Carrie Ann Bodley Humanities
Israeli Water Policies and their Effects on West Bank Palestinians
Water is crucial to human existence and critical to social and economic development. What happens when this vital resource becomes enmeshed in a violent geo-political struggle? Israel has occupied the West Bank for thirty-seven years, maintaining control over West Bank water resources. Israel’s water infrastructure and technology are far more advanced than that of the Palestinians, which would seemingly benefit the latter. However the Palestinians and many in the international community argue otherwise. They argue that these policies are restrictive and prohibit Palestinian socio-economic development. Carrie’s project will take her to the West Bank this summer, where she will conduct archival research as well as interview Palestinian water administrators and users and Israeli water authorities. She seeks to examine the costs and benefits associated with Israeli water policies and analyze their effects on socio-economic development within the West Bank.
