Whatever political solutions are reached, Israelis and Palestinians will continue to share a region scarce in natural resources. The stability of the area is threatened by ongoing tensions concerning infrastructure development, water management, solid waste treatment and other issues. Successful skills for joint environmental problem solving are essential, not only for improving the quality of life of both communities, but also for reducing the risk of rekindling larger conflicts.

Environmental disputes involve a complex mix of political, economic, social and scientific considerations. Over the past 20 years, the profession of environmental mediation has emerged in the USA and Europe to help encourage joint environmental problem solving. With the support of a large number of Israeli and Palestinian environmental professionals, the Joint Environmental Mediation Service, JEMS, was created to incorporate environmental mediation expertise in our region. JEMS is a non-governmental organization.

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