Approximately 40 to 60 percent of the region’s waste water is discharged into the sea when it could be stored and reused for other purposes, according to ARCADIS’ 2014 Middle East Aquifer Recharge report. “The region should use treated sewage effluent (TSE) as the precious resource it is and stop thinking of it as waste […]

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06 November 2014 In a step towards mechanizing the collection and disposal of solid waste, the Director of UNRWA Operations in Jordan, Roger Davies, has launched seven mini-compactors in Marka and Zarka camps. This pilot initiative aims at improving waste management in both camps, where it is currently conducted manually by sanitation laborers using wheelbarrows […]

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Like his predecessors, Amir Peretz, who resigned yesterday, could not stand up to more powerful ministries and did not galvanize the public around a critical issue. By Zafrir Rinat | Nov. 10, 2014 Ten different ministers for environmental protection in two decades is a gloomy record, indicating that ministers serve for two years on average. […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 11/09/2014 Up until recently, about 40,000 Beduin community members in the region – which spreads from Beersheba to Arad –have lived without trash cans and proper waste disposal systems. Marking the first time that the state is funding waste collection from the country’s Beduin villages, Environmental Protection Ministry officials will inaugurate a […]

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Cities say cumbersome and inefficient bureaucracy to blame. By Zafrir Rinat | Nov. 10, 2014 Although garbage recycling is taking hold in more and more communities, many local authorities and waste industry professionals are complaining about the cost and bureaucracy involved, and are demanding that cities be allowed to run these operations, rather than the […]

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Mariam Al Jaajaa 10/11/2014 The Million Tree Campaign (MTC) is a grassroots movement for food security designed to bolster Palestinian farmers’ ties to their land through large scale tree planting. The campaign is a program of the Arab Group for the Protection of Nature (APN), a non-profit organization established in 2003 to strengthen the capacity […]

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by Hana Namrouqa | Nov 05, 2014 64 forest fires were registered in the Kingdom last year, damaging 5,615 trees, according to Jordan’s Statistical Yearbook 2013 (Petra file photo) AMMAN — The number of forest fires in the Kingdom increased by 13 per cent in 2013 compared to 2012, with a total of 64 wildfires […]

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BEIRUT: A reforestation project will be launched next month with a goal of planting 40 million trees across Lebanon, Agriculture Minister Akram Chehayeb announced Monday. “A 40 million tree-project will be launched next month in the governmental palace during the national conference to celebrate Tree Day,” Chehayeb said after meeting with the administrative committee of […]

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Improving water supply in agriculture by introducing agricultural management practices able to satisfy the sector’s needs through a more efficient use of water and the use of waste water for irrigation is the objective of European project ACCBAT, coordinated by the Institute for university cooperation (Icu) in Rome, at the center of a conference that […]

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Arab ministers in charge of environmental affairs will hold their 26th session in Jeddah starting Sunday. More than 30 regional and international non-government environment organizations will also attend the meeting. Abdulaziz Al-Jasser, chairman of the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment (PME), said the ministers would discuss a number of important issues including the increasing desert […]

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Organization says it won’t renew 50-year-old agreement that let government manage land spread over 12% of the country. By Nimrod Bousso | Oct. 31, 2014 The Jewish National Fund’s board voted late on Wednesday not to renew a half-century old agreement governing its relations with the Israeli government, a move that means the organization will […]

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BEIRUT: The Naameh waste dump will be shut by April 2015 and its garbage transformed into energy to provide power to nearby areas, Environment Minister Mohammad Machnouk said Friday. “The Naameh landfill was supposed to be closed on Jan. 17 [2015], but we will give it a few more weeks if needed,” Machnouk said in […]

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BEIRUT: The future of Lebanon’s water sources is bleak with the drought season expected to increase and rainfall to decrease due to climate change, Environment Minister Mohammad Machnouk said Thursday. “Climate change, as everyone knows, has become a major threat to Lebanon’s water resources as well as the communities and sectors which are all struggling […]

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Nov 04, 2014 It never fails to take us by surprise. Every time the rainy season starts and there is a downpour, our streets get flooded, manholes get plugged and tunnels are inundated. Cars, as a result, get stuck, blocking roads and making driving a nightmare, and unfortunate pedestrians get drenched, by rainwater or gleeful […]

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Justices indicate that they will reject environmentalists’ petition against planned roads through woodland. By Zafrir Rinat | Oct. 30, 2014 A public campaign to block the building of a major interchange in the Jerusalem Forest was dealt a serious blow earlier this week when the High Court of Justice indicated it planned to reject a […]

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Environmentalists, local residents object to oil drilling in seismically sensitive area. By Ido Efrati | Oct. 22, 2014 The High Court of Justice on Tuesday issued an interim injunction against construction of an experimental oil drilling rig in the Golan Heights. The injunction comes after the High Court issued a temporary injunction three weeks ago […]

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Comptroller criticizes National Infrastructures, Energy and Water Ministry for significant failings in implementing a portion of government’s decisions and laws associated with energy saving. Advancing energy-saving policies has great national importance but those responsible for implementing and enforcing such strategies are lagging in their responsibilities, State Comptroller Joseph Shapira wrote in his latest report. Reducing […]

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BEIRUT: A study by researchers at the International Monetary Fund does not expect Lebanon to tap its potential offshore gas wealth before 2020, and urges the authorities to apply a prudent fiscal policy before the actual drilling takes place. “Lebanon is expected to become a commodity producer over the next decade, albeit presumably smaller than […]

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Huge impact of natural gas on Israeli economy mustn’t be treated lightly: A monopoly over newly discovered gas reserves will overpower Israel’s economy. Haaretz Editorial | Oct. 23, 2014 The issue of the cost of living in Israel, the future of certain industries and even elements of the government’s ability to govern – the main […]

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by Yusuf Mansur | Oct 27, 2014 The energy debate is ever continuing in Jordan. It is unending and seemingly fruitless. One strategy after another is formulated, yet implementation does not happen, and energy champions (ministers) come and go through fast revolving doors. Meanwhile, neither demand nor supply have improved in a country starved for […]

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