I have to say this must be the most difficult roadmap to achive after the Middle East peace Roadmap. This Article published Yemen Observer provides a roadmap to launch a full-fledged remediation effort to tackle the water scarcity problem linked to Qat cultivatioin and consumption based on 24 recommendations. Good luck to all the good intentions there, as they will need it badly. Here is the article... [read more]

After two days of deliberation on the various scenarios proposed by the World Economic Forum for the Middle East in 2025, this is the summary of the conclusions as presented in a special session in the final day   • Adam Bly • Lord Carey of Clifton • Nabila Freidji • Yuriko Koike Scenario Champions: •Ayman Haddad • Ismail Serageldin Facilitated by: Nik Gowing  Participants in this WorkSpace... [read more]

By: Batir Wardam   Simple questions do not always have simple answers. If we want to ask "what is the best country in the world in environmental performance?" it will need a laborious effort in analyzing and comparing various environmental indicators and still end up with vagueness.   To this end, the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) was introduced by researchers from Yale University to... [read more]

For the first time in its long history of debates in the cold mountains of Davos and the scorching heat of the Middle East, the World Economic Forum will finally tackle the issue of sustainability and environmental challenges at length in its forthcoming meeting in Sharm El Sheik from 18-20 May. The forum will be held under the theme "Learning from the Future" where participants from business, government,... [read more]

The EU commission has published its assessment report of Jordan's political and socio-economic developments in 2007. The report entitled "Implementation of the EU neighborhood policy in 2007: Jordan progress report" contained some critical evaluations of Jordan's economic performance. However it was noted that the report placed a lot of praise for Jordan's environmental reform initiatives. As an appreciation... [read more]

The World Bank has published its annual global monitoring report which aims to shed light on the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals. This year's report had a focus on MDG 7 about environmental sustainability.   Regarding the MENA region the World bank report states that the Middle East & North Africa region is off track on an important environment-related target – to halve... [read more]

By: Batir Wardam Weekly article published by Star newspaper-Jordan     The Social Security Corporation (SSC) declared that it has donated its ownership of a portion of Dibbin Forest to be added to the already existing Dibbin Nature Reserve, run by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN). This is a positive conclusion of the environmental-economic fiasco that has erupted last year... [read more]

The landmark annual report published by the WorldWatch Institute with the title of "State of the World" has just been released for the 2008 edition. This year the report focused on innovations for a sustainable economy and includes a variety of ideas and trends for a greener economic policies for all countries in the World.  This is the press release of the report by WorldWatch Institute   Environmental... [read more]

This is my weekly environmental article published in the Star newspaper this week   By: Batir Wardam   Awake from Hybernation The National Agenda was prepared in 2005 and launched in 2006 comprising a comprehensive political and socio-economic reform plan for the country until 2017. The National Agenda was based on extensive research and integrated inputs from key players and organizations... [read more]

This is my weekly article published in The Star newspaper for today.   A paradigm shift is being developed in energy management at the national level. The previous dependence on foreign oil imports is coming to an end with a new package of legislative, administrative and technological innovations aiming to steer the country into more reliable, sustainable and even environmentally friendly... [read more]

This is my weekly article that was published in the Star newspaper on Thursday Nov 29th.   I tried in vain to search for any environmental messages in the slogans and programmes of the 885 candidates that rode their luck for a parliamentary seat in the elections that Jordan witnessed last week. I read slogans and advertisement and went to some tents and took a look at what I managed to get from... [read more]

Source: IRIN News   Ramzi Msharrafyeh stepped carefully between the burned bushes and trees in the village of Ayn Trez, 34km southwest of Beirut, where the air is still heavy with the smell of smoke. This oak tree is among a few that survived the fires,” he said. “It’s almost 500 years old, and nearly all of Lebanon’s princes and presidents sat under it. It’s called the Saad oak tree.” Earlier... [read more]

Tunisia has issued a new environmental protection law that cracks heavily on air pollution from factories and vehicles. specifying financial fines and imposing the polluters to join a pollution monitoring network at their expense. The Tunisian Parliament and Council of Advisors recently passed a law instituting mandatory measures for monitoring air quality and delineating a series of hard penalties... [read more]

Source: Arabian Business   by Safura Rahimi   The UAE has unveiled a three-year environmental plan focused on the rational use of the country’s natural resources, the Ministry of Water and Environment announced in a statement Tuesday. The new plan is aimed at reducing the use of groundwater and other natural reserves over the next three years in a bid to shift focus to alternative sources... [read more]

