The Palestinian Hydrology Group (PHG) was established in 1987 as an independent specialized institution with the mission to maintain its lead position in delivering quality and innovative actions that contributes to protect and develop local water and environmental resources as well as to ensure just allocation of water and sanitation services to all Palestinian Communities and to build the capacity of water and sanitation practitioners. Furthermore, to contribute in building a civil society and empowers the vulnerable groups, including women, to participate in decision making and to promote good water governance and the right to water as well as to improve water and food security for all Palestinian Communities.

PHG has the following Strategic objectives:

1. To enable civil society and marginalized groups, specifically women, to participate equally in decision-making and promote good water governance.
2. To ensure that sustainable and integrated management of water resources and the environment is considered in all its interventions.
3. To ensure equal allocation and access to resources and improve conditions of water and sanitation services in the Palestinian communities
4. To establish partnerships and alliances with various actors in the areas of research and implementation to ensure the development of the water sector.
5. To initiate a qualified technical staff able to manage and operate water and sanitation facilities on a sustainable basis.

Given the rapidly deteriorating water situation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and the neglect of basic water supply infrastructure, the Group saw its immediate task as carrying out development work promoting the more effective and efficient use and reuse of all type of water resources, including wastewater. Accordingly, the Group undertook activities which included: developing possibilities for exploiting natural springs, developing and rehabilitating groundwater wells, developing rain fed catchment systems for enhancing water supply for irrigation and domestic uses and promoting new technologies and techniques on the best practices for water conservation of the scarce resources from both quantity and quality perspectives. PHG has also promoted sanitation and hygiene in schools through construction of school sanitary units and also contributed toward improving sanitation in rural areas through promoting wastewater and gray water treatment and reuse in the rural areas and coupled all its activities with training and capacity building for all target groups.

PHG has a multidisciplinary team of 32 experts composed of Water Resources management, Hydrologists, Hydrogeologists, Environmental and sanitary Engineers nearly, Water Supply Engineers, Social Scientists, Hydro-Informatics including GIS and DSS, and Water Quality Experts operating out of six offices distributed within the Palestinian Territory.

www.phg.org