From orderly rows of solar panels in a field in the West Bank to the chaotic rooftops of Gaza, Palestinians are hoping that harnessing the energy of the sun can reduce their dependence on Israel for electricity. The West Bank only gets around three-quarters of the power its 3 million people need, imported mostly from […]

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Egypt has long relied on environmentally taxing fossil fuels. Over 90% of electricity is generated from oil and natural gas, and the country subsidizes fossil fuels, making them a cheap option for its 96 million citizens. However, Egypt’s government plans to change courses and put itself on the clean energy map with the inauguration of […]

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Aug 09,20180 AMMAN — Jordan and Egypt on Thursday signed amending agreements on the sale and purchase of natural gas, under which Amman will import from Cairo 10 per cent of its needs of natural gas to generate electricity. In a press statement, following the signing ceremony and a meeting with Egyptian counterpart Tarek El […]

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A Goodwill Gesture over Electricity Sows Discord in Lebanon It was supposed to be a goodwill gesture from an energy company in Turkey. This summer, the Karadeniz Energy Group lent Lebanon a floating power station to generate electricity at below-market rates to help ease the strain on the country’s woefully undermaintained power sector. Instead, the […]

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Lebanon’s ministries of interior, energy and economy stressed on Tuesday that efforts will be “coordinated” and electricity meters will be installed next year to prevent “fraud” by private generator owners. In a joint press conference on the recent crisis, Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq said the main goal was to “protect the rights of consumers. Our […]

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Dashty Ali Every day litres of waste water and even sewage end up in the rivers and lakes, that are the main source of drinking water for one of Iraqi Kurdistan’s biggest cities. 18.07.2018 | Sulaymaniyah It is as if the government was bombing Halabja with chemical weapons every day, says Salih Najib Majid, an […]

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22 July 2018 Lebanon has for decades struggled with daily power cuts that leave residents sweating through their shirts summer after sticky summer. The bankrupt national power company, unable to build new power plants, has been buying electricity from Turkish barges docked off-shore. Last week, Lebanon received its third floating power station — the 235-megawatt […]

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By Suzanna Goussous – Jul 25,2018 AMMAN — The Professional Associations Council on Wednesday organised a demonstration in Irbid, protesting the ongoing construction work on the Israeli pipeline in Jordan, through which supplies are expected to begin in 2020, according to official sources. Jordan is currently building a 65-kilometre pipeline which will link Jordan’s north […]

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Flora, fauna and nature reserves stand to be harmed by Leviathan field off the Dor Beach coast, Prof. Rick Steiner says Zafrir Rinat Jul 30, 2018 10:07 PM One of the world’s leading experts on the environmental consequences of gas and oil pollution, Prof. Rick Steiner, is warning of the risks posed by erecting a […]

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Proposals for addressing environment, health pollution caused by cesspit revealed by Amman mayor By Hana Namrouqa – Jul 25,2018 AMMAN — The technical committee tasked with putting forward proposals for addressing the environment and health pollution caused by Rusaifeh’s so-called “Pepsi pool” recommended micro-tunneling as the method to drain the pool’s wastewater into Zarqa River. […]

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Due to be discussed by planning panel on Tuesday, scheme to build 4,500 housing units in Reches Lavan in city’s southwest would destroy ancient natural springs, parks officials warn Zafrir Rinat | Jul. 23, 2018 Environmental organizations are opposing a massive housing construction plan southwest of Jerusalem, slated to be discussed Tuesday by the municipal […]

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Joint Parliamentary Committees Pass Laws Protecting Anti-Corruption Whistleblowers, Solid Waste Management by Naharnet Newsdesk The joint parliamentary committees approved enacting two laws on Thursday on the protection of anti-corruption whistleblowers and a draft on solid waste management after MPs Paula Yacoubian, Sami Gemayel and Elias Hanksh walked out of the meeting following a dispute over […]

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Lebanese environmentalists on Saturday sank 10 old tanks and armored vehicles to the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea in a novel attempt to attract divers and create new habitats for marine life. Three kilometers off the coast of the city of Sidon, a huge crane on the back of a ship maneuvered the military hardware […]

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Iraqi farmer Sayyed Sattar knows he’ll soon have to let some of his buffalo go as he surveys the herd bathing in a dwindling pond close to the holy city of Najaf. As southern Iraq suffers through a punishing drought, desperate cattle breeders are having to sell off animals to keep others alive. Sattar, 52, […]

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AMMAN — Authorities on Tuesday said they had ended nine major violations on main carriers and underground water in one day in Ruweished in Mafraq and Muwaqar in east Amman. Security forces from the Public Security Department and the Gendarmerie joined the Ministry of Water and Irrigation in morning raids targeting seven separate locations where […]

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July 18, 2018 1:53 P.M. (Updated: July 19, 2018 The “incendiary kites unit” of the Gaza Strip announced on Wednesday that the amount of incendiary kites and balloons targeting Israeli areas surrounding Gaza would increase as a response to the increased siege on the Gaza Strip. The unit, calling themselves the “Sons of Zouari” in […]

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Number of children per woman aged between 15-45 decreases from 5.6 births 28 years ago to 2.7 now By JT – Jul 16,2018 AMMAN — The average birth rate per woman in Jordan dropped from 5.6 births in 1990 to 2.7 in 2018, the Department of Statistics’ (DoS) 2017-2018 health and population survey showed. In […]

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In the waters of the Arabian Sea, a vast “dead zone” the size of Scotland is expanding and scientists say climate change may be to blame. In his lab in Abu Dhabi, Zouhair Lachkar is labouring over a colourful computer model of the Gulf of Oman, showing changing temperatures, sea levels and oxygen concentrations. His […]

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Iraq points to Turkey’s Ilisu Dam as the cause of its water crisis, but Ankara says Baghdad needs to manage its resources more efficiently. June 28, 2018 URL: www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2018/06/turkey-iraq-ilisu-dam-water-crisis.html Author: Fehim Tastekin The world is seeing images of people walking across the much-diminished Tigris River in Iraq. Dead fish abound. Some disaster scenarios even predict […]

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Iraq’s once-impressive Lake Milh used to be a major touristic site near Karbala, but now its vanishing water is part of a growing regional crisis. June 11, 2018 URL: www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2018/06/can-this-iraqi-lake-be-saved.html Author: Wassim Bassem Karbala’s Lake Milh hasn’t seen a lot of visitors in the last few years. Once a popular picnic destination for Karbala residents, […]

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