9. Assaf, S. Existing and the future planned desalination facilities in the Gaza Strip of Palestine and their socio-economic and environmental impact. Desalination 2001; 138,1-3: 17-28.

This study addresses one of the major options for the remedy of water shortages in the Gaza Strip of Palestine, and the protection of its coastal aquifer from either depletion and/or becoming saline, which is the utilization of desalination technology for brackish and seawater in that region.The Gaza Strip with its low rainfall and sandy soils depends greatly on its intensive agriculture production on irrigation resulting in an over utilization of the underground water resources. The high water withdrawal through about 4000, mostly unregulated, private farm wells with a capacity of 20-80mVh and 95 municipality wells of 60-100m3/h, and lack of sufficient natural recharge is causing a deterioration of the valuable coastal aquifer system in the Gaza Strip.