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 March, 2019

Israelis and Palestinians fed up as bid to end burning of e-waste fails – Haaretz

223 plastic-burning sites have been found in Palestinian villages and Israeli settlements, but such industries’ importance in the West Bank economy make it difficult to find a solution Zafrir Rinat | Mar. 22, 2019 | 6:32 AM Black smoke accompanied by the suffocating stench of burning plastic has become the norm on the Lachish hills […]

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new publication: Beyond the pollution haven hypothesis: Where and why do e-waste hubs emerge and what does this mean for policies and interventions? – geoforum

Geoforum Volume 98, January 2019, Pages 36-45 Abstract Initial, and still dominant, explanations of transboundary e-waste flows have relied on the Pollution Haven Hypothesis (PHH), which theorizes that pollution intensive economic activities will relocate to jurisdictions with the most relaxed environmental regulations. This hypothesis has influenced the parameters of the BAN Amendment to the Basel […]

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On World Water Day, more than 97% of Gaza water does not meet WHO standards – WAFA

RAMALLAH, Thursday, March 21, 2019 (WAFA) – More than 97% of the water pumped from the coastal aquifer in Gaza Strip does not meet the water quality standards of the World Health Organization (WHO), leading to the depletion of groundwater reserves with the groundwater level in the coastal aquifer reaching 19 meters below sea level, […]

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Israel discharges treated sewage into Jordan River in spite of ministry’s opposition – Haaretz

The Water Authority approved the move, even though the Environmental Protection Ministry and environmentalists argue it causes harm to flora and fauna near streams Zafrir Rinat | Mar. 25, 2019 Israel’s rainy winter has created a surplus of treated wastewater that cannot be stored and which is being released into streams, putting the streams’ rehabilitation […]

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Four of Jordan’s main dams overflow simultaneously in ‘unprecedented’ first – Jordan Times

By Hana Namrouqa – Mar 25,2019 AMMAN — For the first time ever, four of the country’s main dams overflowed simultaneously on Monday, according to officials at the Ministry of Water and Irrigation. The Mujib Dam, established in Karak Governorate in 2003 with a capacity of 29.8 million cubic metres (mcm), reached its maximum capacity […]

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Water security: A critical issue for children in Jordan today and for future generations – Jordan Times

Mar 25,2019 Children and youth all over the world have been increasingly speaking out and engaging around the critical issue of climate change. It has be an impressive show of leadership on an issue that will significantly shape their lives in the future. In Jordan, the second-most water-scarce country in the world, continued and scaled-up […]

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Around 63 million Arabs lack clean drinking water: CEDARE – Egypt Independent

Al-Masry Al-Youm March 23, 2019 Director of the Center for Environment and Development of the Arab Region and Europe (CEDARE) Khaled Abu-Zeid, stated on Friday that around 63 million people in the Arab world are deprived of clean drinking water and that 79 million lack safe sanitation services. He explained that a water situation report […]

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Israel’s environment ministry calls to halt oil production: Shale oil and fracking too dangerous – Haaretz

Planned projects will lead to more pollution and earthquakes – and defeat plans to end the use of fossil fuels by 2013, says environmental watchdog Zafrir Rinat | Mar. 24, 2019 | 9:39 PM The Environmental Protection Ministry has called to completely halt all new plans to produce oil in Israel in order to reduce […]

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Renewables could generate 100 per cent of the UAE’s power ‘within 50 years’ – Environment and Development

25/3/2019 Renewables could generate 100 per cent of the UAE’s power needs within 50 years, if the investment and will is there, according to the outgoing head of the International Renewable Energy Agency. Adnan Amin, director general of the Abu Dhabi organisation, made the prediction in a wide-ranging interview with The National as the 60-year-old […]

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Environment action urgent, stop being complacent – Environment and Development

NAJIB SAAB 13/3/2019 Environment action urgent, stop being complacent Stop being complacent, show some urgency, and get real about implementing the goals you set in 2015 for achieving sustainable development. This unvarnished message is what Jock Martin of the European Environment Agency thought should be conveyed to world leaders, based on the findings of the […]

