At the EEC's pristine hilltop location in Beit Jala’s rolling green countryside, it is easy to assume that one is in a country free from environmental problems. This statement is far from the truth, however; a widespread lack of environmental awareness among the Palestinian population has led to environmental degradation--pollution, loss of biodiversity, and loss of habitat for indigenous animals--and has created conditions that seriously jeopardize the future of Palestine's natural environment.

Continued Israeli military occupation of Palestinian lands has further exacerbated certain environmental problems. Israeli control over Palestinian ground water resources, severe restriction of Palestinian freedom of movement, the continued confiscation of Palestinian land, and the destruction of countless groves of centuries-old olive trees pose additional grave threats to the region’s ecology.