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 April, 2022

Middle East forecast to be worst hit by climate change: report – Environment and Development

20/4/2022 The Middle East and North Africa region is likely to be the first to face the risk of depleting fresh water, with water scarcity projected to increase by 15 per cent in the event of a global warming of 2°C, a report released on Tuesday said.   The report, from the World Government Summit […]

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Third dust storm in two weeks sweeps through Iraq – Naharnet

by Naharnet Newsdesk 21 April 2022 Iraq was hit Wednesday by its third heavy dust storm in two weeks, temporarily grounding flights at Baghdad and Najaf airports, as the weather phenomenon grows increasingly frequent. The air in Baghdad was thick with a heavy sheet of grey and orange dust, while the state news agency INA […]

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Water conservation project underway for King Talal Dam – Jordan Times

By JT – Apr 20,2022 A view of the King Talal Dam in Jerash, some 50km north of Amman (File photo) AMMAN — A water accessibility and conservation project at the King Talal Dam is being implemented by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and Blumont, an NGO that works for […]

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UNRWA’s major solar power project expected to commence in December – Jordan Times

By Dulcie Heyes – Apr 19,2022 AMMAN — Over the course of the next seven months, UNRWA will be putting the final touches on a major solar power project anticipated to save up to “$1.2m per annum”, according to the UN agency. According to an environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) created by Jordanian consulting […]

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In Israel, a Walk on the Beach Is No Walk in the Park – Haaretz

After the success of the Israel Trail and the Kinneret Trail, two Israelis have championed the Israel Sea Trail along the coastline. They soon found out the track is impossible Moshe Gilad Apr. 17, 2022 Moshe Gilad Apr. 17, 2022 It’s a marvel that it took so long to come up with the Israel Sea […]

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The struggle to save Iraq’s last Persian leopards – Environment and Development

22/4/2022 Tying a camera trap around a tree trunk on Bamo mountain in Iraq’s Kurdistan region, brothers Bahez and Nabaz Farooq Ali hope to capture footage of the Persian leopard, of which there are only about 1,000 left in the wild worldwide.   “Our grandparents saw some even during the day,” Nabaz said. Since then […]

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Tel Aviv pilots shade-giving, solar-powered fabric that lights up at night – Times of Israel

The municipality of Tel Aviv-Jaffa is piloting a new, environmentally friendly system designed to provide shade during the day and serve as a lighting installation once the sun sets in the city’s Atidim Park, an industrial area in Ramat Hahayal that is home to dozens of high-tech, financial, media, and medical companies. full report https://www.timesofisrael.com/tel-aviv-pilots-shade-giving-solar-powered-fabric-that-lights-up-at-night/

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Upcycling feces? Don’t pooh-pooh it. Dropping inhibitions can have heaps of benefits – The Times of Israe

Upcycling feces? Don’t pooh-pooh it. Dropping inhibitions can have heaps of benefits In ‘The Other Dark Matter,’ journalist Lina Zeldovich argues that humanity is wasting a perfectly good resource that can be used for fertilizing crops, biofuel and even medicine full article: https://www.timesofisrael.com/upcycling-feces-dont-pooh-pooh-it-dropping-inhibitions-can-have-heaps-of-benefits/

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Microplastics found in half of oyster samples tested at five sites off UAE coast – Environment and Development

Oyster beds off the UAE coast contain elevated concentrations of microplastics, according to a new study that highlights the contamination of the marine environment.   Old fishing gear, shipping waste and plastics discarded on land could all be contributing to the microplastic pollution found in the research, according to scientists.   The study by the […]

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Abu Dhabi plans to stop sending waste to landfill by 2071 – Environment and Development

15/4/2022 Abu Dhabi has plans to ensure no waste is sent to landfill after 2071.   The zero waste proposal, made on Thursday at an online roundtable discussion on Abu Dhabi’s conservation plans, is part of the emirate’s Environmental Centennial 2071, a 50-year timetable launched by the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi.   Officials said they […]

