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 August, 2018

Irbid residents ‘infuriated’ by expropriation of land for Israeli pipeline – Jordan Times

By Suzanna Goussous – Aug 15,2018 AMMAN — Residents of Irbid’s Ibsar Abu Ali village on Wednesday said that the “expropriation” of lands for the 65-kilometre-long Israeli gas pipeline project is “illegal” and “unethical”, adding that the act “would only serve the interests of Israel”. One of the residents, lawyer Bisher Khatib, said that land […]

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Hebrew Dystopias: From National Catastrophes to Ecological Disasters – Israel Studies Review

Netta Bar Yosef-Paz abstract: This article examines contemporary Hebrew dystopic novels in which ecological issues play a critical role, reflecting an increasing preoccupation of Israeli culture and society with the environment. The literary turn to dystopia is not new, but whereas Israeli dystopias published in the 1980s–1990s focused mainly on military apocalyptic visions, current novels […]

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Officials dip their feet in northern streams to show they’re safe – YNET

Amid the leptospirosis scare, Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel, Nature and Parks Authority director, and deputy director-general of the Ministry of Health visit the north to encouraged Israelis to return. Ahiya Raved|Published: 08.21.18 In an attempt to alleviate the damage to tourism in northern Israel in the wake of the leptospirosis scare in recent weeks, Nature […]

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Israeli parks authority lacks funding to curb leptospirosis – Haaretz

The authority is seeking to install water troughs to keep cattle away from Golan Heights streams that could be contaminated by cattle feces that spread the disease, which can kill humans Zafrir Rinat | Aug. 19, 2018 | 4:47 AM The Israel Nature and Parks Authority has developed a plan to install water troughs in […]

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Number of leptospirosis patients in Israel rises to 42 – YNET

During emergency discussion, Deputy Health Minister Litzman says his ministry is monitoring streams in northern Israel for the bacteria; ‘things are under control,’ assures ministry director-general. Rotem Elizera|Published: 08.19.18 The Health Ministry held an emergency discussion on Sunday after over 40 Israelis contracted leptospirosis. So far, 253 suspected cases of leptospirosis have been reported to […]

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Health Ministry finds high levels of pollution in 3 Golan streams – YNET

32 Israelis contract leptospirosis after swimming in streams in the Golan Heights; ministry finds high levels of fecal E. coli bacteria in Zaki, Mesushim and Yehudiya streams, barring the public from entering them as well as several other bodies of water. Rotem Elizera, Gilad Carmeli|Published: 08.16.18 The Health Ministry found high levels of fecal E. […]

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Mafraq manure treatment factory tackles animal waste issue – Jordan Times

Camille Dupire – Aug 20,2018 AMMAN — In the northern town of Khaldiya, 60km from Amman, extensive agriculture and animal farming has produced a tremendous amount of animal waste, most of which has remained untreated, causing worrying safety and health hazards for the local population. Safety and health hazard This lack of manure treatment has […]

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Zaatari solar power project ‘largest in a refugee camp globally – Jordan Times

Solar power generation project provides energy for 80,000 Syrian refugees By JT – Aug 15,2018 AMMAN — Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Hala Zawati said that the solar power generation project in Zaatari camp, which provides energy for 80,000 Syrian refugees, is the largest in the world in a refugee camp. Zawati visited the […]

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Renewable energy takes a turn in Jerash village – Jordan Times

Blanca Brew – Aug 20,2018 UNDP — “Investing in renewable energy changed our lives,” said Mohammad Ayasrha, project manager at Darb Al Safsaf Charity, a community based organisation in the village of Sakeb in Jerash, explaining how the reduction of household energy expenses has greatly contributed to redirecting large savings for local inhabitants. Ayasrha, also […]

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Breeding bird species in ‘notable decline’ in Ajloun Forest Reserve – Jordan Times

By Hana Namrouqa – Aug 13,2018 AMMAN — Densities and populations of most breeding bird species in Ajloun Forest Reserve have “considerably declined” over the past three years in the evergreen Oak forest, a newly-released study indicated. Carried out by the studies section at the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) in 2017 […]

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Cross-border science in the Middle East – Nature, Ecology and Evolution, a specialty journal of Nature

