By Hana Namrouqa – Jul 18,2016 TANGIER, Morocco — Over 2,000 participants from the Mediterranean basin convened in Tangier on Monday to formulate new ideas to combat climate change in an endangered region. At the MedCOP22 2016 Mediterranean Climate Conference, participants from 23 countries in the Mediterranean basin called for action, and to reinforce the […]

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Jul 10,2016 AMMAN — Jordan marks World Population Day on Monday, which is held this year under the theme “investing in teenage girls”, the Department of Statistics (DoS) said on Sunday. World Population Day seeks to raise awareness of population issues and their relation to development. The Kingdom’s population has doubled 10 times since the […]

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Records smashed as extreme temperatures hit the region. Iran, Iraq and northern portions of the Arabian Peninsula are experiencing what can only be described as a summer heatwave. Now a heatwave is defined as a prolonged period of extremely hot weather. As summer weather in much of the region is always ‘extremely hot’, it could […]

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By MICHELLE MALKA GROSSMAN 07/12/2016 The structure, comparable in height to an 80-storey building, is now under construction in Plot B of the ambitious Ashalim Solar Field 35 km. south of Beersheba. When one thinks of “solar power,” one envisions an array of photo-voltaic cells stretching to the horizon. However, if all goes according to […]

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By Omar Obeidat – Jul 19,2016 AMMAN — Authorities uncovered 13,291 cases of electricity theft during the first half of this year, according to Energy and Minerals Regulatory Commission (EMRC) Chief Commissioner Farouq Hiyari. Hiyari told The Jordan Times over the phone on Monday that the number of violations registered by the EMRC across the […]

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It appears that works on the light rail polluted a section of the river between Tel Aviv and Ramat Gan, and thousands of the endangered bleak have floated, dead, to the surface, where birds are eating their corpses; company responsible for construction has halted building and will investigate. Itay Blumental & Erez Erlichman|Published: 16.07.16 Thousands […]

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By Hana Namrouqa – Jul 16,2016 – AMMAN — Dodging pickup trucks and buses spewing black smoke is the primary concern of Lama Nassar when she drives. Leaving her car windows open to enjoy the summer breeze is a luxury she can’t afford in the busy streets of Amman, said Nassar, who is forced to […]

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Two additional articles from “This Week in Palestine” special issue on water, supplementing the previous 10 postings from this source. Full issue available for download from website of “This Week in Palestine”. note: as in all cases of this resource, sharing does not mean endorsement.

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By: Lamya Hussain Tensions over water have continuously been a feature of the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories since 1967. They are not unique to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; rather, the struggle to access clean water is a regional and global phenomenon whereby “water wars” have been the crux of protracted conflict and violence for […]

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By: Maria C. Khoury It is almost a miracle when you manage to make beer without a guarantee that you will have running water most days of the week. Since Amnesty International’s 2009 report on water shortage in Palestine, you may be aware of this issue and its effect on local farming. But the issue […]

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By: Hind Khoury Palestine lies in a desert area of the world and historically has been a parched land where water has been and continues to be the genuine source and essence of life. Hence it is no coincidence that water has significant symbolism for the monotheistic faiths, for water is a source of life […]

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pdf download at http://thisweekinpalestine.com/the-establishment-of-the-water-sector-regulatory-council/ has important tables not in this version. The Establishment of the Water Sector Regulatory Council By: Mohammad Said Al Hmaidi The water sector in Palestine faces many challenges, among them insufficient water availability, consumer orientation, lack of transparency and accountability, underinvestment in maintenance and infrastructure, and lack of cooperation between key […]

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Shaddad-Attili In the midst of the disappointing lack of vision in Palestine today, Dr. Shaddad Attili represents a ray of hope. A geologist by training, Dr. Attili is an internationally regarded activist and expert on the issue of water rights. He holds a master’s degree in industrial geology from Al Yarmouk University (Jordan) and a […]

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By: June Kunugi and Gregor von Medeazza ♦ European Union, UNICEF, PWA, and CMWU are close to finalizing construction of a € 10 million seawater desalination plant. In Gaza, there is a perfect storm, and it is underground. The shallow coastal aquifer, historically the main source of water for the population, is being over-extracted for […]

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By: Abeer Al Butmah Springs in Palestine have remained the single largest water source for domestic consumption for Palestinians in areas not connected to pipelines and are a significant source for irrigation and for watering livestock. The springs’ total discharge from the three West Bank aquifers is around 39 MCM, excluding the discharge of 100 […]

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By: Ayman Rabi Natural springs in Palestine have been historically the main source that provides life to people, land, and habitat. Many villages and towns were built and flourished around springs, and some of these springs are even today the main source of life for major cities such as Jericho. There used to be two […]

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By: Camilla Corradin and Abeer Abu Shawish As the Israeli blockade enters its tenth year, Gaza’s taps run drier and drier. The illegal Israeli blockade that inflicts collective punishment on 1.8 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip also means that houses lack the most essential items needed to provide clean water: pumps to abstract water; […]

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By: Jamil Dababat I have visited the Dead Sea many times, and each time I have stood at the same place and observed that the water is receding. The Dead Sea is shrinking. This body of water has been “dead” for thousands of years. It acquired its name from its high salt concentration; with a […]

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By: Clemens Messerschmid The water malaise in Gaza long ago became chronic and legendary, but if we want to understand the deeper causes of this disaster that is unfolding before our eyes, we must go back deeper into the past and look at factors seemingly unrelated to water. It is hard to believe, but in […]

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The full issue on Water of This Week in Palestineis available for download in pdf at http://thisweekinpalestine.com/ Posts for individual stories follow. (Environment and Climate in the Middle East, editor) Editor Message – Special Issue on Water – This Week in Palestine By: Tina Basem In this issue you will be enlightened about the water […]

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