Water Campaign: Phase Three
Demanding Equal Access to Water
What is Environmental Justice?
For some, the issue of climate change is a foreboding, but somewhat far-off threat. Everyday luxuries such as a never-ending tap of clean water and an air-conditioned home are taken for granted, and environmentalism is a choice rather than a necessity. It’s a lucky reality, and an increasingly rare one, as indegenous communities across the globe struggle to survive the effects of climate change.
It’s not by chance that the most marginalized communities are those heaviest-hit by environmental upheaval. There’s no better example of that than the vulnerable Palestinian communities across the Jordan Valley and beyond that are struggling to endure ever-dwindling natural resources and severe inequality in rights.
While the more than 640,000 illegal settlers across the West Bank enjoy unfettered access to water, native Palestinian communities must make due with heavily restricted water supplies. As settlers fill their pools and water their gardens, Palestinian residents are prohibited from constructing water collection structures, restricted from accessing the water grid, and only allowed to transport water tanks one day each week. There’s a name for what’s going on – it’s environmental racism. Simply put, marginalized Palestinian communities are forced to bear the brunt of growing climate concerns and racially motivated policies regarding natural resources.
At Combatants for Peace, we’re committed to changing that reality. As Palestinians and Israelis collaborating on the ground, we’re working to ensure that everyone has agency when it comes to environmental resources and that no community is displaced or devalued at the cost of another. Palestinian communities deserve equal rights and equal resources. There’s a name for that too – it’s environmental justice. Through our ongoing water campaign, we’re making that ideal a reality.
Water Campaign Phase Three Proposal
Water campaign Budget in USD
Please note this budget is for 12 months of campaigning