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The plenary background presentations and discussions that took place on day one of the AzIP workshop served as an orientation for the work of Sept. 2. Participants were now ready to tackle a major workshop assignment: the identification of opportunities for collaborative projects to be conducted by teams of Palestinian, Israeli and Arizona researchers. Results of an online participant survey administered in advance of the workshop, along with extensive workshop discussions, identified possivle research themes.
Five break out groups were organized based on complementary expertise to further define research questions. The groups were tasked with laying the foundation for joint proposals and identifying sources of funding. Much discussion was devoted to strategies for maintaining ongoing contacts and collaboration.
The break out groups took up the following topics as they relate to water: economics and socio-economics; decision making and conflict resolution processes; science and science diplomacy; institutions, governance and geopolitics; and master planning and infrastructure. The groups' labors resulted in several potential reserach projects with an emphasis on their connections to on-the-ground, real world water challenges in each region. Among the identified projects were the following:
Economics/Socio-economics: Compare financing methods used by water utilities and examine how they address water conservation, socio-economic differences between and within communities, water source reliability, and political and natural uncertainties.
Process: Identify tools for building trust and making cooperative agreements on water resource management under conditions of conflict and power disparity through a review of case studies in similar contexts.
Science/Science Diplomacy: Improve data sharing by developing the technological and institutional foundation for making hydrological and anthropogenic data more accessible for research, verification, and policy formulation.
Institutional/Geopolitical: Evaluate how existing bilateral water governance institutions, such as the Israeli-Palestinian Joint Water Committee, have performed and identify improvements that could be made.
Master Planning/Infrastructure: Conduct a feasibility study for developing water delivery and wastewater infrastructure to a needy community in Palestine.
Despite political differences, the groups succeeded in developing research topics that could benefit communities in Arizona, Israel, and the Palestinian Territories. Disagreements arose, but all of the participants handled them with civility and respect, remaining committed to the constructive exchange of ideas and information that was a fundamental goal of the AzIP workshop. Substantial agreements were reached on key research questions and the approaches that can be used to move forward in addressing them.
The AzIP workshop brought together both established water scholars and managers and students involved in water related fields of study. Students and post-doctoral researchers from Arizona, other U.S. states, Israel, and the Palestinian Territories not only recorded small group discussions, but also participated actively in the formulation of research questions and approaches. As research proposals that build on the AzIP workshop are further developed, the contributions of students, researchers, water managers, and local community members will be needed to find real solutions to the pressing water challenges we face together.