By Hana Namrouqa BERGESH FOREST/AJLOUN – Fatmeh Zaytoun sat under an oak tree in Bergesh Forest on Friday, recalling her childhood spent between the nooks and crannies of the wooded area. And as the sexagenarian baked taboon bread on a saj (convex metal griddle), she vowed that she would not abandon her land and family […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 06/09/2011 23:37 Graduate students from Israel, Lebanon and the PA unite for marine research project off the coast of Italy. Talkbacks (1) Twelve marine and environmental studies graduate students from the Middle East and Europe are taking part in a two-week Mediterranean research project off the shores of La Spezia, Italy, to […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 06/15/2011 05:22 “Israel must emulate European model in monitoring air quality,” is message at Netherlands’ embassy in Tel Aviv. Talkbacks (3) Dutch air quality experts spoke about their air pollution technologies and encouraged Israel to implement its new Clean Air Act at a conference organized by the Dutch embassy in Tel Aviv […]

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June 14, 2011 02:07 AM By Don Melvin Associated Press ABOARD THE STEVE IRWIN: Tuna fishermen battled environmentalists on the Mediterranean, hurling heavy links of chain at them as the environmentalists attempted to disrupt illegal tuna fishing under the no-fly zone north of Libya. The fishermen also attempted to lay a rope in front of […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 06/16/2011 03:24 Israel Oil Co. instructed to begin developing one-billion cubic meter Or natural gas reservoir this week. The National Infrastructures Ministry instructed the Israel Oil Co. and its partners to begin developing the one-billion cubic meter Or natural gas reservoir, just after instructing Noble Energy to do the same in the […]

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By MELANIE LIDMAN 06/17/2011 20:18 J’lem municipality, PMO, Finance Ministry, and Environmental Ministry reach solution to fund new southern landfill for city’s waste. The trash conundrum in Jerusalem was solved on Friday afternoon, after the Jerusalem Municipality, the Prime Minister’s Office, the Finance Ministry, and the Environmental Protection Ministry came to an agreement over the […]

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But questions remain over whether venture can help government meet targets. By David Sheen A group of Anglos are largely responsible for Israel’s first major solar power field, which was inaugurated earlier this week to much fanfare. But while the desert installation is harnessing the power of the sun to the peak tune of 4.95 […]

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AMMAN (JT) – The government of Japan will extend a JD16.6 million grant ($23,500,000) to Jordan under its “Grant Aid for Environment and Climate Change” programme, a Japanese embassy statement said Monday. Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Jafar Hassan and Japan’s ambassador to Jordan Junichi Kosuge are scheduled to sign the agreement for the […]

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June 14, 2011 02:07 AM By Daniel Estrin EIN BOKEK, Israel: The Dead Sea is dying, goes the conventional wisdom: The water level of the fabled salty lake is dropping nearly 1.2 meters a year. Less well known: Part of the lake is actually overflowing, threatening one of Israel’s key tourism destinations.Israel is feverishly campaigning […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 06/17/2011 06:35 Mikve Yair will be the first among the city’s 36 ritual baths to be piloting a special recycled- water system. Talkbacks (1) Women using one northern Jerusalem mivke might now be reentering the same waters that they had enjoyed the month before. Mikve Yair, in the northern Pisgat Ze’ev neighborhood […]

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Environment and Climate in the Middle East received several postings from SafeMed, an EU project. The cover letter and contact information is in this posting. Postings for Lebanon, Jordan and Israel follow. ========== I am writing to you from the Mediterranean island of Malta where SafeMed, a project funded by the European Union is based. As the […]

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Lebanon: Government takes step toward maritime safety [Daily Star] March 31, 2011 by Simona Sikimic BEIRUT: Lebanon has taken an important first step to bring its shipping fleet in line with international standards on pollution and safety, two maritime experts have told The Daily Star. Jonathan Pace and Albert Bergonzo, project officers at Regional Marine […]

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Jordan: The SafeMed Project: A review of the benefits for Aqaba, Jordan Source: http://www.jordanoholic.com/blog/news/aqaba-jordan-safemed-benefits Jordan is one of the Beneficiaries of the European Union funded SafeMed Project being implemented in the Mediterranean region by the Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (REMPEC), based in Malta, on behalf of the International Maritime […]

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SAFEMED ISRAEL Israel: “Israel building up its capabilities well for VIMSAS audit” says SafeMed Officer Israel is gearing up well for an eventual Voluntary IMO Member State Audit Scheme (VIMSAS) audit later on this year. Through VIMSAS, the State will be in a better position to ensure maritime safety and pollution prevention. VIMSAS creates a basis to […]

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By Hana Namrouqa AMMAN – Environmental NGOs on Monday warned that continuing with plans to establish a military academy in Bergesh forest may harm Jordan’s international reputation and status. Being a signatory to international agreements for the protection of biological diversity, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Convention to Combat […]

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June 07, 2011 01:48 AM By Patrick Galey The Daily Star BEIRUT: The United Nations has ushered in its World Environment Day with a stark warning that the continued degradation of the region’s forests could have a disastrous affect on Arab economies. Environmental campaigners added that Lebanon, as one of the greenest Middle Eastern states, […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 06/07/2011 04:13 Jordanian newspaper reports water shortages in Jordan Valley prompt expected purchase this summer. Talkbacks (13) Jordan is expected to buy 10 million cubic meters of additional water from Israel’s Lake Kinneret supply this summer due to water shortages in the Jordan Valley, Jordanian newspaper Al-Arab al-Yawm reported an unidentified Jordanian […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 06/07/2011 05:53 Knesset c’tee approves bill on regulation of water separation systems, collection, reuse of drain water to optimize usage. Talkbacks (3) The Knesset Internal Affairs and Environmental Committee approved a bill Monday morning that would require public institutions to use recycled, or gray water, a committee spokesman announced that afternoon. The […]

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If an enemy missile succeeded in hitting a nuclear power station here, it could lead to a major dispersal of radiation and the exposure of large populations. By Hillel Shuval In this era of growing concern with global warming and the search for clean energy sources, many countries, including Israel, have given renewed consideration to […]

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June 09, 2011 02:13 AM By Van Meguerditchian The Daily Star BEIRUT: A new bridge leading to Sin al-Fil from the Nahr al-Mott area prompted officials from the Council for Development and Reconstruction Wednesday to hold a news conference to defend the project as an improvement in the traffic situation. Project manager Elie Helou said […]

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