Source: Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN), United Nations, October 16, 2006   As the Dead Sea slowly shrinks towards extinction, fears are growing that the saltiest body of water on earth will not disappear without taking a few lives along with it. The Dead Sea has fallen more than 20 meters over the past 40 years. Studies by scientists at the University of Jordan have shown... [read more]

Source: Middle East Online   By Charles Onians - KFAR ZABAD, Lebanon It was born in the Arabian desert more than 1,500 years ago and is now being revived in the battle-scarred greenery of Lebanon. Already its success is heralding a regional renaissance. The pre-Islamic system of environmental protection known as "hima" - Arabic for protected area - means that the local population rather... [read more]

Source: Der Spiegel 30-10-2006   Iraq Worried about Turkish Dam The Ilisu Dam will, when it's finished, provide hydroelectric power in south-eastern Turkey. Iraq, though, is worried it may also cut flows of the vital Tigris River. Officials in Iraq are angered by Turkish plans to construct a gigantic dam on the river Tigris in southeast Turkey, near the Iraqi border. The so-called Ilisu... [read more]

The whole world, except for the certain region extending from the Arabian Gulf to the Atlantic Ocean is busy with exploring and studying the landmark report published by Sir Nicholas Stern two days that predicts an apocalyptic future if current climate change policies, or lack of them continue unmodified.   Here are some statistics from the report:   The level in the atmosphere of carbon... [read more]

The BBC website has published an interesting report indicating examples for reactions to the threat of Climate Change from around the World. As expected, the Arab World is the main "forgettable" part of the world, mainly due to the lack of serious engagement in climate change policies in the region. For information on how the world thinks you can check the BBC report here http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/6099272... [read more]

Source: Jordan Times 30-10-2006   AMMAN (JT) — The World Health Organisation’s Centre for Environmental Health Activities (CEHA)  will  launch the third edition of its “Guidelines for the Safe Use of Wastewater, Excreta and Greywater” at a regional workshop opening in Amman today. The guidelines are of great significance to the Eastern Mediterranean region, where most countries are facing... [read more]

The REN 21 network has released its annual "Renewable Energy Global Status Report" for 2006 which tracks and documents global trends in renewable energy development and innovation. The reports states that 2005 was a record year for investment in the renewable energy sector. The network is a global policy network for the advancement and promotion of renewable energy with Dr Mohammad Al-Ashry as head... [read more]

A recent study was released by the US organization Blacksmith Institute has documented what it considers to be the top pollution hotspots in the World. The first list includes the top 10 sites while another list adds 25 other sites that requiring swift action, as the institution says. Heavy metals such as lead are the main sources of pollution, with 10 million people affected across the locations... [read more]

Source: Yemen Times   Beggary, qat, and electricity” were quick answers from various citizens asked the question, “In your opinion, what’s the main environmental crisis Yemen is experiencing?” Others requested further explanation of the question, while some said they needed more time to determine an answer to the question. These unexpected attitudes and answers reflect Yemenis’ environmental... [read more]

Source: Gulf News   Abu Dhabi: Sweihan's National Avian Research Centre has ended its season for captive breeding of the Asian Houbara bustard by producing 600 chicks, in accordance with the Environmental Agency-Abu Dhabi's strategy. Majid Ali Al Mansouri, secretary-general of the Environmental Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD), said: "Any increase in production will take us a step forward in achieving... [read more]

Source: Gulf News:   By Neesha C. Salian, Staff Writer   It's hard not to be affected by the excitement that Dilip Rahulan, Chairman and CEO, Pacific Controls Systems LLC, demonstrates at the mention of the recent 'platinum' LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification that the company's regional headquarters, based in Dubai's Techno Park, received. The building,... [read more]

Egyptian and international environmental figure dr Mohammad Al-Ashry, the former executive officer of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) has recently written a very important article in Al Ahram Weekly criticising the lack of momentum in environmental management in the Arab World. This is the full text of the article   The Arab region, which at one time led the world in science, mathematics... [read more]

Source: Gulf Daily News   By SARA SAMI and TARIQ KHONJI   TRAFFIC, not industry, is the main source of pollution in Bahrain, according to air quality tests. Air monitoring equipment set up in each of Bahrain's five governorates in July has revealed a significant increase in pollutants associated with vehicle emissions over the past 10 years - particularly nitrogen oxides (NOx) and ozone gas... [read more]

The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs has published a very important and accurate report on the potential role of water in the Middle East conflict especially in the Israeli-Lebanese context. The report written by Isabelle Humphries can be viewed here  [read more]

The UNESCO Doha office has just published two important new publications dealing with aquatic ecosystems in the Arab World. The two publications are:   1- "Policy prespectives on ecosystem and water management in the Arabian Peninsula", a science-based book providing up-to-date knowledge and data on ecosystem management with a special view to water resources, has just been published by UNESCO... [read more]

