How challenging is it to protect the environment in a region affected by conflict? By Peggy Giakoumelos,  13 JAN 2015 With necessities such as access to clean water and food at the forefront, maintaining other aspects of the natural environment can take second or even third place. A group calling itself “EcoPeace Middle East” brings […]

Read the rest of this entry »

RAMALLAH, January 13, 2015 (WAFA) – Palestinian Environmental Quality Authority (EQA) said, in a statement Tuesday, that following the Palestinian Authority’s recent move of signing on to four international conventions on environment, Israel will be held accountable for committing crimes against the environment in Palestine. Ahead of the United Nations Security Council’s failure to adopt […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Jan 13, 2015 AMMAN — HRH Prince Hassan has called for galvanising “efforts to ensure that policies are put in place that ensure and promote the role of communities and end users in natural resources management”. “Anthropolitics, or a politics of humanity, must take centre stage in the Middle East to restore respect for human […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Israeli company AORA to provide solar-biogas hybrid power solutions for rural communities in Ethiopia. Anav Silverman, Tazpit 01.17.15 Ethiopia is aiming to enhance access to affordable and environmentally-friendly renewable energy for its population, with the country’s Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Energy announcing last month that it had signed an agreement with an Israeli solar-hybrid […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Egypt considers gas imports from Israel Oil minister says Cairo continues to mull decision to enter arrangement with Jerusalem in order to end post-Mubarak energy woes. 01.14.15 Egypt is open to importing gas from Israel, its oil minister said in state-owned media on Wednesday, another sign that Cairo may lean on its Jewish neighbor to […]

Read the rest of this entry »

AFP | Jan 17, 2015 ABU DHABI — Falling oil prices could have a negative impact on global efforts to develop renewable energy sources, experts warned Saturday at a conference in Abu Dhabi. Oil prices have fallen by almost 60 per cent since June, crashing on worries over global oversupply and weak demand in a […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Explosive urban growth, mainly in Middle East, China and Africa, is a danger to the planet – unless cities can be planned to use energy strategically, says international team. By Ruth Schuster | Jan. 16, 2015 Cities already consume the lion’s share of global energy and they’re growing fast. Now a groundbreaking new study proposes […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Sunday, 11 January 2015 Director General of the Urban Planning Administration in Makkah Municipality Fayiz Kansarah said the leveling of mountains increases the risks of earthquakes, especially the leveled areas are not utilized properly for development projects, Makkah daily reported. Kansarah said the municipality has started carrying out plans for protecting the topography of Makkah […]

Read the rest of this entry »

In study, use of barn owls and kestrels has led to 50% to 90% drop in applications for highly toxic chemicals. By Zafrir Rinat | Jan. 12, 2015 The use of birds of prey to tackle pest control has led to a marked reduction in the use of highly toxic chemical pesticides by farmers, according […]

Read the rest of this entry »

RAMALLAH, January 6, 2015 (WAFA) – The Palestinian Water Authority Tuesday revealed that 95% of the groundwater in the Gaza Strip is unfit for human consumption, stressing that it is in dire need of rehabilitation. A report issued by the water authority said that the overall potable water consumption in Gaza reached 103.34 million cubic […]

Read the rest of this entry »

EnGlobe Corp. began dredging the polluted waterway last year; will it leave the Environmental Protection Ministry high and dry? By Zafrir Rinat | Jan. 5, 2015 A Canadian company that began cleaning the badly polluted Kishon River, south of Haifa, last year is planning to significantly reduce its involvement in the project. It is not […]

Read the rest of this entry »

AZA CITY (Ma’an) — Hundreds of Palestinians in the southern Gaza Strip on Friday were forced to evacuate their homes due to rising water levels, as winter Storm Huda began to take a toll on the besieged coastal enclave on the third day of its landing. Hatem al-Khur, an official in the Khuzaa municipality east […]

Read the rest of this entry »

EAPC made the headlines in December 2014 after a disastrous oil spill at a southern nature reserve. The trail of companies behind it is even more labyrinthine than its pipelines. By Aluf Benn | Jan. 6, 2015 They are members of one of Israel’s most secret clubs – veterans of the security establishment, local businessmen […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Energy, mining companies holding back investment following regulatory changes hitting natural resource companies, as Natgas decision could set back industry for years. Reuters Published: 01.06.15 New regulation of Israel’s natural gas and mining industries aimed at increasing competition to bring down prices is scaring off investors, putting billions of dollars at risk. The rules, introduced […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Despite reports earlier this week that a state-owned Indian hydrocarbons firm had expressed interest in entering the Leviathan natural gas reservoir, the company has now denied any such inclinations. Last week, Israel Antitrust Commissioner David Gilo announced he would be reconsidering the status of the Delek Group and Noble Energy – the two major stakeholders […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Hasan Lakkis| The Daily Star BEIRUT: A preliminary agreement has been reached regarding the waste treatment file, a source close to Prime Minister Tammam Salam told The Daily Star Sunday. Monday’s Cabinet session dedicated to the issue will be a smooth one that will generate a conclusive solution to the divisive file that had put […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Mazin Sidahmed| The Daily Star BEIRUT: As the debate in Cabinet intensifies over the best means to manage Lebanon’s thorny issue of waste management, two workable solutions stand tabled: the building of new landfills or the establishment of the incinerators. Either option, however, comes with its own pros and cons. The issue of waste management […]

Read the rest of this entry »

BEIRUT: Environment Minister Mohammad Machnouk Tuesday urged Lebanese to be patient as the long-awaited shutdown of the controversial Naameh dump has been hit by delays. “I hope those who were patient for 17 years would understand the situation and help us reach an appropriate solution, especially that [this issue] exhausts all citizens,” Machnouk said in […]

Read the rest of this entry »

BEIRUT: Environment Minister Mohammad Machnouk Monday ruled out of the possibility of managing Lebanon’s garbage sector without using landfills, and declared that the Naameh dump will not be closed on time. “We cannot shut down the Naameh landfill on 17th of this month because no alternative is available yet,” Machnouk said at a news conference […]

Read the rest of this entry »

ENGAGING YOUTH’S RECYCLING COURSE: A SOURCE OF SELF-RELIANCE 30 December 2014 Three internally displaced Palestine refugees from Yarmouk and nine interior design trainees sat around a table at the UNRWA Damascus Training Centre, preparing a wastebasket of recycled magazines. These students were the first batch of apprentices to join a new UNRWA recycling course, and […]

Read the rest of this entry »