Name of City/municipality: Bethlehem
Population: 31000 (2017)
Area: 10.61 Km2
Bethlehem is one of the major cities in Bethlehem region located in the north of the province, at 10 km to the south of the old city of Jerusalem, 73 Kilometres north of the Mediterranean sea and at 75 Kilometres west of Amman. It is situated on a mountainous site at 772 m above the sea level.
Name of Mayor: Mr. Anton Salman
Contact: info@bethlehem-city.org
Website: https://www.bethlehem-city.org/
Main features:
The city of Bethlehem is one of the holiest cities in the world, since it is identified as the birthplace of Jesus Christ where you can visit the nativity church as well as many other symbolic and iconic religious sites.
Main economic activities:
The tourism plays a crucial role in developing the local economy. More than 20 % of the workforce are employed in the touristic sector. Around two million tourists and pilgrims visit the birthplace of Jesus every year. There are 14 churches and 7 Mosques in the city attracting tourists from all countries due to its religious historical importance.
The industrial activities producing eastern artefacts, stone quarries, concrete and textile, in addition to the commercial activities play a key role in the local economy development.
Conditions and Environmental Challenges:
The unemployment rate in the city has reached 27 % affecting the touristic, industrial, trade and agricultural sectors. The citizens benefit from all services and infrastructures. However, the water network is facing serious problems of leakages, streets are overcrowded and congested and waste water networks are incomplete and malfunctioning threatening the environment and public health.
Bethlehem covers a wide scope of farming yields that are influenced by climate change, the increase in temperature and the increment utilization of underground water has left a serious impact on water resources as well as the increase in contamination of underground reservoirs, thus affecting health.