Bedouin energies

Starting 2011 –> 2013
Objectives Guarantee the continuous and fully sustainable access to electrical, clean and free energies for the population of 4 bedouin communities in West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Project Status Completed
Technical Partner Brothers Engeneer co.
Funded by belgio2
Belgian Development Cooperation

The Bedouin communities located in the West Bank are often placed in the “Area C”, or areas under Israeli military and administrative control. The declared aim of the State of Israel is the forced removal of most of the Bedouin communities (breaking the Geneva Convention, which prohibits the forced displacement of civilian populations) starting from the Jerusalem area, to have space for the expansion of Israeli settlements.

To pursue this objective Israel does not grant residence permits nor infrastructure construction in favor of the Bedouin population living in area C. In contrast, often next to the Bedouin communities, there are the new Israeli settlements fully equipped, full of water, electricity and infrastructures.

Israel does not allow the provision of electricity for the Bedouin population, although huge pylons carry the energy to the nearby settlements.

To this purpose, Vento di Terra has promoted a project for the diffusion of photovoltaic panel systems for the Bedouin communities in the villages of Anata (Kindergarten), Al Khan al Ahmar (School of Tyres), Nkhele Uahad (shared energy system for 10 families in the community), Wadi Abu Hindi (School of Bamboo), located in the West Bank.

Even in Gaza the problem of electricity is constant. There is only one big power generation plant, oil-fired, which covers the needs of about one third of the population. About one tenth of the requirement is instead provided by Israel. Moreover there is a constant fuel crisis as it enters the Strip in small quantities and not enough from Egypt and Israel. Consequently, the functioning of the Power Station is greatly reduced.

Vento di Terra has therefore equipped the municipal building of Um al Nasser and the Children’s Land center with “stand alone” photovoltaic systems.