Early in the state’s history, munitions and other factories irrevocably damaged the soil. So why are we making similar mistakes decades later? By Zafrir Rinat A few years after I began working as an environmental affairs correspondent, I received a phone call from a water expert. He told me what only a handful of scientists […]

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Construction in Israel over the next three decades will require an estimated 290 million tons of sand, an essential construction component, according to a survey conducted for the Interior Ministry. By Zafrir Rinat The Rotem Plain in the south could be Israel’s major reservoir for construction sand in the coming decades. Using sand from Rotem […]

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April 26, 2012 01:32 AM By Stephen Dockery BEIRUT: To grow a tree in Lebanon’s semi-arid soil, roots must be long and dense, and carefully pre-grown in a nursery so a young seedling can leech the deeply buried nutrients from the ground. The fragile seedlings must be hardened during a period of drought before being […]

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April 27, 2012 01:38 AM By Rakan al-Fakih HERMEL, Lebanon: The road home for residents of the Bekaa town of Hermel is lit up for the first time, with the Transport Ministry now putting the final touches on new solar powered street lights in the area. Seven hundred sixty-six light posts were erected along the […]

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Egypt terminates gas deal with Israel Al Jazeera Top official insists decision was not political as Israel says it overshadows peace agreement between the two countries. The head of the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company has said it has terminated its contract to ship gas to Israel because of violations of contractual obligations, a decision […]

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Water distribution programme to remain unchanged by Hana Namrouqa | Apr 22,2012 | 22:30 AMMAN — With the arrival of thousands of Syrian refugees in Jordan and the return of expatriates in summer, the Kingdom’s water supply is expected to face severe strain in the coming months, a government official said on Saturday. As the […]

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By ISABEL KERSHNER Published: April 20, 2012 KETURA, Israel — Arriving at this bone-dry kibbutz in the Arava Desert late one afternoon in August 2006, Yosef Abramowitz, a social activist, Jewish educator and multimedia entrepreneur from Boston, opened the door of his van and was hit by a wall of heat. “The sun was setting, […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 04/20/2012 01:37 Move made in effort to make one stronger green party that can compete in elections out of two competing factions. In an effort to secure stronger political clout on both national and local levels, most Green Party city council members are splitting from their organization to officially join the Green […]

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April 20, 2012 01:40 AM By Eduard Gismatullin Israel’s biggest gas discovery, potentially turning the fuel importer into an exporter, is prompting a race by nations from Lebanon to Turkey to tap similar deposits in disputed waters of the East Mediterranean. Noble Energy is developing the Leviathan and Tamar fields off Israel that hold about […]

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The local authorities of Tamra and Kabul were not told of the alternative to set up the reservoir nearby because the designated area is outside their jurisdiction. By Jack Khoury An Arab NGO warned this week that any decision to set up a natural gas facility near the Galilee towns Tamra and Kabul would endanger […]

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Minister: PA may drill for oil in West Bank Published Friday 20/04/2012 (updated) 21/04/2012 19:31 BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A team of experts is researching the possibility of drilling for oil in the West Bank, the Palestinian Authority minister of state said Friday. Mahir Ghneim told Ma’an that international and local experts started research months ago […]

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HEBRON, April 19, 2012 (WAFA) – The Israeli authorities Thursday ordered residents of Khirbet Umm Sidra, an area south of Hebron, to remove the power grid that supplies their residences with electricity, according to a local source. Omar Jaffal said officers from the civil administration, the Israeli military government’s arm in the West Bank, handed […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 04/17/2012 03:59 The exercises will also examine the IEC’s ability to transfer updated information to its customers, according to the company. The Israel Electric Corporation began a week-long, comprehensive exercise on Monday morning to assess the country’s preparedness for the high electricity demands and power shortages expected during the coming summer. “We […]

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Barrier threatens Batir’s unique way of life – and a 63-year-old agreement with Moshe Dayan. By Nir Hasson Most of the world manages with a seven-day week, but the Palestinian village of Batir lives on an eight-day cycle. The reason is a sophisticated system of allocating water from the village’s wells among the eight large […]

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The introduction of a model water code in the Mediterranean region could contribute to water law reform and promote equitable allocation and sustainable use of water resources. Growing water scarcity around the world means water laws need to be modernized and reformed, particularly in arid regions such as the Mediterranean. Sustainable practices – both ancient […]

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by Hana Namrouqa AMMAN — Hiking trails and biking trips will be among eco-tourism activities offered to visitors at the Yarmouk Nature Reserve starting this year. A visitors centre with a café and a nature shop will also be established to promote products made by area residents from locally grown ingredients, Yarmouk Nature Reserve Director […]

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Planned fence, whose construction is due to start imminently, will cut across the Gishron River, one of the region’s gems of nature. By Zafrir Rinat Environmental groups have asked the Defense Ministry to reconsider the construction of a new fence along the southern end of Israel’s border with Egypt, saying it would cause irreversible damage […]

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RAMALLAH, April 16, 2012 (WAFA) – Prime Minister Salam Fayyad inaugurated Monday stage one of the first water dam to be built in Palestine at a cost of over $1 million, according to a statement issued by Fayyad’s office. It said that on a visit to the village of Ouja and the Jordan Valley, Fayyad […]

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If a host of recent environmental initiatives succeed, more than half of our garbage will be recycled or used as an energy source within a decade. By Zafrir Rinat In much of Europe and some American states, being civilized enough not to leave your trash on the ground isn’t enough – you also can’t throw […]

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Truck drivers from various companies frequently dump their contents in open areas, endangering groundwater and polluting the environment. By Zafrir Rinat The company managing the Golan Heights’ sewage disposal has recently started monitoring its trucks with a GPS tracking device, to make sure they don’t dispose of the sewage illegally. Truck drivers from various companies […]

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