Water Productivity for Date Palm and Olive Crops in Palestine

The acceleration of water scarcity in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region is increasing at an alarming rate. In many countries, the water is being diverted to other priority sectors. As a result, agriculture loses access to substantial amounts of water every year, even as the demand for food rises due to rapid population growth. In addition to this, climate change is set to make the conditions worse in the region. There will be less precipitation and more frequent droughts; extreme temperatures; changes in climatic zones; shorter growing seasons; emerging diseases and insect pests. All of these, especially the declining quantity and quality of water, will challenge our capacity to produce food. In Palestine, a unique factor is making water scarcity move to another level which is the lack of sovereignty over their natural resources due to the Israeli Occupation Authorities control over them. Water Productivity aiming to produce more food per drop is an answer. Each crop reacts differently to change in water application. Details on the range of water productivity from farmer fields for date palm and olive trees is discussed thereafter.