is a real threat to the communities across the West Bank, where Palestinians do not have control over how natural resources are managed.
(See reports from the UN’s IPCC and EcoPeace Middle East for more detail)