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 July, 2023

UAE’s COP28 president lays out plan for ‘brutally honest’ climate summit – Environment and Development

14/7/2023 Countries at this year’s U.N. climate summit must face up to how far behind they are lagging on climate change targets and agree a plan to get on track, the United Arab Emirates’ incoming president of the event said on Thursday. In a speech laying out the country’s plan for the COP28 summit, to […]

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Saudi should ‘review’ emissions targets: French minister – Environment and Development

11/7/2023 Agnes Pannier-Runacher left the world’s biggest oil exporter early Sunday morning after meeting with her Saudi counterpart and French and Saudi business people. Emissions reduction targets can be more credible “when we give ourselves objectives in a short period — 2030-2035 — and therefore do not postpone the subject to 2050,” Pannier-Runacher said in […]

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Four groups bid in latest Israel offshore gas exploration tender – Jerusalem Post

A total of nine companies, five of which were new to the Israeli market, placed bids on Israeli offshore hydrocarbon exploration. By REUTERS Published: JULY 16, 2023 Four groups of companies have made bids in Israel’s latest tender for offshore hydrocarbon exploration, the Energy Ministry said on Sunday. The ministry said the groups include a total of nine companies, five […]

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Iraq moves toward easing its energy crisis with $27B TotalEnergies deal – Naharnet

A multibillion-dollar agreement signed with France’s TotalEnergies could help resolve Iraq’s longstanding electricity crisis, attract international investors and reduce its reliance on gas imports from neighboring Iran, a point of tension with Washington. The $27 billion agreement signed in Baghdad on Monday after years of negotiation marks the largest foreign investment in Iraq’s history. It […]

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Tunisia-Italy cable project part of effort to connect energy grids with Europe: World Bank – Al Monitor

Other North African countries are also interested in connecting grids with Europe. Jack Dutton July 13, 2023 Tunisia’s project to join its power grid to the much larger European electricity network through a 600-megawatt undersea cable to Italy is part of a broader effort by North African countries to connect their energy grids with the continent, the […]

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Gaza Heatwave Ignites Palestinians, Makes Hamas Sweat – Haaretz

A stop-start electricity supply has left Palestinians in the Gaza Strip to face soaring temperatures without air conditioning. While they predominantly blame Israel’s blockade, they are also demanding action from Hamas July 18 2023. REUTERS A heatwave in the Gaza Strip that has sent temperatures over 38 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) worsened power shortages and […]

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Living in ‘an oven’: Heatwave grips displacement camps in Syria – Al Jazeera

Lack of cooling options amid poor housing conditions has left many vulnerable to heat-based illnesses in northern Syria. By Ali Haj Suleiman and Husam Hezaber Published On 16 Jul 2023 Idlib, Syria – Under a scorching sun, Hamida Dandoush sprinkles water on her tent in an attempt to cool it down, hoping to alleviate the high temperatures for herself […]

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‘We cannot work’: Why Gulf summer feels even hotter than usual – Naharnet

As much of the world swelters in record temperatures, spare a thought for Issam Genedi, who ekes out a living washing cars in one of the planet’s hottest regions, the Gulf. Pausing from his work at an outdoor carpark in Dubai, the Egyptian migrant says the United Arab Emirates’ furnace-like summer feels even hotter this […]

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‘Week-long heatwaves likely becoming the new standard,’ climate expert warns – YNET

Dr. Ami Givati says extreme heatwaves will become a common occurrence in the coming years, warns Israel must prepare accordingly; ‘We see that it’s always underestimated and always worsens’ Alexandra Lukash|07.13.23  Israel was struck by a heavy heatwave on Thursday, lasting until mid-next week and while prolonged heatwaves have been rare in Israel until now, […]

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Iraq’s marshes are dying, and a civilization with them – Naharnet

Mohammed Hamid Nour is only 23, but he is already nostalgic for how Iraq’s Mesopotamian marshes once were before drought dried them up, decimating his herd of water buffaloes. Even at their centre in Chibayish, only a few expanses of the ancient waterways — home to a Marsh Arab culture that goes back millennia — […]

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I thought fossil fuel firms could change. I was wrong – Al Jazeera

editor’s note: This site normally confines itself to items specially about the Middle East and the Eastern and Southern Mediterranean. The item below, while on climate change generally, is included here because of the importance of fossil fuel extraction in the region – State owned and private corporations that are active, and the continuing development […]

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One Side of the Coin in Guterres and Birol Climate Rhetoric – Environment and Developement

9/7/2023. Najib Saab the need to stop all investments in fossil fuels, when the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), Fatih Birol, stressed the need for an immediate shift towards renewable energy and abandoning all others. While the call to accelerate climate action is welcome, a successful energy transition requires the adoption of […]

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Mediterranean Environment, Migrants’ Graveyard  – Environment and Development

Najib Saab. 25/6/2023 holding its twentieth meeting in Marseille, on the southern coast of France, the region was witnessing the most terrible humanitarian disaster it has known for decades. A fishing boat smuggling migrants sank in international waters off the coast of Greece, and the sea swallowed hundreds of men, women and children who were […]

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Gov’t greenlights COP28 funds, promises to pass long-delayed climate law – Jerusalem Post

Sunday’s government decision “proves the seriousness” Israel is placing on the issue of environmental sustainability. By MAAYAN JAFFE-HOFFMAN Published: JULY 10, 2023 The cabinet approved Israel’s participation in the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP28, on Sunday and said it would allocate NIS 9 million to its efforts. The coalition also expressed its commitment to pass a climate […]

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Israel’s climate performance doesn’t match its sustainable innovations – opinion – Jerusalem Post

Instead of a rap on the knuckles, let us hope that future reports on Israel’s environmental performance match up to the incredible record Israel has on sustainable innovations. By JODIE COHEN Published: JUNE 24, 2023 Israel had a bit of a rap on the knuckles recently when it came to its environmental performance. While the innovation ecosphere is […]

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UN sounds alarm on heat threat to Iraq’s fabled marshland – Al Monitor 

Agence France-Presse July 10, 2023 — Baghdad (AFP)  Southern Iraq’s fabled marshland is suffering its worst heatwave in the past 40 years, the United Nations warned on Monday, reporting a drastic drop in water levels. Largely arid Iraq is ranked by the UN as one of the world’s five countries most impacted by some effects of […]

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Despite Druze Agreement With Netanyahu, Work on Golan Wind Turbines Has Yet to Resume – Haaretz

The work halt was supposed to expire following the Eid al-Adha holiday, which ended on Saturday night, but the leader of the Druze community announced that the Prime Minister’s Office informed him of its extension Adi Hashmonai. Jul 2, 2023 Construction of wind turbines in the northern Golan Heights did not resume on Sunday, despite […]

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Israel’s underground ticking time bombs – YNET

Much of the soil in the small and dense state of Israel is polluted to a more or lesser degree, and with different chemicals: In many cases these are lands in the heart of cities – close to residences, schools and kindergartens; And what does the state do? Not much; Perhaps the explosion at the […]

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Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability at Bethlehem University Update

10 July 2023 Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability at Bethlehem University seeks a full time Project Coordinator for a 16-months project funded by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF). The project is titled “Science Based Conservation of Wetlands in KBAs in Palestine”. moreat (in arabic and job description in English)https://www.bethlehem.edu/2023/07/07/project-coordinator/ New BACHELOR program in […]

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Graduate degree in urban and regional planning at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology.

an elaborate series of invitations to apply…..

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