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Rainfall hits high after five-year drought, raising level of Sea of Galilee – Haaretz

The level of the Sea of Galilee, which has suffered from years of drought, has risen about 2 meters so far this rainy season Zafrir Rinat | Mar. 10, 2019 Following a five-year drought, particularly in the north, rainfall this year has topped multi-year averages in most of the country, improving the state of Israel’s […]

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King Talal Dam overflows for third time this month – Jordan Times

Official says most recent overflow not expected to affect farms downstream By Hana Namrouqa – Mar 17,2019 AMMAN — For the first time since its construction over four decades ago, the King Talal Dam in Jerash overflowed thrice during the same wet season, according to a government official, who said that the Kingdom received “excellent” […]

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Gov’t to compensate farmers affected by King Talal Dam’s water release – Jordan Times

Jordan, Canada sign Jordan Valley JD1.5m renewable energy project deal By JT – Mar 11,2019 AMMAN — The government will compensate Jordan Valley farmers who were affected by the release of the King Talal Dam’s waters, after it reached full capacity due to the recent rains, Prime Minister Omar Razzaz said on Monday. Razzaz met […]

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Half of the plastic products used in Israel cannot be recycled – Haaretz

New plan calls for recycling 40 percent of Israel’s plastic waste, burn another 40 percent for energy, and bury the rest in landfills Zafrir Rinat | Mar. 17, 2019 Israel produces around 1 million tons of plastic waste each year, but only a small percentage of this gets recycled. Half of the plastic products that […]

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Ministry to announce first round of solar energy beneficiaries in April – Jordan Times

Mar 10,2019 AMMAN — The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources said it will announce in April the first batch of beneficiaries for their solar energy system programme. A total of 2,495 families nationwide have applied to benefit from the installation programme, according to a ministry statement. Energy Minister Hala Zawati said that the ministry, […]

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Environmental hikers say their efforts ‘not enough’ as litter ‘continues to increase’ – Jordan Times

By Rory Quick – Mar 17,201 AMMAN — From the Jordan Valley to Wadi Rum to the 650km long Jordan Trail, which was named among 2018’s best tourist destinations by National Geographic, the British Sunday Times, the Guardian and Lonely Planet, the Kingdom offers hikers opportunities to explore “unique” locations. However, levels of rubbish have […]

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High-speed Jerusalem railway link ‘expected’ to reach Tel Aviv this year – Jerusalem Post

By EYTAN HALON 03/18/2019 Originally due to open in 2008, Israel’s flagship infrastructure project has been plagued by repeated lengthy delays and soaring costs. The severely delayed high-speed railway set to shuttle commuters from around the country to Jerusalem is “expected” to reach Tel Aviv’s Hagana Railway Station later this year, according to Israel Railways. […]

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Egypt to implement €32 mn climate change plan – Egypt Independent

Mira Maged March 15, 2019 During her visit to Kafr al-Sheikh governorate last week, Minister Yasmine Fouad presented a national plan that aims to curtail the negative impact of rising sea levels on Egyptian coasts. In October 2018, the Egyptian government signed a climate change adaptation project with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). The […]

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Lebanon warns neighbours against using disputed territory for Israel’s EastMed gas pipeline – YNET

In letter to UN head, EU foreign policy chief, and Italy, Greece and Cyprus, Beirut asks for them to honor country’s exclusive economic zone, tells Greek FM it will not allow its sovereignty to be breached Reuters|Published: 03.07.19 Lebanon on Thursday warned its Mediterranean neighbours that a planned EastMed gas pipeline from Israel to the […]

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Demo Outside World Bank Offices in Beirut over Dam Project – Naharnet

Demonstrators staged a protest outside World Bank offices in Lebanon’s capital Monday over its key role in financing a controversial dam project that environmentalists say will destroy a valley rich in biodiversity. “Bisri Dam = Destruction, Pollution, Earthquakes” and “Save The Bisri Valley”, read banners and posters carried by the dozens of demonstrators gathered in […]

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