Stone-Industry in Palestine: Bridging the Gap between Environmental Sustainability and Economical Value

Abstract

Stone -also referred to locally as 'white gold'-is one of the most important natural resources and one of the main extractive industries in Palestine. It is one of many traditional industries with a long history of production and a growing economic value. Despite its authenticity and high value, this industry and its facilities, such as quarries, crushers, cutting firms and stone workshops, are spreading randomly throughout the West Bank-Palestine, thus posing a threat to both natural and built environments and negatively impacting human health. This paper assessed these negative impacts on the environment caused by the stone industry's facilities in the West Bank by developing a Reality Assessment Model using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) which take into consideration stone industry endemism. The model was also used to categorize the stone industry's facilities based on a comprehensive criteria. As a conclusion, a categorization of four levels (Level 1 to 4) based on their environmental impact and land suitability. It is found that half of the various types of stone industry's facilities have a negative environmental impact that causes damage ranging from medium to very high, while the other half do not cause significant damage. Thus, the first-class facilities must be closed, second-class facilities may be closed or remain if their negative impacts are reduced, while both third-class and fourth-class facilities may be kept in their current state by minimizing their major negative impact.

Possible Public Health Effects Resulting from Exposure to Air Pollution of Particulate Matter Generated from Limestone Industry

“…LSI contributes, in total, around 20-25% of the Palestinian industrial revenues, and 4.5% of the Palestinian GNP [21]. Due to the presence of large quantities of limestone in Palestine, this rock has become, for many years now, a national reserve estimated to be worth USD 30 billion [21] and, thus, described locally as the "White Gold" [21,24,25]. The Palestinian large reserves of limestone have increased the value and importance, as well as the positive and negative impacts of LSI in the country.…”

Exploring Urban Service Location Suitability: Mapping Social Behavior Dynamics with Space Syntax Theory

“…It gives them valuable insights to create urban environments that are effective and easy to navigate, meeting the diverse needs of residents. By providing a structured framework for developing cities that are more livable and inclusive, this research contributes to advancing urban planning strategies [47][48][49][50][51][52].…”