CAIRO, 7 November 2010 (IRIN) – Every year a noxious black smog hangs over Egypt as the seasonal burning of rice straw by farmers begins, and with it comes a surge in allergic reactions and lung infections. The inky haze lasts from October to November; it is a time when hospitals see a rise in […]

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Climate change and its effects on the Middle East – Palestine Note Nov, 10 2010 Lana Abu-Hijleh. http://palestinenote.com/blogs/blogs/archive/2010/11/10/climate-change-and-its-effects-on-the-middle-east.aspx The future of the Middle East is a cause for concern – and I am not referring to peace or politics, but to the many environmental challenges that lie ahead. Despite regionally being one of the lowest […]

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The Israeli water Management master plan- management policy of the effluent system in Israel – full report of the SNI water forum, by Avi Shaviv, Miki Zaide, Tal Goldrath, 2010. Three main issues were discussed during the one-day seminar, in compliance with the water authority master plan work frames: 1) Effluent quality at the treatment […]

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Policy recommendations for treatment of packaging waste in Israel By Ofira Ayalon, Michal Nachmany, Tal Goldrath, Gad Rosental, Idan Dorfman, Michal Grossman, Mordechai Shechter, 2010 The publication itself is in Hebrew. See full document here The purpose of this document, written by the Energy and Environment Team at the Samuel Neaman institute, with support from […]

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We missed noting this event when it was held in March! March 3-6, 2010 Meeting, Larnaca, Cyprus Palm Beach Hotel and Bungalows Background Development in the Eastern Mediterranean region that does not take into account delicate environmental and geopolitical constraints may contribute to further problems that cross national borders. Engineers Without Borders International (EWB-I) in […]

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Volume 15, No.151, October 2010 CONTENTS 4 The road to Cancun (editorial by Najib Saab) 16 Poisons in your cosmetics (cover story) 24 Parting the waters conflicts on Jordan River 28 Sand storms in the Arabian Peninsula ROPME Report 32 Sports for life activities of Qatar’s Olympic committee 34 Impact of global […]

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The Aristotle Onassis International Prize for the Protection of the Environment 2010 awarded to “Friends of the Earth Middle East“ November 4, 2010 Tel Aviv / Amman / Bethlehem “Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME)” is the recipient of the first Onassis Prize for the Protection of the Environment. The official award ceremony will […]

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Beirut, 3-11-2010 500 Participants from 52 Countries AFED Launches its Annual Conference Tomorrow Beirut,3/11/2010 The Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED) announced the participation of more than 500 delegates from 52 countries, among them 30 ministers and presidents of regional and international organizations, as well as 20 foreign correspondents and 50 reporters from Arab […]

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Water Resources Development, Vol. 26, No. 2, 141–155, June 2010. ABSTRACT. All aspects of the fresh water situation in the Middle East and North Africa are underlain by the scarcity of fresh water in the region compared with the demands for it. However, physical scarcity has been worsened by institutions that may once have been […]

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DNA tests confirm that the species is of a type not previously known to science. By Zafrir Rinat A hitherto unknown species of jellyfish has been sighted off Israel’s Mediterranean cost and is being studied by Israeli and Australian scientists. While the sting of the new visitor is less painful than that of the type […]

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How protracted mismanagement reduced the pesticides maker touted as the second coming of Teva to heavy layoffs and, possibly, its sale to a Chinese firm. By Yoram Gabison Just four years ago, tycoon Nochi Dankner put his chips on Makhteshim-Agan Industries, the biggest maker of generic pesticides in the world. Today the company is in […]

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Poor planning and a lack of investment by the government are the responsible for the grim situation that the city of Lod finds itself in. By Hillel Schocken The government is looking for the solution to the problem of Lod under a street lamp. After a handful of Border Policemen, who were brought there in […]

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By EHUD ZION WALDOKS 11/02/2010 23:38 Water Authority spokesman tells ‘Post’ if each individual cuts back on household use even minimally, public can save equivalent of two large desalination plants. As another month has passed with little to no rainfall, the water situation is becoming increasingly perilous. “There’s no room for error,” Water Authority spokesman […]

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AMMAN (JT) – A Royal Decree was issued on Tuesday appointing Khalid Irani as minister of energy and mineral resources and minister of environment as of October 26, 2010. Irani was sworn in before His Majesty King Abdullah yesterday in the presence of Prime Minister Samir Rifai and King’s Adviser Ayman Safadi, the Jordan News […]

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By Rand Dalgamouni and Petra AMMAN – A Royal Decree was issued Monday accepting the resignation of Minister of Environment Hazem Malhas, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, said. Malhas had earlier in the day submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Samir Rifai, Petra quoted Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communication Ali Ayed as […]

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By Hana Namrouqa AMMAN – More than 400 water experts and decision makers from 17 Arab and foreign countries are expected to take part in the first Arab Water Week, slated for December. Organised by the Arab Countries Water Utilities Association (ACWUA), in cooperation with the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, the event will focus […]

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By EHUD ZION WALDOKS 10/29/2010 03:30 Lake level set to drop to historic minimum next month… and keep on falling; Water Authority told to prepare emergency plans. Although showers are expected on Friday, the Water Authority continues to issue dire warnings on the state of Lake Kinneret. After six years of below average rainfall, there […]

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By Taylor Luck AMMAN – The government is looking to sign an agreement with Egypt to boost natural gas supplies to the Kingdom, an official said on Wednesday. At a press conference at the Prime Ministry yesterday, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources and Minister of Environment Khalid Irani said officials have been in close […]

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By BY BENJAMIN PEIM / THE MEDIA LINE 10/25/2010 20:32 The new species doesn’t sting but is symptomatic of the environmental woes facing the Mediterranean Sea. A new species of jellyfish found off Israel’s coast this summer poses no threat to bathers but should serve warning to the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea about the […]

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By EHUD ZION WALDOKS 10/22/2010 04:39 Unprecedented gov’t environmental survey brings some encouraging news on cleaner air and water reuse, but it’s not all happy reading. The Environmental Protection Ministry released the first summary of Israel’s environmental issues by the numbers late Wednesday night – and it makes for a mixed read of improvements and […]

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