Across the Line - A Transboundary River, the Case of Baqa-Jett

Within the complex reality of the State of Israel, physical and mental boundaries have become an integral part of the daily landscape.

Within Israel and the West Bank, there are 15 transboundary rivers that have been subjected to pollution for years, endangering humans and ecosystems on both sides of the Separation wall.

The project examines the case of the Hadera River as a transboundary stream, flowing from Jenin, passing the separation wall adjacent to Baqa-al-Gharbia, and continuing to the sea.

Along with the broad view of the stream, the project will focus on the area where the stream crosses the Separation wall with Baqa-al-Sharqiyah in the east, to Baqa-al-Gharbiyya and Jett in the west, examining the sources of pollution in it, the populations surrounding it, and the various barriers it encounters. The area of focus, which used to belong to a single town before being divided by the wall, mainly consists of private agricultural or restricted lands near the wall. 

The project proposes a rehabilitation plan for the stream in this area, emphasizing cooperation between the villages on both sides of the separation wall. The restoration will occur in stages, utilizing nature-based solutions such as constructed wetlands. While the stream serves as the main connector, the separation wall is the main source of conflict.

The plan considers the need for urban development in Baqa-Jett as a case of Arab Villages’ shortage of land while carefully examining its characteristics and the potential stages for change, trying to find a balance between the necessity for development and people's attachment to their private lands.