By SHARON UDASIN 01/17/2013 Project connecting the two seas would be an environmental disaster, green activists warn. While there may be environmental and social impacts on the region, a trilateral plan to construct a 180-kilometer pipeline transporting water from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea is feasible, a World Bank study has determined. After […]

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by Hana Namrouqa | Jan 17, 2013 | 21:43 AMMAN — Addressing environment pollution and poor waste management as well as applying better rainwater harvesting dominate the agendas of national tickets competing for next week’s parliamentary elections. Agendas of the national lists feature some of Jordan’s “key water and environment issues”, while local constituency candidates […]

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Environmental issues are being kept on the sidelines of election campaign, but green groups offer series of new measures that the new government can implement to make Israel more eco-friendly Billie Frenkel Published: 01.16.13 New green-growth indices, green taxation and eco-friendly job offers – these are just some of the measures Israel’s green groups plan […]

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By SHARON UDASIN, MICHAEL WILNER IN NEW YORK 01/17/2013 Israel commits to granting public access to transparent emissions data in acceding to protocol on air pollution release, monitoring. In a commitment to grant the public access to transparent emissions data, Israel acceded this week to a UN protocol on air pollution release and monitoring. The […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 01/17/2013 Fisherman to receive NIS 1 million for 2009 incident in which sewage pipe spilled into Or Yehuda, surroundings. Fishermen at Jaffa Port affected by a 2009 sewage spill will be receiving NIS 1 million in compensation for their work loss, the Tel Aviv District Court announced on Wednesday. The incident in […]

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January 14, 2013 02:01 AM By Mohammed Zaatari SIDON, Lebanon: Sidon’s infamous dump will finally be shut in mid-March, Future parliamentary bloc head Fouad Siniora said Sunday, as a waste treatment plant that he said will set an example for the country begins to function at full capacity. Touring the new waste treatment plant in […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 01/15/2013 Sewege giant to dredge Kishon riverbed, purify sediments to turn polluted waterway into oasis for northern residents. A Canadian sewage giant will be dredging the Kishon riverbed and purifying its sediments in an effort to turn Israel’s once most polluted waterway into an oasis for the country’s northern residents, government authorities […]

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Ulan-Bator mission visits Israel to learn about treatment methods for contaminated water, soil Ynetnews Published: 01.14.13 A delegation from Mongolia’s Ministry of Environment and Green Development is hoping to take home practical lessons from a recent visit to Israel. According to the Environmental Protection Ministry the Ulan-Bator mission visited Israel in late December as guests […]

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January 18, 2013 01:29 AM By Olivia Alabaster AINATA/MEQNE, Lebanon: One hundred years ago this hill at the foot of Mount Makmel in northern Lebanon was covered in vineyards. But continuous rural to urban migration in the years since left the vines untended, and the trees died. The hill was left bare. Ainata, the adjacent […]

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Two arrested during protest against plans to set up cement factory that will increase pollution in Qalansawe industrial zone Hassan Shaalan Published: 01.13.1 Hundreds of Jewish and Arab residents of Shaar Efraim, Qalansawe and Nitzanei Oz protested against an environmental hazard at the Qalansawe industrial zone on Sunday. Two demonstrators were arrested following clashes between […]

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Thirty farmers from Strip visit agricultural expo in western Negev; say there’s ‘more to Gaza than militants and rockets’ Elior Levy Published: 01.11.1 Some 30 Gaza farmers participated in an agricultural expo held in the Eshkol Regional Council last week, despite the hostile relations between Israel and the Strip’s government, run by Hamas. “Agriculture knows […]

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by Khetam Malkawi | Jan 12, 2013 | 21:22 AMMAN — Jordan is unlikely to reduce its birthrate to 2.1 births per woman by 2030, according to a report issued recently by the Higher Population Council (HPC). The report, which analyses population indicators from 2007-2011, showed that during the period under study, the birthrate in […]

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by Hana Namrouqa | Jan 12, 2013 AMMAN – Ninety million cubic metres (mcm) of water entered the country’s major dams over the past five days, boosting storage at the reservoirs to 45 per cent of their total capacity, according to official figures. The major dams now hold 146.6mcm of their total capacity of 325 […]

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Week-long torrential rain storms give Israel’s freshwater reservoir much needed boost; Water Authority expects additional 50cm rise from snowfall Ynet Published: 01.11.13 Lake Kinneret enjoyed a robust six-day period resulting in a massive rise of nearly a meter, the Water Authority said. The weather system which brought a week-long rain storm to Israel has caused […]

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Petra | Jan 12, 2013 | 21:27 AMMAN — The Ministry of Municipal Affairs will hold accountable municipalities and joint service councils that failed to perform their duties during last week’s blizzard. Minister Mahir Abul Samin said this would be done in accordance with reports from governors and other specialised committees that monitored municipalities’ work. […]

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by Taylor Luck | Jan 12, 2013 | 21:21 AMMAN — Dozens of activists demonstrated in several cities on Friday to protest against what they called a “poor response” by officials to last week’s winter weather. Under the slogan “Your corruption is drowning us,” tens of activists hit the streets in Zarqa, Tafileh, Maan and […]

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Sabrina Ghazal Fri, 11/01/2013 A new minister of environment was appointed last week, and according to two major environmental experts, he could be the best the country ever had. Khaled Mohamed Fahmy Abdel Aal was appointed new minister for environmental affairs last Sunday by Prime Minister Hesham Qandil. Abdel Aal swore in to his new […]

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Research finds tens of thousands of olive trees planted in Israel’s arid areas environmentally beneficial Billie Frenkel Published: 01.12.13 The planting of ten of thousands of olive trees in arid areas in Israel have proved highly beneficial, according to a study which said the trees provide shade for animals, purge the air and even produce […]

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Rana Khaled Sun, 13/01/2013 Famous worldwide for its high nutritional values and medicinal properties, the Moringa tree is mostly unknown in Egypt. In an attempt to make use of this miracle plant on a wide scale, researchers are considering the possibility of mixing extracts of the tree with subsidized bread to improve Egyptian public health. […]

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by Hana Namrouqa | Jan 09, 2013 AMMAN — More than 44 million cubic metres (mcm) of water flowed into the country’s major dams over the past 24 hours, according to the Ministry of Water and Irrigation. Storage at the reservoirs went up from 62mcm on Tuesday morning to 105.5mcm by Wednesday morning, the ministry’s […]

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