March 14, 2011 – International Day of Action for Rivers Amman / Bethlehem / Tel Aviv The International Day of Action for Rivers, Water, and Life was launched in 1997. It aims to raise awareness about destructive water development projects, reclaim the health of rivers and watersheds, and demand the equitable and sustainable management of […]

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By Mohammad Ghazal AMMAN – Jordan must expedite implementation of renewable energy projects in light of surging oil prices due to regional turmoil, sector experts said Wednesday. The Kingdom, which imports about 96 per cent of its energy needs at a total annual cost of about $3 billion, is facing mounting challenges that necessitate attracting […]

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By DORE GOLD 03/11/2011 17:04 New data suggests Israel may not only have much larger gas resources than believed, but also the 3rd largest deposit of oil shale in the world. Talkbacks (58) Libyan oil accounts for less than 2 percent of world oil production, yet the revolt against Muammar Gaddafi has managed to shoot […]

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By Hana Namrouqa AMMAN – Water resources in the Arab region are constantly being depleted, which necessitates implementing integrated water management systems among Arab states, Minister of Water and Irrigation Mohammad Najjar said on Thursday. The Arab region is witnessing increasing challenges in the water sector, mainly due to depletion, control by countries from which […]

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Dubai, March 14, 2011 Zayed International Prize for the Environment awarded $1 million to four environmental pioneers, including Najib Saab, Editor-in-Chief of Al-Bia Wal-Tanmia magazine and Secretary General of Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED). At a ceremony held today in Dubai International Convention Center, Saab was honored for Environmental Action Leading to Positive […]

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UJA Federation’s strategic plan in southern city includes investment in harnessing region’s vast natural assets – land and sun – to one day transforming area into global leader in renewable energy, development and technology   Daniel Horotwitz UJA Federation has long had a reputation for its vision and innovation, and for initiating unique, groundbreaking projects. […]

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By Mohammad Ghazal AMMAN – Three Jordanians who spent six months in India receiving training solar power technology, returned home on Monday with plans to utilise their experience to benefit their communities. Sixty-one-year-old Seiha Al Raja, her son Bader Awad Fahed Hamed, and Rafia Enad Fahed Hamed from the Mansheyet Al Ghayath village in Mafraq […]

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By Mohammad Ghazal AMMAN – As climate change is projected to increase temperatures in Jordan during the 21st century, the Kingdom is expected to witness increased incidence of fires and a “significant” rise in drought conditions, according to a report released on Monday. Issued by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN), the […]

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By Hana Namrouqa AMMAN – Shrinking green cover and decreasing surface water flow due to climate change are threatening Jordan’s unique biodiversity, according to reports to be launched today. Implemented by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN), the reports predict a regular increase in temperatures in Jordan by the end of the […]

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By Hana Namrouqa JERASH – Residents of Jerash Governorate will start receiving water once a week instead of every 14 days in May after the Mashtal Feisal wells start operating at full capacity, a senior government official said on Monday. The wells will pump 240 cubic metres of water per hour, which is expected to […]

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By Sara Hussein YATTA, West Bank (AFP) — Among the gentle slopes of cypress-covered hills near the West Bank city of Hebron is an anomaly, a stinking garbage dump that is workplace and home to dozens of men and boys. The quiet that hangs over neighboring olive groves, in the far south of the West […]

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By EHUD ZION WALDOCKS 03/15/2011 04:58 Material long-known to be carcinogenic still used in mixtures with concrete; bill to go into effect by August. Talkbacks (1) The Asbestos Bill was approved by the Knesset Internal Affairs and Environment Committee on Monday for its final readings. The bill is expected to pass through the rest of […]

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By EHUD ZION WALDOKS AND SHARON UDASIN 03/10/2011 05:08 Israel’s development in this sector still in its infancy, environmental experts say. One way the public appreciates the relevance of environmental issues is in relation to their health. While saving the planet might be a little abstract, cancer clusters and pharmaceuticals in the water supply are […]

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By EHUD ZION WALDOCKS 03/14/2011 01:57 Public pressure campaign launched against Israel Railways to sink train tracks in massive local project. Talkbacks (5) The city of Haifa and the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI) launched a public pressure campaign against Israel Railways on Sunday urging the national railroad to sink the […]

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By EHUD ZION WALDOKS 03/10/2011 21:30 Fast-track c’tees could endanger public health, destroy green open spaces in cities, ministry says in a statement. If Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s housing solution is approved in its current form, it would be nothing short of an environmental disaster, the Environmental Protection Ministry conveyed in no uncertain terms on […]

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Tests will show where Israel stands compared to other countries in terms of exposure to toxins, and whether exposure is increasing. By Zafrir Rinat The Health Ministry has launched its first-ever research project into the extent to which environmental toxins affect local residents. As part of the project, samples will be taken from 250 people. […]

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Several eco-facilities were inaguarated this month in the context of FoEME’s Good Water Neighbors project; in the Emek Hefer Regional Council, the Eshkol Regional Council and in Baka Gharbia. These eco-facilities – such as ecogardens, rainwater harvesting systems and constructed wetlands – serve to raise awareness of the importance of water conservation and reuse, and […]

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By Mohammad Ghazal FUHEIS – Work is on track on a Japanese-funded project that is expected to “significantly” reduce the percentage of non-revenue water in the Kingdom, according to a water official. The JD3.5 million project, financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), will be completed by August 2011 and enhance water authorities’ capacities […]

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Euro-Mediterranean Information System on the know-how in the Water Sector EMWIS is a program of the Union for the Mediterranean. For further information: www.emwis.net Monthly Flash produced by the EMWIS Technical Unit- OIEAU, CEDEX, SOGESID In this issue N°87 (www.emwis.net/thematicdirs/eflash/flash87) ======================== HEADLINE 1- Shared Environment Information System for Horizon 2020 research and monitoring activities IN […]

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By AFIAL In an area of a little over 10,000 square kilometers, Lebanon today has a population of some four million and the figure is increasing by 25,000 yearly. To get a better grasp of these figures, one should take into account uninhabitable areas located higher than 1,600 meters, where mountains rise to nearly 3,000 […]

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