Israeli, Palestinian experts say Gaza Strip residents facing growing water shortage. ‘Environment is still a hostage of politics,’ expert says The Media Line 01.29.14 The 1.7 million residents of the Gaza Strip are facing a growing water shortage, according to Israeli and Palestinian experts who presented their findings at a conference of Friends of the […]

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Francesca de Châtel, The Role of Drought and Climate Change in the Syrian Uprising: Untangling the Triggers of the Revolution. Middle East Studies This article examines the role of drought and climate change as indirect triggers of the Syrian uprising that started in March 2011. It frames the 2006-10 drought that struck north-eastern Syria in […]

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Deal signed this month involving Israeli natural gas field, Palestinian power firm marked may need top-level support to succeed Reuters 01.31.14, A billion-dollar deal signed this month involving an Israeli natural gas field and a Palestinian power firm marked a rare private-sector victory over political conflict, but it may need top-level support to succeed. Palestinian […]

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January 31, 2014 12:27 AM By Elise Knutsen ZAHLE/BAALBEK, Lebanon: The mountain of trash at Zahle can be seen from a distance. Bits of dirt and detritus get picked up by the wind, settling on the nearby waste management facility. Although the town boasts one of the country’s most advanced trash and recycling operations, the […]

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Proposed road would reduce size of park, disrupt animal habitats, critics charge. By Zafrir Rinat | Jan. 27, 2014 The Northern District Planning and Building Committee is set to decide soon whether to permit the construction of a new entrance road to the town of Tzippori, at the expense of national park land. The proposal […]

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Jan 30, 2014 At last the government has decided to give incentives to farmers to resort to renewable energy sources to help them with their irrigation needs and their business in general. The Agricultural Credit Corporation is now offering low-interest, easy-term loans to farmers to move away from fuel-generated energy and use solar power. The […]

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by Hana Namrouqa | Jan 30, 2014 The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature says that construction of wind energy projects should not be allowed inside nature reserves or public parks AMMAN — Voicing its support for utilising wind energy in Jordan, the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) on Thursday said […]

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Authorities to implement water projects in Deir Alla, Ain Al Basha Petra | Jan 30, 2014 AMMAN — The Water Authority of Jordan on Thursday signed an agreement with the Japan International Cooperation Agency to implement water projects in Deir Alla and Ain Al Basha. The schemes will be funded from the Japanese $25 million […]

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by Hana Namrouqa | Jan 30, 2014 Water Ministry employees dismantle an illegal pipe hidden in a 20-metre tunnel built below the airport road (Photo courtesy of the Water Ministry) AMMAN — Authorities on Wednesday discovered a 20-metre tunnel built below the airport road to hide an illegal pipe through which thousands of cubic metres […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 01/22/2014 Shapira’s report identifies deficiencies in management, implementation and supervision involved with constructing the Metronit infrastructure. Shapira sharply criticized both the Transportation Ministry and the Haifa municipal firm Yefe Nof for mismanagement of the region’s Metronit bus rapid transit (BRT) system, in his latest report released on Wednesday. After years of inter-governmental […]

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BU DHABI (AFP) — Israeli Energy Minister Silvan Shalom attended a meeting Saturday of the International Renewable Energy Agency in the United Arab Emirates, a country with which it has no diplomatic relations. During its two-day meeting, the assembly is to discuss a draft roadmap for achieving a 36 percent share for renewables in the […]

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Remember all the years of being told to conserve ‘every drop?’ Well, times have changed: Today, Israel has so much affordable water, it can offer to export it. So why is this achievement being kept so secret? By Yuval Elizur | Jan. 24, 2014 In ancient times and even during the years of the British […]

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by Elisa Oddone | Jan 22, 2014 IRBID — Work on water networks in northern Jordan will address the country’s struggle to keep up with an increased domestic demand for water as it faces a flood of Syrian refugees and a looming drought, according to a senior official. “We are facing a catastrophic humanitarian crisis,” […]

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by JT | Jan 22, 2014 AMMAN — The Agence Française de Développement (AFD) on Wednesday awarded a 300,000-euro grant to the government in support of environmental performance in Jordan. The grant, which is within the framework of AFD’s ongoing Green Lending Programme, will be coordinated by the Environment Ministry, according to a Planning Ministry […]

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Many Israeli Arab farmers still averse to irrigating with treated wastewater. By Zafrir Rinat | Jan. 23, 2014 Israel is proud of the large amount of treated wastewater its farmers use, and it is among the world leaders in utilizing this resource. However, Israeli Arab farmers still do not buy into the advantages of irrigating […]

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January 21, 2014 12:28 AM By Wassim Mroueh BEIRUT: Lebanon will experience another dry week, weather experts say, with some voicing fears that the persistence of current trends could negatively impact the country’s agricultural sector in the long run. A snowstorm that hit Lebanon in December raised hopes that this winter would bring abundant rain. […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 01/23/2014 As Israel forges forward with rural development, while facing the pressures of urbanization, the country could potentially benefit from purchasing more agricultural produce abroad, an expert said at a Beit Dagan conference on Thursday. “You don’t have to be self-sufficient and there is a thing called international trade,” said Prof. Allan […]

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Jumblatt vows to close Naameh landfill in 2015 (The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb) January 23, 2014 BEIRUT: Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt pledged Thursday to close the controversial Naameh landfill by 2015 as he asked protesters to end the blockade around Lebanon’s largest waste dump. “As the environmental situation in […]

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by Muath Freij | Jan 18, 2014 AMMAN — Around 800 young Jordanians joined Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) teams in planting saplings in several locations in the capital on Saturday to compensate for the trees damaged in last month’s snowstorm. Dubbed “Let’s plant trees to make up for what was damaged,” the campaign included the […]

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by Peter Millett | Jan 22, 2014 Cleanliness is close to godliness. Godliness is probably little more than a distant aspiration for most of us. But cleanliness is easy, on a personal level and in our communities. Keeping our neighbourhoods clean is good for everyone. It is good for our souls because it increases our […]

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