BETHLEHEM/ PNN/
The Environmental Education Center, affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, on Wednesday warned of escalating plastic pollution in the occupied Palestinian territories, particularly in Gaza, amid ongoing war and environmental degradation, as the world marks World Environment Day.
In a statement issued for the occasion, which this year is themed "Beat Plastic Pollution," the center said addressing environmental protection in Palestine has become an increasingly “complex mission” in the face of widespread destruction, ongoing military attacks, and severe restrictions.
The day also holds particular resonance for Palestinians as it coincides with the anniversary of the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, during which the West Bank and Gaza were occupied. This year, it comes amid more than 600 days of war in Gaza and continued military raids in the northern West Bank for the fifth consecutive month.
The center noted that an estimated 170,000 tons of waste have piled up across Gaza’s devastated streets, posing serious health and environmental risks as temporary landfills grow and the lack of equipment hinders proper waste disposal. The statement warned of contaminated groundwater, foul air, and a heightened risk of disease outbreaks.
According to the center, the war has destroyed over 655,000 linear meters of sewage networks, decimated 92% of agricultural land, and left more than 2.4 million people in Gaza facing what it called “catastrophic conditions.” Total destruction has reached 88%, it added.
Treaty Talks and Global Warning
This year’s World Environment Day comes just two months ahead of a new round of negotiations aimed at securing a legally binding global treaty to end plastic pollution. South Korea is hosting the official observance, with the island of Jeju serving as a national model for effective household waste separation and recycling policies.
The United Nations estimates that 11 million tons of plastic waste enter aquatic ecosystems every year, while microplastics accumulate in soil through wastewater and plastic use in agriculture. The annual social and environmental cost of plastic pollution is estimated to range from $300 to $600 billion.
“7 Ns” for a Greener Future
Despite the war and humanitarian crisis, the Environmental Education Center urged Palestinians not to sideline environmental concerns, calling nature protection a basic element of the right to life.
The statement highlighted the center’s “7 Ns” initiative, launched earlier this year as part of its 2025 environmental strategy to create waste-free schools. The approach includes seven core principles: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Recycle, Adopt (sustainability as a lifestyle), and Rethink all choices to ensure they are environmentally responsible.
The center called on Palestinian authorities to adopt policies that limit the import, production, marketing, and use of plastic products, and to launch sustained national campaigns to remove plastic from public spaces while educating the public on the risks of its use and burning.
The statement concluded by warning that plastic pollution is exacerbating the “triple planetary crisis” of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, and urged collective action by individuals, institutions, and governments to reverse the trend through sustainable practices and systems-level change.
