Though the natural geography of Jerusalem is slightly different based on which of
the three Jerusalems is being discussed, there are some defining characteristics
of all three. Being centrally located both with regard to Israel and the West Bank,
Jerusalem is surrounded by rolling hills and valleys and does not lie on any of
the bodies of water that surround Israel/Palestine.
The environment in the Jerusalem area is a problematic issue. One of the major environmental
issues for both Israelis and Palestinians in Jerusalem is water pollution due to
poor sewage treatment. In 1999 the Soreq sewage treatment plant was opened in Israel.
While this plant purifies sewage from West Jerusalem, there is no treatment plant
for East Jerusalem, the settlements or the surrounding areas of the West Bank. Furthermore,
in West Jerusalem there are far fewer inhabitants per kilometer of sewage pipe than
there are in East Jerusalem. Because of the poor sewage system in Jerusalem, much
of the waste that leaves the pipes gets carried out to streams and valleys in the
West Bank and enters what is called the Mountain Aquifer. The Mountain Aquifer supplies
water to many major population centers in both Israel and the West Bank. The lack
of more treatment plants leads to water pollution for all the residents of Jerusalem
and its surrounding areas.
Water itself is one of the major sources of tension between Jewish residents and
Palestinian residents of Jerusalem. Israel/Palestine is a desert climate and water
resources are scarce. Jewish settlements in the Jerusalem area use four times the
amount of water that Palestinian residents use. In the surrounding Jewish areas/settlements
of Maale Adumim, Gilo, Har Homa, etc, the cost of water to residents is one quarter
what Palestinians in the West Bank pay for the same water and is consumed in larger
amounts.
Another environmental issue is related to the building of the areas surrounding
Jerusalem. The land around Jerusalem has historically been the location of some
of the only forest area in that part of the country. The destruction of these forests
for buildings has effects on air quality and rain water retention. The destruction
of these forests also eliminates recreation areas for everyone in the Jerusalem
area.
Finally, solid waste removal and the lack thereof is a problem in Jerusalem. The
Palestinian Local Authority collects solid waste in 21 East Jerusalem communities.
Various other means are employed to collect waste in another 24 communities in East
Jerusalem. There are at least 3 communities in East Jerusalem in which no party
is responsible for the collection of waste.2
2 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics 2004