Pollutant levels in major cities gradually decreasing as more stringent bylaws are enacted. By Zafrir Rinat Oct. 5, 2014 Air pollution levels this past Yom Kippur, when Israelis customarily stay off the roads, proved once again the decisive role that motor vehicles play in the air pollution problem in Israel’s urban areas. According to data […]

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For non-observant Jews, who may choose not to fast or pray, and even for those who do, why not meditate upon the environmental significance of Yom Kippur and how we might change our destructive habits for more than just one day? By Josie Glausiusz | Oct. 2, 2014 I stood on the bima on Yom […]

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Rabbitfish spread across eastern Mediterranean, cause extensive damage to flora and to ecosystem, researchers say. By Zafrir Rinat Sep. 23, 2014 Two species of tropical fish that have made their way through the Suez Canal to the eastern Mediterranean are devastating the ecosystem there, according to a new study that says these fish pose a […]

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Outpost will expand, even though it restricts some Palestinian farmers. By Chaim Levinson and Zafrir Rinat Oct. 2, 2014 The Civil Administration recently approved a plan under which an unauthorized outpost in the West Bank will appropriate part of an adjacent nature reserve, even as it restricts the activities of Palestinian farmers in the area. […]

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This paper explores the rationale for the creation of a proposed water-renewable energy community based on interdependence among Israel, Jordan, and Palestine, where much needed water is produced through desalination on the Israeli and Palestinian Mediterranean coasts and the additional electricity needs are met by extensive investment in solar renewable energy in Jordan’s eastern deserts. […]

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The tragic events of this past month have led to a horrific loss of life and destruction throughout parts of Gaza and southern Israel. EcoPeace/Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME) staff and communities have been directly affected at all levels including two communities that are part of our Good Water Neighbours project, the Eshkol […]

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A new technology hub focusing on the development of off-grid technologies will soon be opening its doors under the desert sun of the Eilat-Eilot region. Aiming to develop products that can provide energy and water to populations not connected to their national grids, the Eilat Eilot Off Grid Hub will provide a testbed for both […]

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by Mohammad Ghazal | Oct 01, 2014 AMMAN — Jordan’s first shale oil-fuelled power plant will be operational at the end of 2018, officials said. The facility is expected to slash the country’s energy bill by $500 million annually as the electricity it will produce will be bought at half the current price, officials said […]

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Residents are concerned that use of fracking in the area could lead to the wide-scale pollution of ground water. By Zafrir Rinat Oct. 1, 2014 The High Court of Justice on Tuesday issued a temporary restraining order, preventing work on an experimental oil drilling site on the Golan Heights. The order came in response to […]

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RAMALLAH, October 1, 2014 (WAFA) – The Palestinian Water Authority signed on Wednesday a US$ 11.7 million agreement with the World Bank with an aim to repair the damages incurred by the water sector during the recent Israeli aggression on Gaza. Under the new agreement, $3 million will be disbursed to extend an already signed […]

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BEIRUT: The World Bank has approved its largest-ever financing of a project in Lebanon, a $474 million water supply development scheme aimed at addressing severe shortages faced by over half of the country’s population. The Water Supply Augmentation Project will be developed over nine years and will benefit more than 1.6 million people living across […]

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AutoAgronom is only full automatic irrigation system which applies water, fertilizers without human intervention, already successfully used with 70 different crops in 13 countries. Anav Silverman, Tazpit News Agency 09.17.14 China’s Yuanda Enterprise Group announced last week that it had bought the Israeli company AutoAgronome Israel Ltd for $20 million in order to expand its […]

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Wars for Heaven Destroy Earth NAJIB SAAB 9/9/2014 Reports of the Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED) have repeatedly warned that demand on resources and nature services by Arab countries is double what the region’s natural systems can provide. Key challenges include food security, water and energy. Arab countries today import more than half […]

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EcoSpirit Middle East Initiative – interview with Ilana Meallem recently posted https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gOTvyZfDXwhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gOTvyZfDXw for more Arava Institute youtube vidoes:

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We have been asked by the editor of Afaq-el-Bee’a wa El-Tanmiya to advise our readers of the e-magaine. The editor writes as follows: “Afaq-el-Bee’a wa El-Tanmiya is a leading Palestinian environmental e-magazine that discusses important environmental and developmental issues in the oPt. The magazine addresses environmental issues and phenomena within Palestinian and the Middle East, […]

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Aquatic ecosystem near Mount Meron headed toward recovery from 30 years of contamination. By Eli Ashkenazi | Aug. 26, 2014 For three decades, the Galilee’s Nahal Kziv has been contaminated by sewage from a village on Mount Meron. But now the effluent from Beit Jann is being directed toward a recently built sewage-treatment plant, giving […]

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Green groups argue that further construction would mar the view at the tourist attraction. By Zafrir Rinat | Aug. 25, 2014 The Housing and Construction Ministry is pushing plans to build more housing on a hill in Mitzpeh Ramon despite its pledges to preserve the landscape. The hill, known as Har Gamal, overlooks the Ramon […]

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According to the Global Footprint Network, the UAE consumes 12.3 times its resources. The UAE has one of the world’s highest per capita ecological footprints on the entire planet. While the nation has a multitude of reasons to be proud of its achievements, this is certainly not one of them. Residents and citizens of the […]

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Rob Bailey The era of cheap food is over. International food prices have spiked repeatedly in recent years – first during the 2008 global food price crisis which saw prices of key agricultural commodities more than double, then again in 2011 following a heat wave in the Black Sea breadbasket, and once more in 2012 […]

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Szilvia Bartalos and Dr Edith M Szivas, SeaStar Consultancy Sustainability is on everybody’s mind and tourism professionals are searching for ways to develop their business in a way that is both competitive and sustainable. One of the questions often asked is whether to subscribe to a green certification scheme and if so which scheme to […]

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