It is Bin Laden in the spotlight but not the notorious Osama. This time it is Tareq Bin Laden, one of the main construction businessmen in the Middle East trying to launch a pioneering project to build the first of one hundred "cities of light" with perfect environmental standards, and bridging the Red Sea in the process. Who is reporting on this? The Economist.      Jul 31st 2008 | DJIBOUTI... [read more]

Another alarming portrait of the water situation from yemen. This time published by Los Angeles Times   By Borzou Daragahi, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer August 3, 2008 BEIT HUJAIRA, YEMEN -- Across the countryside of this nation on the heel of the Arabian Peninsula, the pumps and drills roar. Wildcatters bore as much as 1,000 feet into the earth and draw out the valuable liquid. They pump... [read more]

Faced with many anthropogenic and natural threats, the majestic isalnd of Socotra is in big need for conservation and sustainable use. UNESCO is being asked by the EU to consider the island as an environmental heritage, but where is the official position of the Yemeni government?   Source: Yemen Observer Mohammed al-Kibsi   The European Union called on the United Nations Education... [read more]

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]

Probably the first of its kind in the Arab World.   Source: Yemen Observer June 19, 2007 Written By: Jennifer F. Steil Three years ago, Jamil Hindi, the owner of Al Mankal restaurant on Amman Street in Sana’a, suffered from a plethora of troubling health problems.  “I was very fat, very lazy,” he said. As a result, he suffered from high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and a host... [read more]

From Yemen Times   Saeed Al-Batati    The Hadramout local council has decided to take legal action against Hungarian oil company MOL for polluting the area of Al-Dhaliha district, located 270 kilometers west of Mukalla. The local council decided to bring the issue to court after many reports and appeals from area residents alarmed the council of the grave consequences of polluting materials... [read more]

By Faisal Darem Yemen Observer   Ten years ago, the Sana’a streets were awash in sewage gushing from the drains and out onto the streets. Every time it rained, waste flowed down the streets, increasing the risk of disease in the city and fouling the air.  Frustrated and disgusted, people demanded that the government find a solution to the mess.   But at the time, the Yemeni government couldn’t... [read more]

Yemen Observer By Ali Marmaduke Garbage collection is something that is generally noticed by the public only when it is not done well. Streets strewn with bottles, bags, and orange peels are visible evidence of a flawed system.  But when our waste is disposed of efficiently and smartly, few think to comment. Recently, there has been a quiet revolution in solid waste collection in Sana’a that surely... [read more]

By Thuria Ghaleb Yemen Observer   Pesticides banned in the rest of the world are finding their way across Yemen’s borders and into its shops, said the Yemen Society for Consumer Protection, a non-governmental organization in Sana’a.  The statements came as a warning to the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation on Jan. 13. It’s not enough for the General Department for Plant Protection, which... [read more]

By Hakim Almasmari Yemen Observer   Yemen has been ranked among the worst countries in the world in regards to the availability of clean drinking water to the country’s people, according to the World Health Organization.  Only 26 percent of the Yemeni population has easy access to clean drinking water.  People who live in major cities are much more likely to have access to clean drinking water... [read more]

Source: Middle East Online   SANAA - Health officials in Yemen say illegal pesticides used in the cultivation of khat [a mild narcotic popular in Yemen and the Horn of Africa], fruit and vegetables cause 16,000-17,000 cancer cases each year. Nadeem Mohammed Sa’eed, director of the National Cancer Centre in Sana’a, Yemen’s capital, said several pesticides were toxic and their prolonged use... [read more]

The first EWS-WWF Marine Conservation Forum took place in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on September 11-14, 2006. The Forum provided an opportunity for the region’s environmentalists to share concerns about the region’s coral reef and marine turtle populations and collaborate on potential solutions. Representatives from Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and... [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]

Yemen is one of the countries that face acute water shortage and pollution crises. The whole development process of the country is being hindered by a variety of causes including water scarcity. Things do not appear to get better in the future. This recent article published in the "Yemen  Observer" newspaper takes an in-depth look at the prospects of water scarcity in Yemen.   Abu-Basheer,... [read more]