Water in the Gaza Strip

Chemistry International, March-April, 2008

Malta III attendees unanimously adopted the following communique to be addressed to regional and world leaders. The document has been delivered to Tony Blair, envoy to the Middle East working on behalf of the United States, Russia, the United Nations, and the European Union.

Resolution on Water in the Gaza Strip from the Conference on "Frontiers of Chemical Sciences III: Research and Education in the Middle East" (Malta-III)

There are some concerns that transcend politics. Among them are issues that have long-term consequences for civilization and affect the lives of individuals who simply lie in the way of events.

Scientists from the Middle East and the rest of the world, including six Nobel laureates, gathered for the third conference in the series "Frontiers of Chemical Sciences: Research and Education in the Middle East." Among the most important issues discussed was the problem of water.

Water is of central importance to human life; water in the Gaza Strip is of particular concern in terms of quantity and quality, threatening the health of every inhabitant regardless of his or her political inclination.

The scientists at the meeting drafted a resolution in order to draw immediate and urgent attention to this issue. The resolution urges governments to look beyond the present conflicts and disagreements that afflict the region. As with some other treaties, where difficult conflicts are set aside for future consideration, the scientists urge all interested governments and agencies to ignore their current disagreements and, by drawing on scientific expertise, address the issue of water in the Gaza Strip, taking into account the whole cycle from collection to re-use.

This series of meetings continues to bring scientists from Middle Eastern countries and other nations together to discuss common problems and encourage collaborative research in the fields of energy, materials science, natural products, green chemistry, education, and the environment. A full report on the conference will be published in the May-June 2008 CI.

www.iupac.org/projects/2006/2006-035-1-020.html