Preliminary draft aroused controversy in January when it claimed that babies in polluted parts of Haifa were born with smaller heads. Ido Efrati and Noa Shpigel Aug 05, 2016 A scientific committee appointed by the health and environmental protection ministries yesterday slammed a controversial study on air pollution in Haifa Bay and recommended that its […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 08/04/2016 Emek Hayarden Regional Council, Water Authority spar on best method to convey water to Jordan. As the water level of Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) dwindles to a critical low, area residents fear that the Jordan River’s flow will idle – sparking dire circumstances for regional tourism, a biblical baptism site […]

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Reuters, Cairo Sunday, 7 August 2016 When Egypt announced plans to develop renewable power in 2014, investors piled in, drawn by year-round sunshine and chronic electricity shortages. Two years on, many projects have stalled, hitting confidence among foreign investors Egypt sorely needs. Developers who prequalified for solar and wind projects under attractive feed-in-tariff (FiT) schemes […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 08/04/2016 The legislation aims to encourage individual investment in the renewable energy sector, as an alternative to using power generated by polluting power plants. A bill eliminating taxes on home wind and solar energy installations received initial Knesset approval in a plenary vote on Wednesday night. The legislation, which earned cabinet approval […]

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By Mohammad Ghazal – Aug 04,2016 AMMAN — Four renewable energy projects with a total capacity of 106 megawatts (MW) have been connected to the grid so far in 2016, a government official said on Thursday. Three solar energy projects in Maan and Aqaba were connected to the grid with a total capacity of 40MW, […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 08/07/2016 The Environmental Protection Ministry deployed 15 inspection teams throughout the country’s seaside hot-spots, as part of the 2016 Clean Coast program. As Israelis flocked to the nation’s beaches this weekend to cool off from the August heat, Environmental Protection Ministry patrols tagged closely behind – catching litterers red-handed. The ministry’s Green […]

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Dear Friends and Colleagues, A reminder that the IWRA XVIth World Water Congress (http://www.worldwatercongress.com/) will take place in Cancun, Mexico, May 29 – June 2, 2017. As Chair of the International Scientific Committee, I look forward to welcoming you to Cancun and encourage you to review the thematic structure of the Congress, which is encompassed […]

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EcoPeace’s Marina Djernaes Presents at the United Nations On July 14th, our Director of EcoPeace’s Center for Peacebuilding Marina Djernaes, was a panelist at the 2016 UN Conference High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. Djernaes focused on the importance of finding joint solutions to cross border problems, stating that even though water is not necessarily […]

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Mey Sayegh Refraining from paying water bills pushed Fardous Al Shabbar, the chairperson of the Jordanian Women’s Union in Irbid province, resort to simple techniques that would reduce the value of the bill and encourage citizens in this province to pay their water bills on time. The story started after a workshop to raise awareness […]

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Litani River Panel Demands Closure of Sand Mines, Halt of Sewage Flow إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية A ministerial panel tasked with addressing the pollution of the Litani River demanded Thursday the closure of all licensed and unlicensed sand extraction mines near the river and the halt of sewage flow into the river. The panel’s meeting […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 08/02/2016 Environmentalists fear that Hotels Law will “harm the public.” A highly disputed plan to construct some 27,000 hotel rooms over the next decade received Knesset plenary approval on Monday night, despite the objections of environmentalists. Promoted by Tourism Minister Yariv Levin, the “Hotels Law” is an amendment to the country’s Planning […]

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Every five years, an area bigger than that of Tel Aviv-Jaffa is exploited for building purposes. Zafrir Rinat Aug 02, 2016 Israel’s flora and fauna are quite diverse in relation to the country’s size, but they are rapidly dwindling, according to a report by the Environmental Protection Ministry. The report, prepared for the United Nations, […]

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Despite their support for wind energy, green NGOs oppose plan due to its effect on landscape. Zafrir Rinat Aug 01, 2016 The National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Ministry is acting to enable the installation of wind turbines for producing energy, even in areas designated for nature and landscape preservation. The ministry’s proposal to enable the […]

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By MICHELLE MALKA GROSSMAN 07/31/2016 In statements welcoming Elkin’s selection, environmental groups emphasized the importance of the role and the power that he will have. After two months without an environmental protection minister, green groups seemed to be happy with the announcement that Ze’ev Elkin will be taking on the role. The position has been […]

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By Hana Namrouqa – Aug 01,2016 AMMAN — The authorities have dismantled a large-scale water theft operation, which was diverting and reselling 6,000 cubic metres of fresh water per day, an official said on Monday. An “investment company” had been diverting water from a main source which supplies hotels at the Dead Sea for over […]

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AMMAN — The Energy and Minerals Regulatory Commission (EMRC) on Tuesday said it dealt with 736 cases of electricity theft in July. Chief Commissioner Farouq Hiyari said 452 cases were recorded in the central region, which includes Amman, Zarqa, Balqa and Madaba and is supplied by the Jordanian Electric Power Company (JEPCO). Hiyari said 172 […]

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By Gidon Bromberg and Hilik Bar Israelis and Palestinians often play the blame game on the crucial issue of water. Palestinians scream “water apartheid” and Israelis respond with accusations of a “sewage intifada.” But recently there has been some important progress in the form of an Israeli-Turkish agreement to normalize diplomatic relations signed last month. […]

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Water, air, energy and land are shared environmental resources in the Middle East. As the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis persists and relationships continue to deteriorate at all levels, not only will cross-border environmental problems continue to plague the region, but they will also significantly increase tension among all sides. Water scarcity in the West […]

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Egypt is pursuing closer relations with African states as it seeks to resolve ongoing concerns about the Renaissance Dam, writes Doaa El-Bey “Achieving the interests of all parties and causing no harm should be the governing rule of relations between Nile Basin countries,” Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri said in a statement in Kigali following a […]

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AMMAN — Jordan is working to secure 144 million euros in European financing to improve sanitation and access to water in Irbid, Planning and International Cooperation Minister Imad Fakhoury announced on Monday. The plan is in line with the outcomes of the London donor conference in February, Fakhoury said half of the funds for the […]

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