An-Najah Staff

Ya'bed has been suffering from environmental pollution as a result of charcoal industry because of the near location of charcoal industry to the town. This study aims at assessing Environmental Impact  for charcoal industry in Ya’bed area.It also aims at investigating the effect of charcoal industry on local environment where people live. It also studies charcoal as one of the economical products which the area produces. In addition, The study aims at investigating the effects of charcoal remains on the health of man, his restfulness and properties, to know the effect of charcoal industry on natural plants, fruitful trees, underground water and soil.To achieve these aims the study is divided into six main chapters.
Chapter One: introduces the problem of the study, its importance, aims, approach and literature view.
Chapter Two: included a comprehensive study of the environment of the natural and human area.
Chapter Three: includes the study of charcoal industry in a geographical and economic perspective.
Chapter Four: includes the study of environmental effect of charcoal industry on natural and human sides through studying the environmental effect on population, properties, plants, biodiversity and environmental effect on soil and underground water.
Chapter Five: includes the Environmental Impact Assessment (E.I.A) for charcoal industry, through using a group of patterns for the (E.I.A), as the direct method, charts, the views of people and Leopold matrix.Chapter Six: includes results and recommendations. Results are divided into three parts:
Part One: Results related to charcoal industry:
1- The annual production of the economic sector of charcoal industry is JD 5740387 “average of productivity” JD 76538 for each sector.
2- The average productivity for each worker is JD 15514. The average of capital productivity in charcoal industry is JD 1.46 and the average of wage productivity is JD 8.92.3-The average of industrial location production is 148 tons of charcoal annually. This amount differs between 20-400 ton per year for each location. The net profit of producing charcoal is JD 1217075.83 in an annual average of JD 16227.68in a monthly average JD 1352.31.
Part Two: Results related to environmental effect of charcoal industry:1- The season which has great effect on people through charcoal industry polluters is summer and the time is in the early morning and late night.
2- Polluters which result from charcoal industry in Ya’bed area  vary from micro objects to different gases as Co and Co2, No, So2 and hydrocarbons.
3- The study shows that some residents suffer from certain diseases which are caused by polluters as respiratory system diseases, eyes, tonsils and skin diseases 13.7% among the sample, are suffering from these diseases. The study showed there is a variationin in kinds of common spread diseases. The resparatory system diseases were the most common ones.
4- The study showed that charcoal industry affects residents’ properties, through the dirtiness of walls, homes and cars.
5- The Western area lying very near to pollution sources was the most affected area. This area is also highly affected by the western winds as well as the north-western winds. What’s more, the western charcoal industry locations at Zabda street are in the face of the western winds and consequently a double effect was observed. Besides, the southern area was placed the second as a result of the charcoal industy locations in southern plain area.
6- Gases and dust from charcoal locations lead to the shriveling and withering of plants and fruit leaves and slow in growth.
7-It was noticed that the underground water in the study area was not so polluted that it formed a big danger on public health. This is due to the fact that the wells in this area were deep enough.
8-It was noticed that charcoal industry affected the characteristics of the soil in the study area. This effect on soil was a positive one since the increase of these substances were positive to the plants rather than negative. Moreover, these plants need a great deal of these substances as they help much in the growth.
Part Three: Results related to people’s awareness of pollution problem and their response to it:
1- Pollution resulted from charcoal industry location in Ya’bed Area created a special concern in this problem.
2-A large percentage of people believe that charcoal locations cause great damage in properties, cars, plants, affect public health and cause many diseases.
3- People feel that strong smells of charcoal are much stronger at night.
4- People feel that they have problems in respiration in Ya’bed area. They also feel that the air in Jenin and other areas differs from the air in Ya’bed.
5- As a result of the environmental effects of charcoal locations, people show several responses towards these bad effects. For example, in the field of inhabitation, residents spend a great deal of time cleaning furniture and curtains. In addition, they keep on cleaning cars. It is said that the estimated average of cleaning cars is 2.26 per week, and sometimes some people use special cloth to cover their cars. Besides, people spend a great deal of time cleaning their gardens and yards from these emissions.
6- The environmental situation of Ya'bed town hasn’t witnessed any improvement after the arrival of Palestine National Authority. People aren’t satisfied with the government acts towards the environment. There has been no good planning and strategy to deal with the pollution problem and its increasing dangers. The government hasn’t done any effort to make nature look better in this area. The core of the problem is that the involved authorities haven’t chosen the suitable sites for charcoal industry; and they rarely checked the public health of neighboring residents.

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