The most comprehensive report documenting and discussing the projected impacts of climate change on the Arab world has been released by the Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED) in Beirut last week, within the proceedings of the second annual conference for AFED. This report, edited by Mostapha Tolba and Najib Saab is the second of a series of annual reports produced by the Arab... [read more]

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has issued a landmark report documenting the cost-effectiveness of investing in natural resource management and ecosystem restoration as a tool for adaptation to climate change. Evidence derived from many examples around the world prove the need to integrate this option in adaptation planning. Unfortunately the report lacks examples from the Arab world... [read more]

Source: Jordan Times   By Hana Namrouqa   Jordan’s water resources will be depleted by climate change even if the Kingdom witnesses an increase in precipitation, a report launched on Thursday indicated. Climate change will severely impact the quantity of monthly surface water runoff, according to the report, indicating that even if current rainfall amounts remain unchanged,... [read more]

The Arab Environment Watch blog has went through many evolutionary phases during the past 4 years. The various phases of the blog were reflecting the changes in my professional career and what I thought was at the main priority list of environmental issues in the Arab world. In particular, the trend was to narrow the scope of the content of the blog from a wide range of environmental issues to certain... [read more]

Source: Pal Telegraph, processed from World Bank resources   The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is particularly vulnerable to climate change. It is one of the world's most water-scarce and dry regions; with a high dependency on climate-sensitive agriculture and a large share of its population and economic activity in flood-prone urban coastal zones. On the other hand, societies... [read more]

Source: Jordan Times Tuesday Nov 10th 2009 By Hana Namrouqa   The Ministry of Water and Irrigation on Monday highlighted the measures it has taken to protect the Kingdom's water sources, particularly the 110-kilometre King Abdullah Canal, which supplies the capital with a majority of its water needs. In a report released yesterday, the ministry underscored that several joint water committees... [read more]

Source: IRIN   The conversion of excess rice straw into fertilizer, rather than simply burning it off could be the solution to a problem that has plagued Cairo residents for the last 10 years: the “black cloud” that decends on the city every October and November.Hundreds of thousands of rice-growing farmers burn their excess rice straw after harvest to prepare for a new farming season,... [read more]

Source: Jordan Times   By Hana Namrouqa   Precipitation in Jordan, the fourth water poorest country in the world, is expected to decrease by 20 per cent within the next few years, a senior government official predicted on Sunday. Minister of Environment Khalid Irani said yesterday that although the Kingdom is accountable for around 0.1 per cent of total global greenhouse gases,... [read more]

I was not able today to participate in the very enlightening consultation meeting for WANA forum and the opening keynote address by HRH Prince Hasan bin Talal, due to urgent health conditions, so the least I can do is to post the press release prepared by Majlis Al Hasan   HRH Prince El Hassan bin Talal said, on Monday (November 9, 2009), that there is a need to mobilise people towards... [read more]

Last month I was involved in the translation of the landmark report to be released by the Arab Forum on Environment and Developemnt on Nov 19th in Beirut entitled "Impacts of Climate Change on the Arab World". From my review of three important draft chapters I can say that the report will be a comprehensive outlook on the impacts of climate change on the region, documented for the first time in... [read more]

This may be hugely disappointing for the majority of world population and environmental activists, but many countries will be rejoice in secret if a deal is not reached at Copenhagen next months. The gloomy propspects have been reiterated again today in a feature published by the Guardian quoting officials from industrialised countries casting doubts over the possibility of sealing the deal on emission... [read more]

Ministers of Environemnt in Jordan (Khalid Irani) and Sweden (Andreas Calgren) have wrote a joint article that was published by the Jordan Times on Thursday Nov 5th, in preparation for a joint Jordan-EU conference to be held in Amman on Nov 8th entitled "the road to Copenhagen". Here is the text of the article   The climate is changing fast. All over the world, including in Jordan,... [read more]

I have always admired the encyclopedic knowledge of HRH Prince Hasan bin Talal and I always feel encaptivated while listening to his speeches or reading his articles. I think, however that the Prince may increase the penetration of his ideas to the general Arab public by engaging directly with the public opinion through initiating a blog that may act as a platform between the Prince and the people... [read more]

It might be a little bit late but this feature published in the Economist's issue of October 15th provides a harsh but justified criticism of the Arab education system, especially in applied science. Here is the full text http://www.economist.com/world/middleeast-africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14660446    ARECENT issue of Science, the weekly journal of the American Association... [read more]

Under the theme 'strategic implications of climate change" the Biterlemons has published a package of articles and interviews reflecting the potential and current impacts of climate change on the region from a strategic perspectives. The articles can be accessed here http://www.bitterlemons-international.org/previous.php?opt=1&id=288    This is the full text of an interesting... [read more]

