EcoPeace at the Nobel Peace Prize Forum
An EcoPeace delegation comprising; Dalit Wolf Golan, Mahmoud Driaat and Baker Barakat participated in the Nobel Peace Prize Forum in Minneapolis, MN, hosted by Augsburg University. The representatives from our three offices presented a panel on Water Diplomacy in the Middle East, moderated by Professor Nicholas Hayes, and participated in a panel titled Perspectives on the Sacredness of Water.. During the closing plenary, Mrs. Wolf Golan, Deputy Director of EcoPeace’s Israel office, was recognized, along with Beatrice Fihn of ICAN and two others, as a woman peacemaker. Following their participation in the Forum the EcoPeace delegation participated in a canoeing trip down the Mississippi, as guests of Augsburg University’s River Semester.
Regional Farmers Tour
August 28th-30th EcoPeace invited Jordanian and Palestinian farmers for a series of site visits and presentations from water and agricultural experts. The tour included visits to; the Al Majool Village Company farm in Karamah, the National Center for Research in Deir Ala and the National Agricultural Research Center in Amman where they toured the center, including the Bee Laboratory and the Water and Soil Laboratory. Small delegations also had the opportunity to meet Jordanian and Palestinian ministers. The tour began with a presentation at our SHE park on the challenges of the water sector in Jordan, climate change, the water deficit, high operating costs and the shared water between the neighboring countries. A representative of the German Association for International Cooperation (GIZ) also gave a presentation on the arguments for using treated water in irrigation, stressing that this water is treated within the Jordanian specifications, which are compatible with the requirements of the World Health Organization.
The Good Water Neighbors (GWN) project is supported by the Swedish International Development Agency and USAID CMM West Bank / Gaza.
EcoPeace’s role and vision in Palestine discussed with Students from Germany
As part of the long standing strategic partnership between EcoPeace Middle East and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS), Mrs. Nada Majdalani, Director of EcoPeace Middle East Palestine Office, met with a group of students from Germany at the offices of KAS in Ramallah. Mrs. Majdalani spoke to the students on the important role that EcoPeace Middle East plays in finding innovative ways to adopt solutions at the regional level, which under the current geopolitical situation could facilitate reducing the negative consequences of climate change on water security in the region.
Engagement at Local Government Level in EcoPeace Palestine office
On September 10th EcoPeace conducted a meeting with the Mayor of Qalqilya to discuss the water and sanitation status in Qalqilya. Potential areas of cooperation and common interest by both parties were discussed, including green energy and waste management. An additional meeting was held with Anabta Municipality discussing wastewater pollution and potential solutions for the transboundary wastewater stream of Wadi Al Zomar. Similarly, on September 24th EcoPeace held a meeting with Al Khas and Al Noman joint service council and the Ubediyeh municipality to discuss the effects on the Wadi Al Nar basin and the potential cooperation as a follow up to the existing project on decentralized wastewater treatment, funded by IHE-UNESCO.
Series of meetings held by EcoPeace Palestine office with International Representatives
EcoPeace’s Ramallah office held several meetings with high-level representatives from the international community in September 2018. The meetings included representatives from the Chinese Embassy, Swiss Members of Parliament, and the Deputy Head of Mission at the New Zealand Embassy. These meetings were an opportunity to update international stakeholders on the work of EcoPeace at a regional level, and to discuss potential future cooperation with EcoPeace mainly on the Water-Energy Nexus and the Jordan Valley Masterplan.
Palestinian Water Authority: “Wastewater will begin to disappear from the Wadi Al Samen stream by mid-2021”
On September 2nd EcoPeace held a workshop “The Lands affected by Wadi Al Samen Stream in Yatta: Challenges and Solutions”. The event was conducted at Yatta Municipality and was attended by many in the Yatta community including civil society, youth, women and farmers. Representatives from the Palestinian Authority including the Palestinian Water Authority, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment Quality Authority discussed in plenary, plans for the rehabilitation of the wastewater stream and adjacent land following the implementation of the wastewater plant project.
Activities conducted in the Hebron/Negev/Basin are supported by the Government of Canada.
Good Water Neighbors event in Bosnia-Herzegovina
The Good Water Neighbors project in Bosnia-Herzegovina held a celebration of the Spreca River on September 25th. Approximately 200 people participated, representing municipalities and schools from both the Serbian Republic and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina .The participants discussed the importance of joint protection and preservation of Spreca River and it was decided that the 25th of September will be the annual Spreca River Day. Local children also came together and jointly asked the relevant authorities to protect the river. Two mayors of nearby municipalities, but from different entities, symbolically met on a bridge and together planted the first tree on the walking trail near Spreca, which is a border line. This was followed by statements to the media and additional tree planting activities with the participation of students and teachers. The
GWN in Bosnia is supported by the Bosch Foundation
EcoPeace in Northern India
During a recent trip in Northern India, Gidon Bromberg, EcoPeace’s Israeli director had the opportunity to meet once again with the Prime Minister of Tibet, Sikyong Lobsang Sangay. He was also invited to give a presentation on EcoPeace’s work at the Tibetan Institute in Dharamsalah. The presentation was attended by both local NGOs and researchers who expressed interest in our model and strategies and are interested in mapping possibilities of community work based on water in a transboundary setting.