A spatial multi-criteria analysis approach for planning and management of community-scale desalination plants

The rapid deterioration of the groundwater quality in the Gaza Strip-Palestine has increased reliance on community-scale brackish-water desalination plants (CBDPs). However, the escalating numbers of CBDPs is associated with poor operation practices and exhibit various adverse impacts, while the existing regulatory framework of this sector is still lacking the necessary tools for identifying and mitigating these impacts. The current study employed a GIS-based Multi-criteria Analysis (MCA) approach to plan and manage the existing and proposed CBDPs in Gaza Strip, Palestine. The criteria account for the various possible effects including: level of chloride and nitrate in the groundwater, variation in the water-table depth, population density, potential production capacity of CBDPs and operation hours, distance to the pumping wells, sea shoreline, and point-source contamination sites. The results showed that the locations of around 53% of the existing CBDPs are unsuitable; and the CBDPs exhibit potential risks to the environment. The study revealed that 65% of the total area of Gaza Strip would be unsuitable for CBDPs operating in a capacity above the current average. This highlights the significance of regulating the operational conditions of the existing CBDPs according to their geographical location and considering different alternatives of supply-demand schemes.