CAIRO, 17 October 2010 (IRIN) – Small farmer Abdelrazek Basiony, 43, was hoping to use a bountiful tomato harvest to pay off his debts, but his crop was decimated by exceptionally hot summer weather: he got only three tons, compared to 20 tons in a good year. “This year, Egypt had its hottest summer in […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By Raed Omari AMMAN – This season’s production of citrus fruits will be lower than last year and “government policies” will determine prices, a senior Jordanian Farmers Union (JFU) official said on Saturday. JFU President Ahmad Faour told The Jordan Times over the phone yesterday that the recent “unprecedented” heatwaves along with the already “difficult” […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By Rand Dalgamouni AMMAN – The main challenge facing Jordan in the water sector is a distortion in the market, an expert said on Saturday. In a lecture at Al Rai Centre for Research on the Kingdom’s strategic challenges and opportunities in the water and energy fields, former minister of water and irrigation Munther Had-dadin […]

Read the rest of this entry »

AMMAN (JT) – Jordan on Monday signed a $275 million grant agreement with the US to fund water projects in the Kingdom, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. During the signing ceremony, which took place at the US Department of State headquarters in Washington, Minister of Water and Irrigation Mohammad Najjar and CEO of the […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By EHUD ZION WALDOKS 10/25/2010 04:36 Move pushes forward processes already in works, such as master plan for water economy and slight reorganization of Water Authority’s responsibilities. The cabinet during its weekly meeting on Sunday agreed to adopt the recommendations of the Bein Commission, which examined the handling of water in Israel. The Bein Commission […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By EHUD ZION WALDOKS 10/25/2010 04:46 Ministerial Committee on Legislation approves revision to existing regulations. Penalties have been sharply increased for the illegal dumping of construction and demolition waste. Offenders will now have their trucks confiscated, pay double the current fine, and serve triple the time in jail. The Ministerial Committee on Legislation approved on […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By Hana Namrouqa AMMAN – Two-and-a-half tonnes of ozone depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFC), will be collected and recycled from four private and public institutions before the end of the year, officials said on Thursday. Under an agreement signed yesterday between the Ministry of Environment and the National Halons Company Limited, an affiliate of the King Abdullah […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By EHUD ZION WALDOKS 10/25/2010 03:41 As part of new bill nearly all animals in Israel would be accorded protected species status instead of just some animals. While fewer and fewer hunting licenses have been renewed each year for the past 10 years and no new licenses are granted at all, the sport could disappear […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Monday, October 25, 2010 BEIRUT: A biosphere reserve was inaugurated in Jabal Musa, Kesrouan, over the weekend as part of a program to promote ecotourism and to preserve biodiversity in the area. The Jabal Musa biosphere reserve was set up by the Association of the Protection of Jabal Musa with the cooperation of the Italian […]

Read the rest of this entry »

City says recent poll of Tel Aviv and Jaffa residents finds that 68% approve of the city’s pruning and 24% want the trees to be trimmed more than they already are. By Noah Kosharek Anyone who regularly walks on Tel Aviv’s Dizengoff Street between the Habima theater and the Dizengoff Center mall can’t help but […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Asst Prof – International Studies/Middle East; Environment/Policy; North Carolina State, Nov 1 deadline Reply-To: dsethmurray@gmail.com *Assistant Professor- International Studies/Middle East* The College of Humanities and Social Sciences invites applications for a tenure-track position in International Studies at the rank of Assistant Professor with research focusing on Energy and/or Environment in the Middle East. The position […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Date : 19/10/2010 Time : 18:45 JERUSALEM, October 19, 2010 (WAFA)- On Sunday 17 of October 2010, at Ministry of Planning, Mr Dov Zerah, CEO of the French Development Agency (AFD), Dr Ali Jarbawi, Minister of Planning and Administration Development (MOPAD) and Mr Frederic Desagneaux, French Consul General in Jerusalem, signed a new financial agreement […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By MELANIE LIDMAN 10/20/2010 05:18 Delegations from 26 of 33 OECD member states will take part in summit focused on sustainable, environmentally-friendly tourism. Delegations from 26 of the 33 OECD member states began arriving on Tuesday evening for a OECD tourism conference in Jerusalem with a special focus on sustainable, environmentally- friendly tourism. The Australians […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Friday, October 15, 2010 It is interesting that the Blog Action day (October 15th) coincides with the Arab Environment day (October 14th), and as this year’s topic is water it is highly relevant to blog about water challenges in the Arab world, considered to be one of the most water scarce regions in the world. […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Monday, October 18, 2010 Source: Middle East Online PARIS – An alliance of conservationists and international donors unveiled a map of six areas on the Mediterranean rim aimed at guiding policy for preserving precious habitats and threatened species. The 251-page “ecosystem profile” was launched by Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, including the US-based NGO Conservation International, […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By EHUD ZION WALDOKS 10/13/2010 03:31 10m. cubic meters being wasted as a result, says Society for Protection of Nature. The Water Authority has yet to publish guidelines for installing water-saving devices in public buildings despite the fact that the timetable in the law states that it should have done so by April. After the […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By EHUD ZION WALDOKS 10/20/2010 10:06 The Israel Union for Environmental Defense calls for government to cancel grant due to failure to meet terms. The Israel Union for Environmental Defense (IUED) has demanded that the government cancel a grant of at least NIS 75 million from the public coffers to the developer of the Timna […]

Read the rest of this entry »

A short guide to weed through the grains of truth, neo-Bolshevism and mountains of disinformation. By Yoram Gabison “It is unconscionable that the Israeli public be left with just the crumbs from gas profits,” Labor MK Shelly Yachimovich stated last week during a radio interview. Battling interests: Shelly Yachimovitch and the Forum versus Yitzhak Tshuva […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Damage to Israel Chemicals won’t be significant, estimates Meitav analyst. The Ministry of National Infrastructure yesterday almost doubled the royalty fee it collects on phosphates mined in Israel. That affects mainly Israel Chemicals, which mines phosphate rock in the Dead Sea area. ICL will have to pay the state 44.3¢ for every ton of phosphate […]

Read the rest of this entry »

By Walid M. Sadi It is most regrettable that the Amman Office of Friends of the Earth Middle East had to cancel its participation in the “torch run” cycling tour, originally scheduled for October 10 to raise awareness about environmental concerns, a decision taken under pressure from anti-normalisation groups. While one can understand and appreciate […]

Read the rest of this entry »