Owners of Mediterranean gas field considering $30 billion export deal with British energy company. Reuters 06.29.14 The partners in Israel’s giant Leviathan natural gas field said they had signed a preliminary agreement with British oil and gas company BG Group to negotiate a deal to export gas to BG’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in […]

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By SHARON UDASIN 07/01/2014 ​ Chief foresters from Turkey, Israel and the United States agree on ecological cooperation going forward. Chief foresters from Turkey, Israel and the United States agreed on ecological cooperation going forward at a convention in Rome that concluded in recent days, according to Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael- Jewish National Fund. The foresters […]

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BEIRUT: The European Union and the Agriculture Ministry Monday announced a 1.959 million euro ($2.6 million) EU grant in support of reforestation efforts in Lebanon, especially in those areas most affected by desertification and deforestation. “As a direct result of these forestry actions, 1240 dunums … will be planted throughout the country, and will benefit […]

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Maggie Fick and Shadi Bushra, Cairo – Reuters Saturday, 5 July 2014 In the northwest corner of the Nile Delta, Ibrahim Sharaf Al-Dein fires up his diesel-powered pump next to a murky canal only to watch it spew out a yellowish froth. For the past 15 years, antiquated irrigation systems and a government conservation drive […]

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4 articles U.S. signs water MOU as Moqbel warns of crisis Germany funds water treatment for Jeita Spring Ministers to draft action plan for water crisis Water crisis plan deemed unrealistic U.S. signs water MOU as Moqbel warns of crisis BEIRUT: The United States Embassy signed a Memorandum of Understanding with four regional water establishments […]

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3 articles ‘Ministry revamping, drilling wells in south to meet rising water demand’ Farmers should seal illegal agricultural wells by year end — Water Ministry ‘Projected pipeline to convey water from King Abdullah Canal to Irbid’ ‘Ministry revamping, drilling wells in south to meet rising water demand’ by Hana Namrouqa | Jul 12, 2014 AMMAN […]

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by Emily Harris July 03, 2014 The city of Jericho sits in the hot, flat Jordan Valley down the hill from Jerusalem. Jericho has bragging rights as one of the oldest towns on Earth. But one of its newest homes looks like it might have arrived from outer space. Ahmad Daoud hired a firm of […]

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2 articles Sidon bids ‘good riddance’ to garbage nightmare Machnouk: Sidon project meets international standards – Daily Star Mohammed Zaatari| The Daily Star SIDON, Lebanon: Local residents of Sidon welcomed Tuesday the completion of a yearlong project to transform the city’s notorious “trash mountain” into a modern landfill and, eventually, a public park. “I can’t […]

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by Hana Namrouqa | Jul 05, 2014 AMMAN — The Environment Ministry has rejected a project to establish fish farms in Aqaba due to its negative impact on marine life, according to a senior government official. Environment Minister Taher Shakhshir said the ministry followed up the plan to establish fish farms in the Gulf of […]

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July 6, 2014 As the ongoing tragedy of the Middle East continues to unfold, we at the Arava Institute remain committed to dialogue and cross-border partnerships in order to resolve differences through non-violent means and work together for a more sustainable and peaceful future. As you can see from this month’s blog, our commitment is […]

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This monthly newsletter is issued at a time of continuing tragedies and rising violence on our region. We deplore all forms of violence and mourn together for the so many innocent lives lost. Our response is to pledge to double our efforts yet again in the search for regional peace, justice and sustainability. Conference on […]

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June 7, 2014 I hope that you have a few minutes to spend reading this month’s blog. It is overflowing with articles about the myriad of exciting events that took place at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies in the month of May. The blog covers our academic program’s look at cross border conflicts and […]

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Pollution stems from fuel shortages that have halted work at sewage treatment facilities in the Strip. Reuters Published: 06.29.14 GAZA – When Palestinians in the Gaza Strip seek some relief from the grind of life in an enclave plagued by conflict and hardship, they usually need to look no further than their sandy beaches. But […]

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Danya Chudacoff Last updated: 06 Jul 2014 Water supplies have dropped in key areas due to a sharp increase in production at the rebel-controlled Euphrates Dam. Gaziantep, Turkey – When severe water cuts began to hit Aleppo province in early May, residents started referring to a “water war” being waged at the expense of civilians. […]

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How UAE Water Aid can potentially help 2 billion Muslims Sunday, 6 July 2014 The recently launched UAE Water Aid campaign is aiming to assist 5 million people in desperate need of clean water around the world, but the actual beneficiaries might well be the entire global Muslim population of 2 billion people. This would […]

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Climate changes in the area are expected to cause extreme phenomena like massive flooding and droughts, as well as soil erosion and disappearance of plant life. By Zafrir Rinat | Jul. 3, 2014 Experts attended a Jewish National Fund workshop this week set up to discuss the effect of climate change on the region. The […]

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In an interview last month, Yemen Water and Environment Minister, Abdulsalam Razzaz explained that the country has already devised of a plan which should alleviate water scarcity issues as well as help towards providing electricity. In collaboration with its regional partners, Yemen is set to build its first desalination plan. The project will cost an […]

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by Hana Namrouqa | Jul 02, 2014 AMMAN — Wells and water stations in Karak Governorate resumed pumping at full capacity by Wednesday after power cuts and malfunctions disrupted water distribution, according to officials. The Sultani-Ghweir pipe, the main supplier of water to Karak, malfunctioned on Monday night, according to Water Authority of Jordan (WAJ) […]

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Massive Jerusalem fire forces evacuation of neighborhoods, hospital and Yad Vashem – Jerusalem Post by DANIEL K. EISENBUD Firefighters evacuate over 200 homes in Ein Kerem, Kiryat Yovel before containing blaze; hospitals take in displaced patients. Dozens of fire-fighting units from across the country, including six airplanes and two helicopters, battled for hours Wednesday to […]

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Wildfire rages in the Galilee BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A large fire raged near the Palestinian village of Nahaf in the Galilee region of northern Israel on Thursday afternoon, Israeli media said. Israeli news site Ynet said that the police had evacuated villagers even though there was not any “direct danger” to them, adding that they […]

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