The role of scavengers in waste management is currently increasing in many Arab cities, but without a proper and sustainable apparatus for organization and processes of the various waste collection and separation activities. This report from the National sheds light on the role of scavengers in Amman   Suha Philip Ma’ayeh, Foreign Correspondent Last Updated: November 01 Link  ... [read more]

Source: Amnesty International   Amnesty International has documented the methodical practices by Israel resulting in denial of the palestinians' right to access to their water resources in the occupied palestinian territories through total control of water and discriminating against palestinian users.   Download Full report here http://http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/MDE15/027/2009/en/e9892ce4-7fba-469b-96b9-c1e1084c620c/mde150272009en... [read more]

In rich and technologically advanced saudi Arabia there are open discussions about the methodology of nuclear waste disposal. In Jordan this issue is muted by mainstream media and the propaganda surrounding the nuclear energy programme   Source: The National Wael Mahdi   JEDDAH // As Saudi Arabia moves ahead with its civilian nuclear plan, concerns are rising in the Saudi parliament,... [read more]

Source: The National   Leah Oatway   DUBAI // The former US vice president Al Gore urged Gulf leaders yesterday to keep trying to capture the world’s renewable energy market.Mr Gore, whose campaigning on climate change won him a share of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, said GCC nations “have the wealth in their legacy from oil and gas, and the ability to follow a vision to take... [read more]

Yesterday marked the global Blogging Action Day 2009 with the all important theme of Climate Change being the common denominator of all the blogs posted on that particular day, almost 10,000 posts. The Jordanian Minister of Environment Khalid Irani provided an unprecedented expression from an Arab official using modern social media tool. Here is his post written for 7iber.com which is Jordan's... [read more]

A very inspiring story about civic mobilization from Egypt   source: the National   Matt Bradley, Foreign Correspondent   The streets of Egypt’s capital have never been particularly clean, said Dana Moussa. But since rubbish men in Giza, a suburb of Cairo, went on strike three weeks ago, the rubbish that was once just part of the scenery quickly turned into towering... [read more]

Source: IRIN news   SYRIA: Cleansing the olive oil business   Syria’s huge olive oil industry is leaving its mark on the environment. Waste products from olive oil processing mills which are not properly disposed of are causing soil and water pollution, and killing plant and animal life.During the processing of olive oil, olives are crushed and mixed with water. The oil is then... [read more]

Source: IRIN news   SYRIA: Drought driving farmers to the cities   Thousands of Syrian farming families have been forced to move to cities in search of alternative work after two years of drought and failed crops followed a number of unproductive years."The situation has now got really severe; we are talking about desert, rather than farming land," said Abdel Qader Abu Awad, MENA... [read more]

source: IRIN News   Jordan's plan to save the shrinking Dead Sea by channelling more water to it from the Red Sea could have a detrimental environmental impact, environmentalists have warned. However, not doing anything could lead to an environmental, economic and human catastrophe, say experts. Two water-related projects are currently being proposed in Jordan: the Red Sea-Dead Sea canal... [read more]

Source: Jordan Times 17.9.2009   By Hana Namrouqa   Jordan will demand industrial countries’ support for national projects that curb the impact of climate change in the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference, a senior government official said on Wednesday. The conference, which will be held in Copenhagen in December, is expected to yield a climate change deal building upon the... [read more]

This is the editorial of Najib Saab publisher and editor-in-chief of Environment & Development the leading environmental magazine in the Arab World for the September issue http://www.najibsaab.com/english/editordetails.asp?id=220    Climate Change: Challenge of Tomorrow, Solution for Today   Is it true that combating climate change hampers efforts to tackle... [read more]

My latest article published by Jordan Property magazine in August 2009   The high increase of oil prices in 2007-2008 and the resulting turmoil in energy markets has acted like a wake-up call for many Arab countries, especially the non-oil producers to the absolute need for diversification of energy sources, and placed more emphasis on the renewable energies for both economic and environmental... [read more]

My article published in the Jordan Times today   By Batir Wardam   The 2008-2022 national water strategy has been officially endorsed. This document will set the planning platform for the most crucial development sector in the country for the next 14 years. In a country where values like good governance, accountability, transparency, public participation and decentralisation... [read more]

A good gesture from the Jordanian side to explain the details of the Red-Dead canal to Egyptian environmental officials and experts. The free flow of accurate information is very critical.   Source: Jordan Times By Hana Namrouqa   Ministry of Water and Irrigation officials on Tuesday met with an Egyptian delegation to address Cairo’s reservations over the Red-Dead Water Conveyance... [read more]

Source: Jordan Times 19 June 2009   By Susan Lawrence Helke   Long a destination for divers who want to experience the wonders of the Red Sea, the Aqaba Marine Park is currently threatened by the effects of global warming, according to environmentalists. Known for its garden-like coral formations and abundance of marine life, the park is being confronted with the negative... [read more]