Enforcement of, and compliance to environmental legislation is a major determinant factor in proper environmental management. The MENA region and the Arab World have managed to develop some modern environmental legislation in the past few years but still experimenting with enforcement and compliance. One of the main resources and networks that provides technical assistance in this issue is the International... [read more]

Source: Jordan Times   The first Arab Regional Conference on the Inspection and Enforcement of Environmental Regulations began on May 11th with the aim of increasing cooperation on key issues. "The two-day conference seeks to establish a regional network and draw up ways to raise environmental awareness on the importance of adhering to regulations," the director of the Ministry of Environment's... [read more]

The excellence of producing the first State of the Environment report was claimed by Abu Dhabi last week. Although I have learned that both Lebanon and Egypt have produced former national reports, while Jordan produced a "civil society" perspective report, Abu Dhabi has made it clear that it is the leader by producing a highly informative report that can be traced and viewed from www.soa.ae  ... [read more]

By: Batir Wardam   Planning and policy formulation in Jordan prior to the 1990s was based on a sector-specific approach with little consideration for environmental concerns. It can be said that environmental planning and policy formulation came to age in 1991 when the National Environmental Strategy (NES) was formulated by a national consultation process led by the Ministry of Municipal, Rural... [read more]

Press Release from UNEP UNEP headquarters hosted the Joint Ministerial Meeting between the Arab States and the Community of South American Nations on environmental Development between the two Regions. The meeting aims at enhancing cooperation in environmental protection and achieving sustainable development in the Arab Region and in Southern America in the framework of south-south cooperation and... [read more]

The Arab Forum for Environment & Development (AFED) announced the launching of its work program during a press conference organized on the occasion of Environment 2007 conference and exhibition held in Abu Dhabi. The conference, addressed by AFED’s Secretary General Najib Saab, has been the first public proclamation of the regional Forum, after it gained the status of regional non-governmental... [read more]

The editorial of the UAE newspaper "Gulf News" for today was focused on the environment. This is the editorial: The recent inauguration of the Environment 2007 conference in Abu Dhabi highlights an issue of importance to the UAE as a developing country. Development on any scale should encompass protecting the environment at all levels. Hence laws and programmes should go hand in hand with the rate... [read more]

Source: Arab News   Manal Quota, Arab News JEDDAH, 15 December 2006 — The Second Islamic Conference of Environment Ministers drew up a twelve-point plan and decided to establish an environment institution and an Islamic media information network specialized in the environment. The conference approved the setting up of the Executive Islamic Environment Office and the Islamic Network for the... [read more]

Egypt hosted the 3rd Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial Conference on the Environment on 20 November 2006. The Ministerial Conference was organised by the Egyptian Ministry of State for Environmental Affairs and the European Commission. The main topic of the Ministerial conference was "Horizon 2020 Initiative" to de-pollute the Mediterranean Sea from the main polluting sources. A ministerial declaration... [read more]

Article by: Yusuf Mansur Published at the Jordan Times 28-11-2006 Several investors, lured by the stability and safety of Jordan, seek approvals for mega real estate projects in forest areas of the country. By granting such approvals, the Kingdom could be sacrificing long-term benefits for short-term gains. Investors should prove to Jordanians that the short-term benefits of the proposed ventures... [read more]

This is a call for contribution issued by IUCN's Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy for the 15th issue of its magnificant magazine "Policy Matters". I hope that the coming issue will contain some analytical examples from the Arab World.   Policy Matters (PM) is a periodic publication of the World Conservation Union’s (IUCN) Commission on Environmental, Economic, and Social... [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]

Bahrain has recently developed a new environmental strategy. A report published in the Gulf daily News explores the contents of this strategy.   by: Tariq Khonji   BAHRAIN's new environment strategy will mean stricter rules will have to be enforced by the government to ensure sustainable development, according to a senior official. Public Commission for the Protection of Marine Resources,... [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]

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]

Source: The Jordan Times   The first batch of the environmental police unit, which is expected to start operating in early September, will begin a month-long training workshop today, an Environment Ministry official said yesterday. Experts from the ministries of environment, health, agriculture, energy and mineral resources and municipal affairs will today begin  training the first 150 officers, ... [read more]