A new report by the World bank is very useful in investigating potential policy and economic reforms for attracting private sector investments in clean energies. The contents of this report are useful to energy policy makers in non oil producing countries in the Arab World. In this progress report on the development of an investment framework for clean energy and development, the World Bank analyses... [read more]

Keep your eyes open for an important new conference on Dryland Ecology. Dubai will host the nternational Symposium on Drylands Ecology and Human Security (ISDEH) between 4-7 December 2006. The event is organized by GCC Network for Drylands Research and Development (NDRD) and the Ajman University (AUST) Institute of Environment, Water and Energy.   ISDEHS 2006 is meant to be the first of a series... [read more]

This report presents a panorama of the environmental status of the world's deserts: their location and extent, uniqueness and vulnerability, biodiversity and natural resources. The report provides a balanced picture of deserts as ecosystems which form a special part of the world's natural and cultural heritage, and not simply as land that is the end result of the process of desertification. The... [read more]

Another key international conference on water management will be held in a location very close to the Arab world, Greece. The Conference is organized by the WESSEX Institute of  Technology. The Fourth International Conference on Water Resources Management will present the more recent technological and scientific developments associated with the management of surface and sub-surface water resources... [read more]

The highly credible British newspaper The Independent published  a very important article today on the state of ecological debt around the world. The concept is interesting and the argument is solid. Here is the full transcript of the article posted here to catcj up with the latest in "environmental conceptualization" efforts taking place in the world.   By Martin Hickman, Consumer Affairs Correspondent... [read more]

SciDev.Net website, the comprehensive portal of science in developing countries maintained by SCience magazine has published a collection of articles on deserts and drylands in its online desert science resource. These include peer-reviewed policy briefs written by leading stakeholders on issues such as human impact, access to water, conservation of biodiversity and the role of international conventions... [read more]

The SMAP III Regional Management System websitehas placed the detailed proceedings and all presentations of the series of national workshops that were held in the region recently under the theme of "environmental policy integration and SMAP III".   The main objectives of the national workshops on "Environmental Policy Integration and SMAP III" ,  were specifically: to discuss the mechanisms... [read more]

The website of The Association of Agricultural Research Institutions in the Near East and North Africa (AARINENA) www.aarinena.org/ is a very impressive location for updated information on agricultural research in the Arab World. AARINENA was established in 1985 to strengthen cooperation among national, regional and international research institutions and centres through the dissemination and exchange... [read more]

Source: The Daily Star By Lysandra Ohrstrom Daily Star staff Friday, October 06, 2006   BEIRUT: At least three international donors are considering using a portion of reconstruction aid to finance the installation of renewable energy units in newly built residences in Southern Lebanon. A project manager from the United Nations Development Program's (UNDP) energy efficiency branch - which... [read more]

Source: Gulf Times By Arvind Nair Published: Friday, 6 October, 2006   PROLONGED use of saline water severely affects irrigated soils, and that contributes to the global land degradation process with a direct impact on biomass production, says a book published by Unesco Doha. ‘Biosaline Agriculture and Salinity Tolerance in Plants’ is an important scientific contribution towards the... [read more]

Source: Jordan Times   By Stephanie Berrong AMMAN —  An NGO that focuses on educating people about the environment wants to help Jordanians come clean. The Friends of the Environment society  (FoE), in partnership with the Greater Amman Municipality, the Ministry of Environment, the World Conservation Union and the Swiss embassy, on Wednesday announced the launch of a national contest to... [read more]

Source: Jordan Times   AMMAN (JT) — The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has granted $110,000 to three NGOs for the implementation of grassroots projects in the field of environmental protection and conservation. The grant falls within the UNDP-administered Global Environment Facility /Small Grants Programme (GEF/SGP), a fund that supports community-level solutions to environmental... [read more]

The 3rd GEF assembly that was held in South Africa in August 2006 was a landmark transformation in the GEF financial allocation mechanism by adopting the new Resource Allocation Framework (RFA) which was based on an analysis of individual countries' "importance" in Climate Change and Biodiversity focal points, after very heated debates about the transparency, or lack of therefore of this process.... [read more]

The recently held UNFCCC African Regional Workshop on Adaptation which was conducted in Ghana last September was a very important opportunity to discuss in detailes adaptation and vulnerability in Africa and be used as models for other regions including the Arab countries which have some ecological similarities with Africa especially in water and agricultural sectors. This is even more essential taking... [read more]

Jordan River is one of the most amazing natural sites that were directly associated with ancient and modern history. The River was the baptism site for Jesus and has a special sacred religious importance to the three monilithous religions. Unfortunately, the River is currently suffering from pollution and a devastating decrease of its volume. Some organizations in the region are working for rehabilitation... [read more]

The establishment of a new water company in Saudi Arabia has opened up the platform for debates on possible privatization of desalination plants in the Kingdom. In this news item from Arab News newspaper, a expert opinion discusses the potential for privatization   Javid Hassan, Arab News    RIYADH, 2 October 2006 — A leading Saudi water exploration expert says that Jeddah’s water crisis... [read more]