The Middle East is at the epicentre of five megatrends reshaping the world over the next few decades. These are: demographic and social change, shift in global economic power, rapid urbanisation, climate change and resource scarcity, and technological breakthroughs, according to global professional services firm, PwC. In its report “Middle East megatrends: transforming our region”, […]

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By Mark Schapiro August 24, 2016 Some of climate change’s earliest effects have desolated areas of the Middle East and destabilized regional governments. For local journalists to cover the problem, that requires finesse in navigating the tightly controlled press. “We must be elegant.” This is how a Jordanian journalist describes how she and her colleagues […]

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Fayrouz Yousfi Saturday 12 November 2016 As the world reels to the news of a Donald Trump presidency, you could be forgiven for missing the fact there is a party going on in Morocco, the Conference of Parties (COP22). Morocco is hosting the annual environmental conference from 8–18 November in Marrakech held under the auspices […]

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By Gerald Stang | May 03, 2016 This Policy Paper is part of The Middle East Institute’s Regional Cooperation Series. Throughout 2016, MEI will be releasing several policy papers by renowned scholars and experts exploring possibilities to foster regional cooperation across an array of sectors. The purpose is to highlight the myriad benefits and opportunities […]

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journalist report on “Strongly increasing heat extremes in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) in the 21st century” Climate-exodus expected in the Middle East and North Africa May 2, 2016 Climate-exodus expected in the Middle East and North Africa Plagued by heat and dust: Desert dust storms such as here in Kuwait could occur […]

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Lelieveld, J., Proestos, Y., Hadjinicolaou, P. et al. Climatic Change (2016) 137: 245. doi:10.1007/s10584-016-1665-6 Max Planck Institute for Chemistry MainzGermany The Cyprus Institute Nicosia Cyprus Open AccessArticle First Online: 23 April 2016 DOI: 10.1007/s10584-016-1665-6 Abstract The ensemble results of CMIP5 climate models that applied the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios have been used to investigate climate […]

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Hugh Naylor August 11 2016 Baghdad: Record-shattering temperatures this summer have scorched countries from Morocco to Saudi Arabia and beyond, as climate experts warn that the severe weather could be a harbinger of worse to come. UN officials and climate scientists predict that, in coming decades, the region’s mushrooming populations will face extreme water scarcity, […]

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‘Total capacity of renewable energy projects expected to reach 1,600MW by 2020’ By Mohammad Ghazal – Dec 14,2016 Energy Minister Ibrahim Saif speaks at a conference organised by Edama Association in Amman on Wednesday (Petra photo) AMMAN — Jordan on Wednesday invited expressions of interest in building six wind and solar energy power plants with […]

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Dec 14,2016 AMMAN — Ain Al Basha Forest Department’s patrols over the past two days have caught six vehicles loaded with wood, Raed Adwan, head of the department, said on Wednesday. The department referred the drivers to the relevant security agencies, which also impounded the vehicles as stipulated in the Agriculture Law, the Jordan News […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 12/06/2016 ‘The only hope to move the continent forward is agriculture’ As he stood surrounded by neatly stacked rows of bell peppers, juicy citrus fruits and hybrid strains of wheat, Liberian Agriculture Minister Moses Zinnah marveled on Tuesday morning at Israel’s ability to overcome daunting climate conditions and achieve self-sufficiency. “Israel has […]

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The consistent rise in sea temperatures due to climate change is regarded as the main factor in the disappearance of marine species. Zafrir Rinat Dec 05, 2016 New data on marine life on offshore reefs along Israel’s Mediterranean coast shows a worrisome decline in the populations of many species, including sea urchins, shellfish and snails. […]

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By Mohammad Ghazal – Dec 03,2016 AMMAN — Jordan on Saturday granted licences for solar and wind power plants, increasing the overall number of licences awarded to such projects to 20, Farouq Hiyari, the chief commissioner of the Energy and Minerals Regulatory Commission, said Saturday. Jordan extended a licence to Green Watts Renewable Energy LLC […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 11/27/2016 Gigawatt Global Wind partners Yosef Abramowitz and Ilan Goldstein eye project in Africa. Though still eager to light up the globe with solar energy, Israel’s own “Captain Sunshine” has a new portfolio of renewable energy projects blowing in the wind. American-Israeli solar pioneer Yosef Abramowitz, together with investor Ilan Goldstein, plans […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 11/15/2016 “A year and a half ago when I entered my position, the gas was stuck, the sea was closed and the sector was strangled,” Steinitz said, at a Jerusalem press conference. “We are changing this picture.” After a four-year freeze in offshore natural gas exploration, National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Minister […]

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US, UK and Japan main contributors of grants, cash and in-kind assistance By Hana Namrouqa – Dec 03,2016 AMMAN — The government has raised approximately $400 million from donor countries and agencies to finance the first phase of the Red Sea-Dead Sea Water Conveyance Project (Red-Dead), a government official said on Saturday. The funds were […]

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Agriculture Ministry says weekend rain good for natural pastures, field crops By Hana Namrouqa – Dec 03,2016 AMMAN — Four million cubic metres (mcm) of water entered the Kingdom’s dams between Thursday and Saturday morning, according to the Jordan Valley Authority (JVA). The 10 major dams now store less than one-third of their total capacity, […]

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by Sawsan Tabazah – Dec 05,2016 AMMAN — A university student has launched an initiative to encourage the use of bicycles as sustainable, reliable and low-cost transport means. Khaled Abd Al Nasser, a sixth year engineering student at Princess Sumaya University for Technology (PSUT), said that ever since he started studying at the university, he […]

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The last public beach on Beirut’s heavily developed seaside could soon be squeezed out by yet another luxury resort, raising fears that residents could find themselves living in a coastal city without much of a coast. The fight for Ramlet al-Baida beach has emerged as a new flashpoint between civil society activists and the entrenched […]

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Israeli, Palestinian and U.S. ecological activists are providing alternative, cost-saving systems for vital water and waste treatment. Zafrir Rinat Nov 21, 2016 Despite its relatively centralized location, adjacent to a main thoroughfare near Jericho, the Palestinian village of Auja is largely cut off from utilities such as water and electricity. To remedy this situation, an […]

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After years of complaints from central Israel and serious health repercussions for the Palestinians, a group of charcoal plants in Yabed are shut down by COGAT, which deems them harmful to ‘both Israelis and Palestinians alike.’ Associated Press|Published: 02.12.16 , 11:17 For years, residents of central Israel have been complaining about air pollution from Palestinian […]

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