Interview with David Lehrer about the Arava Institute for Environemntal Studies https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-018-0635-y.epdf?shared_access_token=Vq6NWkYtiUOlk0fVKyDNSNRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0Ptum8RqnAmHflCeomUE38Libw6COWEuzStX84B4KREP8WYENlZ3sej1ErZaf5jHG2QBMQ1644qIeYOkO-T_LWfWvybDBRbDqIjImAZMUU0zHUoSH1vRw78QafxgLfpdy4%3D Global environmental change is largely indifferent to political boundaries, but meeting the challenges they pose in the future will inevitably require cross-border cooperation. We talk to David Lehrer, Executive Director at The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, about how this challenge is at […]

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EcoPeace Workshop on Middle East Water Security and Environmental Peacebuilding

Please consider applying: EcoPeace Workshop on Middle East Water Security and Environmental Peacebuilding, EcoPeace will hold the first of its kind Workshop on Middle East Water Security and Environmental Peacebuilding, which will take place from 10 to 15 December in Jordan, with the possibility to continue on a 2 day trip in Israel/Palestine, on 16-17 […]

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Hebrew University’s disgrace and the occupation – Haaretz

The institution has a strange way of hosting conferences that further the settlement project – the latest a hypocritical one on ‘environmental quality’ Ilana Hammerman | Aug. 3, 2018 On Thursday July 27, in the Senate Hall at Hebrew University on Mount Scopus, a conference was held called “Environmental Quality and Nature Preservation Transcending Borders” […]

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5-year drought raises questions over Israel’s water strategy – YNET

Despite large investment in desalination plants, a 5-year drought is taking its toll as water sources shrink, farmers face limits; Kinneret water no longer pumped into national water carrier; Critics say water conservation has been sidelined in favor of desalination. Associated Press |Published: 08.05.18 , 19:27 For years, public service announcements warned Israelis to save […]

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Gaza Sea Barrier Will Harm One of the Most Beautiful Beaches in Israel – Haaretz

The Ministry of Environmental Protection has sent a brief warning that the newly-erected barrier north of the Strip will reduce the width of Zikim beach by up to 50 meters for one kilometer Zafrir Rinat | Aug. 9, 2018 The sea barrier erected by the IDF north of the Gaza Strip will reduce the area […]

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Solar tree structure brings renewable energy topic to Jordan University – Jordan Times

Suzanna Goussous – Aug 06,2018 AMMAN — The University of Jordan (UJ) is finalising the preparation for the launch of an off-grid solar energy tree, which aims to raise awareness on renewable energy and the involvement of university students in project implementation, a university official said. Director of Water, Energy and Environment Centre at UJ, […]

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Palestinians turn to the sun to reduce their power shortfall – Environment and Development

From orderly rows of solar panels in a field in the West Bank to the chaotic rooftops of Gaza, Palestinians are hoping that harnessing the energy of the sun can reduce their dependence on Israel for electricity. The West Bank only gets around three-quarters of the power its 3 million people need, imported mostly from […]

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Egypt set to open its first solar farm – and it’s the largest in the world – Environment and Development

Egypt has long relied on environmentally taxing fossil fuels. Over 90% of electricity is generated from oil and natural gas, and the country subsidizes fossil fuels, making them a cheap option for its 96 million citizens. However, Egypt’s government plans to change courses and put itself on the clean energy map with the inauguration of […]

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Jordan and Egypt sign deal to renew flow of natural gas – Jordan Times

Aug 09,20180 AMMAN — Jordan and Egypt on Thursday signed amending agreements on the sale and purchase of natural gas, under which Amman will import from Cairo 10 per cent of its needs of natural gas to generate electricity. In a press statement, following the signing ceremony and a meeting with Egyptian counterpart Tarek El […]

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A Goodwill Gesture over Electricity Sows Discord in Lebanon – Naharnet

A Goodwill Gesture over Electricity Sows Discord in Lebanon It was supposed to be a goodwill gesture from an energy company in Turkey. This summer, the Karadeniz Energy Group lent Lebanon a floating power station to generate electricity at below-market rates to help ease the strain on the country’s woefully undermaintained power sector. Instead, the […]

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