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, 2020

Israel needs to let go of the natural gas fantasy – Haaretz

Israel is building gas-fired power plants, tying the country’s economy to an energy source that will soon be obsolete Nir Hasson | Mar. 12, 2020 “Blessed are you, Lord, our God, king of the universe, who brings forth natural gas from the sea for us.” With these words, Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz concludes his new […]

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‘Pioneering project’ introduces measures to halve electricity bills of public buildings – Jordan Times

By Maria Weldali – Mar 10,2020 AMMAN — The Ministry of Public Works and Housing on Monday launched the roll-out phase of the Energy Efficiency in Public Buildings (EEPB) project, which aims at reducing the energy bills of the Kingdom’s public buildings, which cause budget constraints. Jordan has worked to establish comprehensive programmes and strategies […]

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1,770 households get solar panels — Energy Ministry – Jordan Times

Mar 03,2020 AMMAN — A total of 1,770 households have benefitted from the solar cell installation project for underprivileged families and beneficiaries of the National Aid Fund, Energy Minister Hala Zawati said on Monday. The project covered 80 per cent of the total targetted houses of 2,213 in the first phase to be covered by […]

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Kingdom saw 1,405 electricity thefts in February — EMRC – Jordan Times

Mar 04,2020 AMMAN — The Energy and Minerals Regulatory Commission (EMRC) announced on Tuesday that its personnel documented a total of 937 electricity thefts in February, with electricity distribution companies detecting 468 thefts, totalling 1,405 cases. In a statement sent to The Jordan Times, EMRC Chief Commissioner Farouq Hiyari said that 577 thefts were registered […]

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‘Plans under way to improve summer water supply’ – Jordan Times

Mar 12,2020 AMMAN — The government has no plans to raise the prices of water in 2020 or 2021 despite the increase in costs, Water Minister Raed Abul Saud said on Thursday. In a ministry statement carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, Abul Saud said that the ministry is implementing several projects to secure […]

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Project to combine saltwater, solar energy to vegetate arid Aqaba lands – Jordan Times

Mar 03,2020 AMMAN — On Monday, an agreement was signed in Amman between the Sahara Forest project and the Aqaba Development Corporation, the development branch of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), in the presence of ASEZA Chief Commissioner Naif Bakhit and Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen. The agreement includes transferring Red Sea water […]

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Egypt launches project to plant mangrove trees along Red Sea coast – Egypt Independent

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm Egypt has announced an ambitious plan to expand mangrove forests by launching the largest mangrove planting project along the Red Sea, according to Sayyed Khalifa, director of the mangrove forestry project in the Governorate. The project is funded by the Ministry of Scientific Research, in cooperation with the ministries of […]

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Israelis find the secret to killing deadly algae blooms – Haaretz

Toxic blankets of cyanobacteria and dinoflagellates are choking the world’s seas and lakes. One company, BlueGreen Water Technologies, has a solution and it’s affordable and environmental to boot Ruth Schuster | Feb. 27, 2020 Four billion years ago, something in the primordial ooze came alive. The first creatures may have been capable of photosynthesis: harvesting […]

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Neglect turns nature reserve in Israel into garbage dump – Haaretz

The reserve near the city of Rehovot has a wide selection of tropical trees and wild flowers Zafrir Rinat | Feb. 28, 2020 The nature reserve Hashita Hamalbina (also known as Acacia Albida) is a small natural treasure on the outskirts of Rehovot. All the authorities agree it should be protected, but by the time […]

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Aquatic-themed cartoons draw attention to plastic pollution in Aqaba – Jordan Times

By Sean Matthews – Feb 28,2020 The French Institute of Jordan is providing an exhibit space in its mezzanine-level library for the Jordanian Cartoonist Association to use cartoons to draw attention to the Kingdom’s environmental issues (Photo by Sean Matthews) AMMAN — The French Institute of Jordan (IFJ) is currently hosting an exhibition of the […]

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Environment Ministry tightens enforcement of biodegradable plastic bag regulations – Jordan Times

By Maria Weldali AMMAN — Environment Minister Saleh Kharabsheh on Wednesday stressed that plastic bags must meet the standards of Jordanian regulations issued in 2017, highlighting the ministry’s efforts in cooperation with the Jordan Chamber of Industry (JCI) to identify alternative eco-friendly bags. The 2017 regulations prohibit the use and production of all black plastic […]

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Israeli scientist finds microplastics in milk -YNET

A simple experiment reveals once again that small fragments of plastic have become ubiquitous in the environment and can even be found in many everyday consumer products Dominik Doehler, ZAVIT* Environment and Science News Agency | Published: 02.29.20 An Israeli scientist has found the presence of tiny plastic particles in three different kinds of milk, […]

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Water Ministry urges caution as King Talal Dam overflows – Jordan Times

Mar 01,2020 – AMMAN — The Ministry of Water and Irrigation on Sunday announced that King Talal Dam has overflowed after reaching its full water storage capacity of 75 million cubic metres (mcm) for the first time this year. The ministry cautioned citizens near the Jordan Valley and King Abdullah Canal against going near low-lying […]

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National water project faces changes: Inside the efforts to refill Israel’s dwindling Lake Kinneret – Haaretz

A new pipeline will hopefully provide a solution for years when the water levels in the Sea of Galilee go down Zafrir Rinat | Feb. 24, 2020 | 7:54 PM The main reservoir along the National Water Carrier, in Galilee’s Beit Netofa Valley, is in the midst of a major transformation. A large new pipeline […]

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