Najib Saab| The Daily Star Arabs import half of what they need in terms of basic foodstuffs. Agricultural production in the Arab countries faces tremendous challenges – mainly drought, limited arable land, scarce water resources and accelerated population growth, all amid the adverse impact of climate change. However, Arab countries have largely failed to adequately […]

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Nov 26, 2014 AMMAN — The Arab region, which imports about half of its food needs, can boost its food production primarily by improving productivity and irrigation efficiency, in addition to regional cooperation, according to a report that will be launched in Amman on Wednesday. The 2014 annual report by the Arab Forum for Environment […]

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Mohamed Badraoui 10/11/2014 In Morocco, agriculture is a strategic sector, economically and socially. It plays major roles in terms of food security and nutrition, supply for agro-industry, employment, integration into the international markets, stabilization of populations in rural areas, and sustainable development. Main Features of Agriculture in Morocco Food supply in Morocco, which is a […]

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Mohammed Zaatari| The Daily Star NABATIEH, Lebanon: A campaign to plant a million trees in south Lebanon, the “Tree for Every Citizen” project, was launched Monday by numerous associations under the patronage of Agriculture Minister Akram Chehayeb. The Green without Borders, Amal Baladi and Generations for Peace organizations launched the project with a ceremony held […]

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BEIRUT: Koura’s natural resources are at risk of disappearing due to several environmental breaches carried out in north Lebanon, MP Fadi Karam warned Monday, calling for action to end these violations. “It’s as if some greedy people are fed up with watching the Koura greenery, so they surrounded it with projects that aren’t suitable for […]

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Samar Kadi| The Daily Star BEIRUT: Ecotourism, a new global trend that enables people to travel and explore nature while minimizing their impact on the environment, is a big challenge in Lebanon, a country where concrete structures are mushrooming at the expense of green areas at an alarming pace. Decades of conflicts, uncontrolled urbanization, mining […]

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BEIRUT: Health Minister Wael Abu Faour ordered the closure of all unlicensed water companies selling bottled potable water Thursday, a day after revealing that the water they supplied was contaminated and carried traces of sewage, ministerial sources told The Daily Star. “Regardless of the quality of water being supplied and whether we have tested that […]

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Israel needs to see the Palestinians — including the Gazans — as an asset as they strive to join the regional power grid, the Quartet’s energy adviser tells Haaretz. By Avi Bar-Eli | Nov. 21, 2014 Ariel Ezrahi, the energy adviser to Quartet representative Tony Blair, is no politician, but he can’t help but provide […]

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Additional tension at the Al-Aqsa mosque could sink agreement, Jordanian minister tells the Financial Times. By Haaretz | Nov. 20, 2014 Increasing tensions between Israel and the Palestinians could scuttle a planned $15 billion gas deal between Israel and Jordan, according to a report in the Financial Times. The two countries signed a memorandum of […]

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Israeli gas deal would be largest collaboration between two countries since a 1994 peace treaty, has faced opposition from some senior lawmakers who say Israel should first deliver on peace. Reuters 10.27.14 Jordan expects to finalize a deal next month with Noble Energy Inc to supply the kingdom with natural gas from Israel’s Leviathan field, […]

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Israel signs deal with Egyptian company to supply a minimum of 5 million cubic meters of natural gas over the next three years. Avital Lahav 10.19.14 A deal signed between the Israeli Tamar gas reservoir and Egyptian company Dolphinus Holdings will soon bring to the resumption of natural gas flow Israel and Egypt. The gas […]

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Government says channel, slated to pass through farmland of four Jordan Valley kibbutzim, will not harm land. By Noa Shpigel | Nov. 26, 2014 About 100 Jordan Valley residents held a demonstration on Tuesday to protest a planned pipeline that would convey water from Lake Kinneret to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, claiming that the […]

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Editor’s note: The following article from the Moshe Dayan Center at Tel Aviv University begins with economic policy but then pivots to the analysis of two central issues of regional environmental sustainability: water (and the associated overpumping of groundwater) and demands on environment resources from high population growth. SS IQTISADI: “Egypt’s Economy: Sisi’s Herculean Task” […]

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Tel Aviv University researchers study how to get Israelis to stop littering public spaces. By Dafna Maor | Nov. 19, 2014 Dirt in the streets, debris left in yards, mounds of garbage in national parks and along hiking trails. Why aren’t public spaces in Israel cleaner and what can be done about it? New research […]

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SHARON UDASIN, LIDAR GRAVÉ-LAZI 11/26/2014 A bill to eliminate the distribution of free plastic bags in supermarkets is unlikely to advance in its current form, MK Miri Regev (Likud) announced on Wednesday. “The important proposal seeks to change consumption habits and our behavior, thus reducing the environmental impact caused by the use of a lot […]

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The municipality and residents of Sidon celebrated the long-awaited removal of the city’s notorious mountain of garbage Monday, in a high-profile event attended by prominent politicians and international officials alike. The idea of transforming the dump into a modern landfill and, eventually, a public park has been much anticipated by locals; after more than 40 […]

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Interior Ministry panel recommends adding half a million tons to annual quota; health minister objects because of pollution fears. By Zafrir Rinat | Nov. 24, 2014 A panel of experts commissioned by the Interior Ministry has recommended earmarking large areas in the Arad Valley for phosphate mining, including an area where both local residents and […]

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Editor’s note: highly recommended. About half of the articles below are available on line at http://www.pij.org/current.php?id=82 Thematic articles: Natural Resources and the Arab-Israeli Conflict Environment, Society and Security: Interrelated Challenges in the Middle East by Erzsebet Rozsa Israel’s Obligations Concerning Natural Resources According to the International Law by Nida Kamhawi-Bitar Israeli Gas Exports as a […]

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BEIRUT: Lebanon is facing an environmental emergency which is being compounded by the presence of over one million Syrian refugees, Environment Minister Mohammad Machnouk said Sunday. “We are living in a state of environmental emergency… because of the Syrian refugees who have exceeded 1.5 million over the past years,” Machnouk said at the Conference for […]

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Ghinwa Obeid| The Daily Star BEIRUT: There was a time when Lebanon was well-known for its green spaces, but over time, high-rises have taken the place of gardens at an alarming rate, according to the Agriculture Ministry, which launched a project Monday to reverse the disappearance of the country’s forests. The ministry announced its revival […]

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