CPTnet
5 October 2007
TUWANI REFLECTION: Empty cisterns in Tuwani, green lawns in Ma'on

by Eileen Hanson

Tuwani lies at the edge of the Negev desert, so water is a major concern
here. Normally the winter rains fill cisterns in the area, which supply
water through the dry summer months. People use cistern water for watering
their flocks as well as for household cleaning and bathing. The well is the
village source for drinking water. All the cisterns are empty now, and the
water level in the well is very low.

Water has always been scarce in this arid region. But people have been
living here for thousands of years and have developed ways of living to meet
the challenges of the environment. Things, however, have changed in recent
years. Twenty years ago, the settlement of Ma'on was established on land
belonging to families living in Tuwani. Settlers have taken over many of
the cisterns traditionally used by families from Tuwani and neighboring.
Palestinians are either physically unable to access them, or fear violence
if they approach what was once their family's land and cistern.

The settlement of Ma'on, with its green manicured lawns, irrigated fields
and orchards, draws water from the underground aquifer that supplies this
entire area, and is responsible for sucking away the water from Tuwani's
village well.

Throughout the West Bank, settlements are taking the lion's share of water.
According to some estimates, settlers consume eight to nine times as much
water as Palestinians do in the West Bank. Just by looking at the
contrasting lifestyles of Tuwani residents and the settlers at Ma'on one can
see that settler use of water is out of tune with the environment here.
Worst of all, it is destroying the possibilities for others to sustain even
the simplest life here.

People in Tuwani do not want water to fill up swimming pools. They simply
want enough water for drinking, bathing and to sustain their flocks. Local
Palestinians continue to live a life close to the land and respectful of the
resources. It is the settlers who refuse to admit that they are living on
the edge of the desert and adapt accordingly.

The lack of water is also a concern here in part because it presents yet
another vulnerability of Palestinians to the occupying powers, the Israeli
military and the Israeli settlers. Perhaps Palestinian villagers can band
together and buy enough water until the rains come in November or December.
But some cannot afford to do so, and water trucks are a visible target.
Sometimes settlers or soldiers block roads or attack the water trucks,
making it impossible for drivers to deliver water. A difficult situation
becomes even more complex when having to consider that your neighbors might
ambush your family's water supply.