Wadi Gaza, once the largest coastal wetland in the occupied Palestinian territory and one of the most important in the Eastern Mediterranean Basin, is a vibrant and diverse biological environment. The Wadi serves as a resting area for many migratory birds and has the potential for being a recreational area attracting people from different regions. Decades of reduced fresh water inflows to the Wadi, creeping urban development, environmental pollution, intensive use of herbicides and pesticides and human disturbance have crippled, and profoundly altered this fragile environment.  Although almost erased under layers of dirt and waste, it is still alive. 

UNDP has commissioned a comprehensive Master Plan for the development of Wadi Gaza and its surrounding areas, that integrates  infrastructural, agricultural, water and wastewater, solid waste, ecosystem and tourist interventions.  The implementation of the Master Plan is expected to bring environmental benefits and restore biodiversity, create recreational space for social interaction, and increase sustainable and inclusive economic opportunities for Gazans.