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Cities across Iran engulfed in thick layers of dust, pollutants – Al Jazeera

Tehran was the most polluted city in the world on Friday with air quality hazardous and visibility very low. By Maziar Motamedi Published On 9 Apr 2022 Tehran, Iran – Cities across Iran, including the capital, Tehran, have been engulfed in thick layers of dust and pollutants said to be carried in by strong winds from […]

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Senate energy committee (Jordan) calls for expanding oil, gas exploration in Kingdom – Jordan Times

By JT – Apr 07, 2022 AMMAN — The Senate’s Energy and Mineral Resources Committee on Thursday was acquainted with the oil and gas reserves and “the reality of the Kingdom’s energy sector”.  Head of the committee Senator Saleh Irsheidat said as the Kingdom imports energy products, this could increase the ratio of imported energy […]

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Iraq’s climate conundrum: Oil reliance versus vanishing water – Al Jazeera

The country could suffer a 20 percent drop in water resources by 2050 with nearly one-third of irrigated land parched. By Thomas O Falk Published On 28 Jan 202228 Jan 2022 Despite continuing political instability, pressure from Iranian and US influence, and a resurgent ISIL (ISIS) presence, Iraq faces its most significant challenge elsewhere: climate change. […]

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Iraq’s farmers pushed off land as drought and heat cripple crops – Al Arabiya

Published: 11 April 2022 Until a few years ago, farming in southern Iraq was “as lucrative as oil,” Qasim Abdul Wahad remembers, and his one-hectare farm plot in the governate of Basra produced enough to feed his family of eight. Now dust kicks up under his feet as he walks through his land, after worsening […]

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How water cooperation can provide geopolitical stability in MENA – AlJazeera

The Blue Peace Strategy promotes water sustainability as an asset for political and social peace in the region. By Maghie Ghali Published On 2 Apr 20222 In the coming years, it is thought that water will become a more important geopolitical resource than crude oil with demand set to rise more than 50 percent by 2030. […]

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Abu Dhabi launches ambitious 50-year plan to conserve environment – Environment and Development

6/4/2022 Abu Dhabi has launched a long-term plan that aims to make the emirate resilient to climate change while ensuring a vibrant, healthy environment for all.   The ‘Abu Dhabi Environmental Centennial 2071’ will also include pathways to make the emirate a leader in conservation over the next 50 years.   Developed by the Environment […]

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Despite Bennett’s Vows, Israeli Climate Bill Won’t Help Reach Zero Emissions by 2050 – Haaretz

Israel’s finance and energy ministries oppose legislation setting interim greenhouse gas emission targets, essentially rendering the climate law devoid of content Zafrir Rinat Apr. 4, 2022 Israel’s climate change bill is unlikely to help the country reach its target of zero greenhouse emissions by 2050, as pledged by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, due to the […]

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Editorial | Climate Emergency: Israel Lacks Political Will – Haaretz

Haaretz Editorial Apr. 10, 2022 While the leading authority on climate science has issued a scathing report and made it clear that humanity is on a dangerous path toward destruction, Israel’s finance and energy ministries are raising objections and exerting pressure to fatally weaken the climate bill scheduled for discussion Sunday in the Ministerial Committee […]

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How Israeli-Arab regional cooperation helps fight climate change – opinion – Jerusaslem Post

It’s remarkable that a country the size of New Jersey is able to help much larger countries across the region and beyond. By JODIE COHEN Published: APRIL 7, 2022 Preventing the next terror attack has been at the forefront of most Israelis’ minds over the past couple of weeks. This has overshadowed what should have […]

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Earth Day: How is Israel helping the environment? Jerusalem Post

Ahead of Earth Day, we check in: Israeli environmental NGOs and activists help the world, but how are things back here? By BARRY DAVIS Published: APRIL 7, 2022 There are all sorts of lessons out there just waiting to be learned from the goings-on of the past couple of years. We won’t get into yes […]

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