OPTIMA - Water resources optimisation report for the Alexander River in the Wadi Zeimar Basin, Palestine & Israel

This report deals with a hydro-economic modeling of the Alexander
Zeimar river basin.
The major issue which river planners have to deal with, in this case, is water quality. Since the 1950's the river became a sewage outlet, used by Israelis and Palestinians alike. There are lost opportunities for recreation and also nature conservation principals have been severely violated.


The major purpose of this research was to estimate the costs and benefits deriving from the Master Plan. We also analyzed the benefits secured by a future clean-up of the river so that it can be used for recreation (fishing, boating etc).
We concentrated on three main pollution sources for the scenarios: the Netanya wastewater treatment plant, the Kubani river diversion and the treatment plant that was built on the green line to accommodate polluted water coming from upstream. We have analyzed eight scenarios, which include all treatment possibilities. In order to achieve the stated goals we gathered information and modeled the water system.  Abatement costs were derived from the best technology available (WRM and the STREAM models). Benefits were derived by different methods.