By Hana Namrouqa AMMAN – Schoolchildren and people from all walks of life will converge on the Dibbeen Forest Reserve on Saturday to clean up litter left by picnickers at the site, which is considered a sanctuary for globally endangered species. More than 200 volunteers from schools, and public, private and civic institutions will head […]

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By ILANA TEITELBAUM 10/06/2010 14:04 An unwelcome colony? Ring-necked parakeets are threatening biodiversity in the German Colony. On a recent walk through the German Colony, I was treated to a stunning sight. Filling a tree with their flapping green wings was a flock of eight parakeets, calling raucously to each other and pecking at fat […]

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By Hana Namrouqa AMMAN – The Red-rumped Wheatear, an internationally important and rare bird, and the Egyptian Vulture, a globally endangered species, have been found for the first time in Jabal Masouda, one of four proposed protected areas in the Kingdom. Ecological studies carried out by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) […]

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Wildlife photographer Illia Shalemaev commended in Veolia Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition for images of little owls in Israel’s coastal region Erez Erlichman Published: 10.05.10, 07:28 The British competition, Veolia Wildlife Photographer of the Year, considered one of the most important wildlife photography competitions, announced Saturday that Israeli Illia Shalemaev has been commended for […]

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By Ahmad Y. Majdoubeh When construction or infrastructure work (digging for water pipes, cables or sewers) would take place in the many ever-expanding neighbourhoods of Amman (and other Jordanian cities) in the 1960s, 1970s and up to the mid-to-late 1980s, it would be a messy business. Contractors would dump much of what they dug out […]

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Pilot program follows similar plan to free congested main roads in Jerusalem. By Avi Bar-Eli Pilot program follows similar plan to free congested main roads in Jerusalem. By Avi Bar-Eli Trucks will be banned from entering the greater Tel Aviv area on major traffic arteries during the morning rush hour, in a pilot program that […]

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Treasury report: By 2015, cars will crawl into Tel Aviv from the south during rush hour at a mere 7 kilometers per hour. By Avi Bar-Eli Israel is paying a stiff price for not addressing the economic threat posed by the country’s gridlocked roads 10 years ago: The Finance Ministry says the Israeli economy loses […]

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By Hana Namrouqa AMMAN – Water authorities have cleaned and sterilised tanks in four households in a Jerash town that received polluted water last week when a cesspit overflowed and contaminated part of the area’s water network, an official said on Saturday. Residents of Al Ketteh in the northern Governorate of Jerash complained to the […]

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Water Wisdom: Preparing the Groundwork for Cooperative and Sustainable Water Management in the Middle East Edited by Alon Tal and Alfred Abed Rabbo Rutgers University Press Pages: 336 pages Publication Date: August 2010 Description: Israel and Palestine are, by international criteria, water scarce. As the peace process continues amidst ongoing violence, water remains a political […]

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For the 3rd consecutive year, the Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED) will hold its annual conference and present its annual report on water, highlighting the need for more sustainable management of a scarce resource. The conference, scheduled for 4-5 November 2010 at Habtoor Grand Hotel and Convention Center in Beirut, will discuss a […]

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By Saleem H. Ali Statement at the Peace-building and Environmental Stewardship award ceremony for the Friends of Arava Institute, Congregation Mishkan Tefila, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, September 26, 2010. Dear friends, I am deeply honored by this award and would like to thank the nominators and the organizers of this event, particularly Rabbi Michael Cohen, David […]

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Tel Aviv – People often associate the Middle East with oil. But in the region’s cities, villages and farms, access to a different resource is becoming rather problematic: water. Addressing this issue can not only ensure a sustainable future, but will also help create conditions for lasting peace. There is a shortage of water in […]

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CAIRO (AFP) – Egypt said on Monday that the holding of a Mediterranean Union summit, scheduled for November in Barcelona, depends on the progress of stalled peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. “The holding of the summit hinges on realising a breakthrough in the direct Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations,” Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit told […]

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By EHUD ZION WALDOKS 10/06/2010 06:29 Memorandum of understanding with Canadian province of Manitoba to remain in effect for 5 years; share common interest in preserving habitats. The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI) and the Canadian Province of Manitoba will sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) next Wednesday to further cooperation […]

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By Mohammad Ghazal AMMAN – Jordan and Brazil will soon start sharing expertise and technologies to improve water management in semi-arid areas, according to a Brazilian official. Brazilian and Jordanian scientists, researchers and entrepreneurs will compile a study to identify challenges and solutions to addressing the water situation in semi-arid lands, according to Jose Monserrat […]

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By Hana Namrouqa AMMAN – Conservationists on Sunday called on the public to report to the authorities any individuals emptying materials into the Gulf of Aqaba, following the discovery of dead fish in the Red Sea. On September 5, Royal Marine Conservation Society of Jordan (JREDS) teams recorded several dead fish floating in the Gulf […]

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The “land-grab” phenomenon of foreign agricultural investment in Africa has grown since the 2008 food crisis. An Indian worker transplants rice on a major commercial agricultural scheme in Ethiopia CAIRO, 11 October 2010 (IRIN) – The Egyptian government is hoping to cultivate wheat and other cereals on fertile land in African countries to feed its […]

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Rabbi Michael M. Cohen At the start of the direct talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority the other week at the White House President Barack Obama reminded us of the similar introspective messages of the months of Elul and Ramadan. These Jewish and Muslim months, born in the shared landscape and sky of the […]

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By Thameen Kheetan AMMAN – Jordanian activists have pulled out from a cycling tour for environmental awareness that included Israeli and Palestinian participants, due to local opposition, organisers said Tuesday. Neither Jordanians nor Palestinians will take part in the activity, which drew harsh criticism from local professional associations and a youth group, who said it […]

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October 2010 FoEME congratulates the European Parliament for passing an historic resolution on September 9th, bringing attention to the critical state of the Lower Jordan River and calling upon the governments of Israel, Jordan and Palestine to work together to rehabilitate the Jordan River. Initiated by leaders of the Group of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) […]

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