Environment and Climate in the Middle East

news, conferences, policy discussions and academic publications on environmental issues and climate change in the Eastern Mediterranean

Environment and Climate in the Middle East

Archives for October, 2011

Destroying our natural wonder – Haaretz

The Dead Sea certainly deserves to be considered one of the wonders of the world. But Israel and Jordan currently are unworthy candidates to care for it. By Zafrir Rinat A miracle has been taking place before our eyes. In less than 100 years, the people living around the Dead Sea have managed to dry […]

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Education Ministry hosts virtual classroom on Dead Sea – Jerusalem Post

By SHARON UDASIN 10/25/2011 23:32 PM: Becoming one of the “New 7 Wonders of Nature” will bring crucial tourism. Talkbacks (2) Students and teachers around the country logged online on Tuesday morning for 40 minutes of virtual learning about the Dead Sea, as part of the government’s broad campaign to make the salty body of […]

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ILA nixes beachfront vacation village after protests – Jerusalem Post

By SHARON UDASIN 10/27/2011 03:19 Green groups praise Lands Administration new head Benzi Lieberman for brokering agreement to keep western Galilee area commercial free. Talkbacks () Following widespread appeals from government ministers, green groups and the general public, the Israel Lands Administration (ILA) has decided to cancel plans to construct a vacation village and commercial […]

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Beaches vs business – Jerusalem Post

By JPOST EDITORIAL 10/28/2011 13:55 Protecting our environment should not lead to the trampling of private business rights. Talkbacks (3) It took nearly four years of protests, including a petition signed by more than 28,000 concerned citizens, a human wave one-kilometer long, and regular picketing. But finally the objective was achieved. Grassroots activism, a testament […]

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Wildlife art exhibit to open at Jerusalem Bird Observatory – Jerusalem Post

By SHARON UDASIN 10/27/2011 02:48 Beit Yannai artist Walter Ferguson hopes his display will help increase popularity of animal artwork in Israel. Talkbacks () A gazelle mother snuggles her milking fawn, amid pink and yellow flowers and under the avid watch of her male partner, with the lush northern Israel mountainside outstretched in the distance. […]

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Green 2000 teaches Nigeria, Sudan agricultural techniques – Jerusalem Post

By ALONA VOLINKSY / NO CAMELS 10/29/2011 05:33 An Israeli company is teaching African countries agricultural techniques and building greenhouses to increase food production. Talkbacks () Alona Volinksy writes for No Camels. An Israeli company is helping African countries become self-sufficient by teaching them agricultural techniques they say can significantly increase food production. Green 2000, […]

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Gas treatment plants? Not on my beach – Haaretz

The Interior Ministry has drawn up a list of possible sites for constructing Mediterranean gas treatment facilities. Local residents object to all of them, and say they should be built at sea. By Zafrir Rinat The Interior Ministry recently presented a list of alternative sites for establishing gas facilities, including in the Haifa Bay area […]

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Haifa court imposes highest ever fine for oil spill – Jerusalem Post

By SHARON UDASIN 10/23/2011 23:37 Mediterranean Shipping Company is fined NIS 1m. after one of its ships spilled oil into the Port of Haifa; indictments are dropped. Talkbacks () The Geneva-based Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has received a fine of NIS 1.01 million – the largest fine ever charged to a ship on Israeli waters […]

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Moussawi urges Cabinet to resolve Sidon’s dump – Daily Star

BEIRUT: Hezbollah MP Nawwaf Moussawi called on the Cabinet Sunday to resolve the issue of Sidon’s notorious seaside dump and build a railway between the border coastal town of Naqoura and Beirut and another one between Naqoura and the Bekaa town of Riyaq as well as a transit port in Naqoura. The Marjayoun MP called […]

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Gush Etzion head tapped to lead Nature Authority – Haaretz

