section_path: Geography/Environment issues
section_name: Environment issues
paragraph_text: Environment issues
  
  Environmental problems in Gaza include desertification; salination of fresh water; sewage treatment; water-borne diseases; soil degradation; and depletion and contamination of underground water resources. A United Nations official said in 2024 that "it could take 14 years... to clear debris, including rubble from destroyed buildings" (of the Gaza war).