JNF forest official: Ground was exceptionally dry after long, hot summer and lack of winter rain. By DPA The wildfire that devastated large swathes of land in northern Israel and killed 42 people, was a consequence of a climate change, a forestry expert said on Thursday. “This fire had a a strength we’ve never seen […]

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The sad truth is we don’t really need to verify the facts, because we all know the truth: the Arabs burned down the Carmel. By Sayed Kashua That’s it, I’m quitting smoking. I’ve tried unsuccessfully for years to kick the detestable habit. Blood pressure, headaches, chest pain, and faltering health − none of these factors […]

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Wave of nationalistically motivated arson cases in recent days deserves attention Yoaz Hendel Published: 12.09.10, 00:42 / Israel Opinion The incisive debate over the failures revealed through the blaze disaster left the question of potential matches outside the discussion. This time around, the Carmel blaze resulted from criminal negligence, yet the flames gave rise to […]

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By KENNETH I. SWARTZ 12/12/2010 06:40 The Carmel fires were a national tragedy, but they provided an important lesson. Fire-fighting airplanes and helicopters are often seen by the public as an easy fix to wildfires, and provide a boost to morale, but controlling wildfires with aircraft is a complex mission. The challenge for Israel is […]

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Lebanese brace for weekend of intense storms, snowfall at high altitudes By Wassim Mroueh BEIRUT: A heavy weekend storm is expected to lash Lebanon until Monday, ending weeks of unseasonable warm and dry weather and bringing the first snowfall of winter. Despite the heavy rain that battered the capital on Friday evening, Beirut residents took […]

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100 km/h winds and massive rains knock out trees and power throughout the country. After a weekend of storms that contained relatively light rainfall, the havoc-wreaking winter weather pattern that descended on Israel gained strength on Sunday and large quantities of precipitation fell in the northern and central regions of Israel. The harsh weather conditions […]

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Deaths as rain, snow and high winds lash Eastern Mediterranean, bringing months of drought to a dramatic end.’ An enormous storm has battered the eastern Mediterranean over the weekend, causing destruction in several countries and bringing to a dramatic end months of drought. Lebanon, Israel, Syria, Jordan and Egypt were all hit by severe weather, […]

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By Natacha Yazbeck BEIRUT (AFP) — Winds, rain and hail battered the eastern Mediterranean for a second day on Sunday, wreaking havoc across the region as a months-long drought came to a sudden, drastic end. Drought-stricken countries across the Middle East had been praying for rain for weeks when weather conditions turned violent at the […]

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Water security, namely the ability of governments to secure a sustainable water supply for their populations, is becoming increasingly questionable in the Levantine countries of the Middle East. Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Turkey, the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel not only share a history of conflict but also a challenging, mostly arid climate, and scarce water […]

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By EHUD ZION WALDOKS 11/29/2010 03:40 Efforts to reduce emissions will focus on green building, energy efficiency and clean technologies. The cabinet approved on Sunday a proposal to spend NIS 2.2 billion over the next 10 years to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. According to the decision, efforts to reduce emissions will focus on green building, […]

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By JPOST EDITORIAL 12/01/2010 06:39 End goal must be sustainable, cleverly managed water economy, in which authorities both act now and plan for future to meet a reality where rainfall may very well never equal what it once did. The lack of rain these past few weeks has been obvious, with this past month being […]

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By EHUD ZION WALDOKS 11/23/2010 01:54 Calls for boosting the output of existing solutions; Ongoing lack of rainfall leads to deficit of 400-600 million cu.m. per year; Knesset inaugurates water lobby. Both Water Authority head Prof. Uri Shani and Mekorot CEO Ido Rosolio confirmed to The Jerusalem Post on Monday that the emergency plan they […]

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Rain seems to elude the Kingdom, although traditionally the wet season will have started quite some time ago. Unless the weather changes, the country could be facing a worrisome development: acute lack of water, not only for agricultural but also for domestic use, a fear that never really leaves countries poor in this precious commodity. […]

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By Hana Namrouqa AMMAN – Challenges facing water utilities across the region will come under the spotlight today in the opening of the first Arab Water Week. Organised by the Arab Countries Water Utilities Association (ACWUA) in cooperation with the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, the event will gather 400 water experts and decision makers […]

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By EHUD ZION WALDOKS 12/02/2010 03:05 Commission meets in Cancun to negotiate parameters for cutting emissions; Israel is making an effort to cut emissions by 20% by 2020. If only big or rich countries are compelled to cut their emissions, these reductions still won’t be enough to retard climate change, Shuli Nezer, the Environmental Protection […]

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By Hana Namrouqa AMMAN – The Ministry of Water and Irrigation is currently drafting an emergency water plan in light of an “unprecedented absence of rain”, a government official said on Wednesday. Minister of Water and Irrigation Mohammad Najjar has instructed the Water Authority of Jordan and the Jordan Valley Authority to draft an emergency […]

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Unusually dry autumn and poor infrastructure leading to water ‘crisis’ experts say By Tamara Qiblawi Friday, December 03, 2010 Steep water shortage takes toll on economy BEIRUT: While Lebanon’s beach-goers bask in the sun of a clear skied autumn season, many potable water tanks in neighborhoods throughout the country are hollowing out and families are […]

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Mohamad Ali Harissi Agence France Presse BEIRUT: As Europe shivers under freezing temperatures, unusually balmy weather and a lack of rain or snow have spelled disaster for Lebanon’s farmers and ski resorts. “The delayed rainfall is threatening some of our major springs, in which water is becoming increasingly scarce,” said Fouad Hashwa, the dean of […]

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By Raed Omari AMMAN – Despite the lack of rain and a serious water shortage, it is still too early to declare a water-related state of emergency, a senior official from the Jordanian Farmers Union (JFU) said. JFU President Ahmad Faour told The Jordan Times over the phone yesterday that it is still uncertain whether […]

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By EHUD ZION WALDOKS 12/05/2010 03:02 The 50,000 dunams that have been consumed by flames represent just under half of the 115,000 dunam Carmel forest reserve. Officials said Saturday that it could take dozens of years for all of the area destroyed by the fire to be rehabilitated. The 50,000 dunams that have been consumed […]

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