Pick expected to face criticism from green groups. By Zafrir Rinat and Chaim Levinson A special search committee has recommended the chairman of the Gush Etzion Regional Council, Shaul Goldstein, to head the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. Goldstein lives in the West Bank settlement of Neveh Daniel. If the cabinet approves his appointment, most […]

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As Egyptian gas supplies stall, Jordan turns to Iraq – Jordan Times

By Taylor Luck JORDAN IS reaching out to Iraq to explore the import of natural gas as the country continues to struggle to meet its rising energy needs. According to Ministry of Energy Secretary General Farouq Hariri, energy officials have contacted Baghdad regarding supplying Jordan with natural gas for electricity generation and domestic use. Iraqi […]

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Egyptian gas deal ‘holding up supply’ – Jordan Times

By Taylor Luck AN AMENDED natural gas deal between Cairo and Amman has yet to be fully enforced, leaving Jordan with a fraction of the gas supplies outlined in the new agreement, according to energy officials. The lack of enforcement of the amended deal has prevented the full resumption of gas supplies to Jordan, which […]

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Energy experts, stakeholders debate Kingdom’s nuclear programme – Jordan Times

By Laila Azzeh AMMAN – Jordan’s nuclear programme was a hot-button issue on Tuesday, igniting heated debates between supporters and root-and-branch opponents of plans to establish a nuclear reactor in the country. The 4th International Symposium on Nuclear Energy (ISNCE-11), which opened yesterday, provided a platform for experts, academics, NGOs and international nuclear manufacturers to […]

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Water pipes take Lod neighborhood out of the Third World – Haaretz

By Zafrir Rinat The Arab Samech Het neighborhood in Lod reminds a visitor more of a developing country than a district in a city a short ride from Tel Aviv. But things have been looking up: Samech Het’s homes have just been connected to the municipal water system. Residents now have running water regularly, though […]

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Cabinet approves creation of green-growth plan – Jerusalem Post

By SHARON UDASIN 10/23/2011 23:41 Government task force given six months to give course of action for transitioning to a green economy. Talkbacks (4) The cabinet approved the future institution of a national plan toward promoting green growth on Sunday, pursuant to Israel’s responsibilities as an Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member state, […]

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Eco-education caravan ready to hit roads of Mount Lebanon – Daily Star

By Olivia Alabaster The Daily Star The vehicle is specially equipped so that users with disabilities and visual impairments may also avail of its services. The vehicle is specially equipped so that users with disabilities and visual impairments may also avail of its services. BEIRUT: A new environmental education caravan, launched Monday, will travel around […]

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New strategy to strengthen hunting regulations – Jordan Times

By Hana Namrouqa AMMAN – The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) is drawing up a strategy for better enforcing hunting laws and regulations in Jordan, the society’s director, Yehya Khaled, said on Tuesday. “The laws and regulations that control hunting in Jordan are enforced by the RSCN and several other national institutions, […]

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Israel: The Cost of Adaptation to Climate Change – Workshop [1-2.11.11]

On 1-2 November, the EU Delegation to Israel, the Israeli Ministry of Environmental Protection, and Haifa University – The Natural Resource & Environmental Research Center will be holding a 2-day conference on climate change. The first day will be devoted to the local Israeli views on climate change. It will shed light on past, present […]

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Maritime natural resources could spark conflict: experts – DAILY STAR

By Patrick Galey The Daily Star BEIRUT: Lebanon is gearing up for a long-term oil and gas production program although the looming diplomatic crisis with Israel over each country’s share of undersea fossil fuels threatens full-scale conflict, a collection of diplomats and academics were told Thursday. Experts on the issue voiced varying degrees of optimism […]

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EGYPT: Water challenges forcing a rethink on usage – IRIN

SHARQIA, 18 October 2011 (IRIN) – Leaking water pipes, evaporation and a rapidly growing population may be significant concerns for those trying to manage and plan water supplies in Egypt, but compounding such problems – and forcing Egyptians to rethink how they use water – is the threat posed by downstream countries which also want […]

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