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, […]

Read the rest of this entry »

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 […]

Read the rest of this entry »

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 […]

Read the rest of this entry »

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 […]

Read the rest of this entry »

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 […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Can Water Bring the Political Process to A Safe Shore? December 8th, INSS, Tel Aviv ISRAELI and INTERNATIONAL ROUNDTABLE Event: Water Issues, from Source of Conflict to Vehicle for Regional Cooperation and Stability In cooperation with the global German political foundation, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung – Israel, and the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), Tel […]

Read the rest of this entry »

(editorial) Nov 23,2016 The UN climate change conference, held recently in Morocco as a crucial step for governments looking to build on the Paris Climate Change Agreement adopted last year, was proof that the implementation of the Paris Agreement is under way and that the spirit of multilateral cooperation on climate change continues. Yet, while […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Najib Saad 14/11/2016 Even if all conflicts and wars were to stop immediately, the Arab region cannot meet the target of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 using traditional methods. Many Arab countries have experienced collapse at gigantic scale over the past years, which has largely reduced their hopes to no more than re-establishing […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Najib Saab, Submitted to the Board of Trustees Meeting on 10 November 2016 (Download the PPT Presentation) Excerpts of the report: Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED) is closing its most challenging year, in a region overwhelmed by security and economic turmoil. Although we continue to believe that, after all sorts of conflicts and […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By AMOTZ ASA-EL 11/19/2016 The power-generating canal Theodore Herzl envisioned has become imperative to avert environmental calamity. The Dead Sea, one of the world’s most un-swimmable lakes, joined this week gloried swimming venues from the English Channel to the Cook Straits when a battalion of gutsy adventurers entered its oily waters in Jordan, and emerged […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Since April, northern Israel’s farmers forced to contend with the ‘longest summer in the country’s history’ amid total absence of rainfall; as reservoirs and streams remain empty, farmers are forced to activate irrigation systems; ‘we assume there is a drought every year unless proven otherwise.’ Ahiya Raved, Eli Segal and Tamar Avraham|Published: 29.11.16 , 11:01 […]

Read the rest of this entry »

With the Palestinian population approaching two million, a new World Bank report says that if no measures are taken by 2020, Gaza will no longer have usable water; While Israel provides technical support and advice, new wastewater plants are needed. The Media Line|Published: 03.12.16 As the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip approaches two million […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By SHARON UDASIN 12/01/2016 A statement from the ministry stressed that the office “stands by the goal of reducing public exposure to pollutants and preventing danger to residents in all of its activities.” A number of Beit Meir residents were evacuated on Wednesday – again – this time due to concerns over the presence of […]

Read the rest of this entry »

The first group to offer help to Israel in fighting the fires is Palestinian Authority; some 20 firefighters are sent to help; MK Odeh lauds the country’s coming together, criticizes those seeking to incite against Arabs. Ynet reporters|Published: 25.11.16 , 15:55 Eight firefighting brigades form the Palestinian Authority came to Israel overnight Thursday to help […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Nov 27,2016 AMMAN — The Civil Defence Department (CDD) on Sunday announced that its cadres had helped put out the fires that erupted in several areas in Israel and the West Bank, responding to an official request the government had received, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. The support is part of the “humanitarian and […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By SHARON UDASIN 11/29/2016 Rehabilitation efforts already underway in KKL-JNF forests After a series of fires blazed through the country’s forests over the past week, environmentalists are urging the government to let the earth heal itself naturally, rather than rushing to replant trees. On Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to both rebuild the homes […]

Read the rest of this entry »

‘Winter is beginning later, and the months of November and December have become very dry, with strong winds,’ Hanoch Tzoref of JNF says. Nir Hasson Nov 29, 2016 9 The forest fires of the past few years will only get worse in the years to come, experts warned Sunday. In the Jerusalem Hills area alone, […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Experts predict that the extent of damage caused to natural resorts and forests by the fires could require up to 30 years before a full recovery is achieved; while some wildlife managed to survive the flames, others such as snakes and turtles were not so lucky. Roi Yanovsky and Ilana Curiel|Published: 28.11.16 , 09:36 The […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Experts recommended buffer zones between homes and brush, but plan has been sitting on interior minister’s desk since 2014. Yaniv Kubovich and Zafrir Rinat Nov 25, 2016 A plan to create buffer zones in woodland communities has been sitting on the interior minister’s desk for more than two years, awaiting approval. One firefighting official told […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Fire & Rescue Authority adds more firefighters, establishes a firefighting planes squadron, and upgraded its technology, but what it’s missing is a permanent leadership, as the appointment of the commission and many senior officers is delayed. Meir Turgeman, Roi Yanovsky|Published: 23.11.16 , 12:38 Israel’s Fire & Rescue Authority has undergone a complete overhaul since the […]

Read the rest of this entry »