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 December, 2024

Facing Change conference highlights climate impact on cultural heritage – Jordan Times

By Saeb Rawashdeh – Dec 05,2024 AMMAN — “Facing Change” conference held in Amman On Tuesday and Wednesday, attracted over 200 delegates, experts and media representatives who listened to local and international presenters about current problems that different cultural sites face due to climate change, regional conflicts and urban development.  Talking about the changed landscape in Jordan, […]

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Gov’t report slams rooftop solar panels as too costly / New buildings must have solar panels – Globes

editor’s note: missed these when they came out five months ago. See related current report on Mekorot. Gov’t report slams rooftop solar panels as too costly – Globes 11 Sep, 2024 Dean Shmuel Elmas A month after regulations made solar panels on newly built public buildings and houses mandatory, a National Economic Council study says […]

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Israel’s first wave energy power plant to launch in Jaffa Port – Jerusalem Post

The Energy and Infrastructure Ministry recognized the project as a “pioneering technology.” By JERUSALEM POST STAFF. NOVEMBER 30, 2024  Israel’s first sea wave energy power plant will launch in Jaffa Port next Thursday to help the country address climate change and transition to renewable energy. The project was jointly developed by the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality, the municipal development […]

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Mekorot expands renewable energy operations with new solar installations

“These facilities are part of a larger strategy to cover dozens of reservoirs with solar installations,” says CEO Amit Lang, sharing Mekorot’s vision for future green infrastructure. By JERUSALEM POST STAFF. NOVEMBER 14, 2024 Mekorot, Israel’s national water company, is advancing its renewable energy initiatives with the recent inauguration of several photovoltaic (solar) facilities installed on […]

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Water minister, Meridiam Suez consortium sign MoU on water carrier project – Jordan Times

By JT – Dec 05,2024  AMMAN — On the sidelines of his participation in the One Planet Summit for water cooperation, held in Saudi Arabia, Minister of Water and Irrigation Raed Abul Saud signed a memorandum of understanding with Meridiam Suez consortium for implementing the National Water Carrier Project. Abul Saud said that under the MoU, the […]

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6th Arab Water Conference addresses critical water management issues – Jordan Times

By JT – Nov 27,2024 AMMAN — The Sixth Arab Water Conference, held under the theme “Governance Toward Achieving Sustainable Development in Water,” kicked off on Wednesday at the Dead Sea area, bringing together key stakeholders from across the Arab world to address escalating water challenges. During the two-day event, Arab water ministers, officials, experts, and decision-makers […]

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Jordan calls for sustainable investments in clean energy at charter treaty conference – Jordan Times

By JT – Dec 04,2024  AMMAN — Representing the conference chair, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Saleh Kharabsheh, Secretary-General Amani Azzam on Wednesday inaugurated the ministerial meeting on the second day of the Energy Charter Treaty Conference in Brussels. Addressing delegates from 30 member states and observers, Azzam emphasised the urgency of advancing a sustainable energy […]

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Minister urges international cooperation to combat desertification, water scarcity – Jordan Times

By JT – Dec 04,2024 AMMAN — Deputising His Majesty King Abdullah, Minister of Water and Irrigation Raed Abu Saud attended the One Planet Summit in Riyadh, held between December 3 and 4. The summit focused on promoting international cooperation on pressing issues including water, climate, biodiversity, pollution, desertification, and drought, bringing together international leaders, the United […]

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‘Jordan’s tourism sector takes major step towards sustainability’ – Jordan Times

 Dec 04,2024 AMMAN — The first sustainable tourism forum in Jordan kicked off in Amman on Wednesday. Organised by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, in coordination with the Jordan Tourism Board (JTB) and in collaboration with the Sustainable Tourism Practitioners Group, and supported by the Centre for the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries […]

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Jordan to save $60m annually with Egyptian LNG agreement – Jordan Times

By JT – Dec 02,2024  AMMAN — Jordan and Egypt on Monday took a “significant” step towards bolstering regional energy cooperation by signing an agreement that enables Jordan to utilise Egypt’s floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs) for the next two years. The agreement was signed in Cairo by Director General of Jordan’s National Electric Power Company […]

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Editor’s note: the blind men and the elephant

Every so often, items from our various sources show the significance of multiple standpoints eliciting different perspectives.  Much like the parable of the blind men and the elephant.  You know the one: one blind man feels the trunk and says an elephant is like a snake; another feels the side and says an elephant is […]

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Arab-Israeli Environmental Cooperation: A Controversial Path to Peace Amid Ecocide – Environment and Development

Mona Khechen  28/11/2024 On August 30, 2024, amid the Israeli aggression on Lebanon, Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced that Lebanon joined the Saudi-led Middle East Green Initiative (MGI), describing the step as crucial, especially for southern border towns and villages that are suffering significant environmental and agricultural damage. The premier added that the destruction of […]

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Cross-border environmentalism in the Middle East – Making Peace Visible

EPISODE NOTES “Nature knows no political borders. ” – David Lehrer On a small desert campus, students from Israel, Palestine, and other parts of the Middle East take classes in ecology, earth sciences and renewable energy. They also debate the hot button issues: history, politics, religion, war, occupation, terrorism, while learning to listen actively, and […]

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Ecopeace Year End Update

We are writing with an end of year update to share with you what the EcoPeace family was able to achieve in 2024, and to express our thanks for your past support that helped make it possible. In honor of this Giving Tuesday, we hope you will be able to continue to support EcoPeace in […]

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Study: Middle East Could Warm by Staggering 9 Degrees Celsius by 2100 – Haaretz

Temperatures in the Middle East and North Africa have already risen 2 degrees Celsius and climate change has barely even started Ruth Schuster. Dec 1, 2024 Parts of the Middle East already face barely survivable temperature spikes in summer and climate change has barely gotten started. Now a new study warns that the region can […]

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Accelerated Historical and Future Warming in the Middle East and North Africa – Journal of Geophysics Research: Atmospherics

Abdul Malik, Georgiy Stenchikov, Suleiman Mostamandi, Sagar Parajuli, Jos Lelieveld, George Zittis, Muhammad Sheraz Ahsan, Luqman Atique, Muhammad Usman First published: 21 November 2024 note: open access https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JD041625 Abstract The present study assesses the climate of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) in detail, focusing on the historical and future warming trends in the region. The assessment incorporates data from observations, reanalyses, […]

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Negotiators fail to agree on UN treaty to curb global plastic pollution – Al Jazeera

As the threat from plastic pollution mounts, countries could only agree to postpone negotiations to a later date. 1 Dec 2024 Countries negotiating a global treaty to curb plastic pollution have failed to reach an agreement, with more than 100 nations advocating for a cap on plastic production and a handful of oil-producing countries only […]

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MESIA DECEMBER 2024 UPDATE

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Qatar to invest $1.3 billion in climate technology in Britain – Environment and Development (Reuters)

LONDON, Dec 4 (Reuters) – Qatar will invest 1 billion pounds ($1.3 billion) in climate technology in the United Kingdom, with engineering company Rolls-Royce (RR.L), opens new tab set to benefit from some of the cash to support its energy transition, the British government said on Wednesday. The announcement was made during a two-day state visit to […]

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Saudi Arabia unveils Riyadh Action Agenda to address land restoration, drought  – Arab News

SYED AMEEN KADER. December 06, 2024 Short Url. https://arab.news/942ax RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has introduced the Riyadh Action Agenda, an initiative to unite stakeholders in tackling land degradation, desertification, and drought.  The announcement was made by Osama Faqeeha, deputy minister for environment at the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, and advisor to the UNCCD COP16 […]

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