Arab Environment Watch

Arab world lacks climate change data, says report

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 23:46:12 GMT

An insight from Science Devnet portal on the lack of reliable climate change data in the Arab world. Can't agree more. Abdulhakim Mahmoud [SANA'A] The Arab world must move quickly to carry out its own research to avert the worst effects of climate change on the region, a report has warned. The report, released last month (24 November) by the Lebanon-based Arab Forum for... [read more]

Preceptions from Jordan by Bob Percival

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 23:40:42 GMT

Global environmental law expert Bob Percival writes an interesting account of his recent visit to Jordan. http://globalenvironmentallaw.blogspot.com/2009/12/jordan-trip-copenhagen-conference-by.html I returned to the United States on Saturday after spending a productive and enjoyable week in Jordan. The purpose of my trip was to assist in developing an environmental law... [read more]

Arab Activism Gets Going In Copenhagen

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 23:18:09 GMT

Another glimpse of light for Arab environmental activism. Source: the Media Line Copenhagen, Denmark Liana B. Baker / TML – Three days before the U.N. climate talks kicked off in Copenhagen, Tarak Tayara was told he was accepted as an official observer at the negotiations. The 28-year-old hopped on the next flight out of Lebanon and landed the next day in Denmark, ready... [read more]

Nile Pollution threatens fishermen's livlihoods

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 23:13:53 GMT

The cradle of Egypt's historic civilisation is slowly losing its economic value for some livelihoods, especially fishing. This is a report from IRIN “It’s becoming so hard these days. I only managed to get a few fish yesterday,” said Galal Saed, 35, casting his net into the Nile near the town of Hawamdia, 25km south of Cairo. Saed said he usually catches 2kg of fish a day which allows... [read more]

Lebanon's Climate Change Vigil: A candle in the Dark

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 23:10:35 GMT

While the public opinion and activists all over the world are showing public expressions for the need to reach the deal in Copenhagen our Arab street are quite like a desert, only mobilised by football rivarly and religious/political discourse. This small vigil in Lebanon organised by Greenpeace is a welcome candle in the darkness of our collective environmental awareness. Source: Daily... [read more]

Emissions Cuts Could Hurt Oil Revenue

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 01:04:03 GMT

Source: Wall Street Journal By SPENCER SWARTZ With some of the world's fastest-growing oil consumers under pressure to cut carbon emissions, big petroleum-producing states are beginning to fret over a long-term drop in crude-oil revenue. For years, oil-producing states have worried about rich nations like the U.S. cutting back on energy consumption through conservation or... [read more]

Lebanon’s climate change conundrum

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:09:15 GMT

Source: Going Green Patrick Galey As a small country, Lebanon punches above its weight in many spheres. Its financial sector is apparently invulnerable to global shocks; it has the largest stockpile of gold in the Middle East. Lebanon’s graduates are some to the best qualified on the planet; tri-lingual ex-pat businessmen and entrepreneurs frequently occupy top positions... [read more]

Dubai debt woes may cut CO2 but much more needed

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 13:56:29 GMT

Source: AFP By Andrew Newby Dubai's debt crisis may make a small dent in its greenhouse gas emissions but the Gulf emirate faces an enormous task to cut carbon to the levels to be proposed at the UN climate summit starting this week. Dubai and the rest of the United Arab Emirates have the world's highest per capita carbon footprint according to the authoritative WWF Living... [read more]

Open or Obstinate, the Arab World Heads to Copenhagen

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 13:51:11 GMT

Source: The Media Line Written by Benjamin Joffe-WaltPublished Sunday, December 06, 2009 As the petroleum powers send their negotiating teams to the Copenhagen climate change summit, Middle Eastern analysts debate what role the Arab world is likely to play. The oily lands of the Middle East have an image problem. As the nations of the world prepare for the most significant... [read more]

Saudi Arabia still refusing any climate deal

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:05:56 GMT

It is unfortunate that Saudi Arabia is still playing a disruptive role in the climate negotiations supported by some so-called "resaerchers" who write in Saudi newspapers with skeptic positions regarding the climate change scientific foundations. This is a feature that was published in the UAE's National newspaper which is also completely biased to the Saudi argument Wael Mahdi, Foreign... [read more]

Who wants what in Copenhagen?

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 23:50:13 GMT

This article, published by the Wall Street Journal documents the positions of the key countries having a strong impact on the outcome of the Copenhagen conference. Strangely though, they have missed Saudi Arabia which has a strong and influential-albeit negative- impact on the negotiations! This week, officials from 192 countries will meet in Copenhagen to tackle global climate change,... [read more]

Guardian's Global Editorial on Climate Change conference

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 23:44:25 GMT

For the first time in the history of press, to the best of my knowledge a common global editorial was published by 56 newspapers in 45 countries. The editorial was written by the Guardian today on the occasion of opening the Climate Change conference in Copenhagen. I am not sure yet if it was published in newspaper from the Arab world. This is the full text Copenhagen climate change... [read more]

Recommendations of AFED conference on Climate Change

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 23:05:26 GMT

Here are the full recommendations of the AFED 2nd annual conference taht was held in Beirut last month The Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED) held its second annual conference in Beirut on 19-20 November 2009, under the patronage of His Excellency the President of the Lebanese Republic General Michel Sleiman. The conference brought together 500 delegates from 22 countries,... [read more]

Yarmouk River Basin poised to be Kingdom’s 8th nature reserve

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 13:56:00 GMT

Source: The Jordan Times By Hana Namrouqa The Ministry of Environment has sent a memorandum to the Cabinet, proposing that the Yarmouk River Basin be designated as the Kingdom’s eighth nature reserve. The Yarmouk River Basin was selected to become a nature reserve due to its unique ecosystem and because it houses threatened species, Minister of Environment Khalid Irani said... [read more]

Latest Scientific Findings on Climate Change Compiled prior to Copenhagen

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:12:56 GMT

The Copenhagen Diagnosis project has released a major report that compiles all significant scientific data that has been documented between 2007-2009 after the release of the IPCC's fourth assessment report on Climate Change. The report can be downloaded from here http://www.copenhagendiagnosis.com/default.html The purpose of this report is to synthesize the most policy-relevant climate... [read more]

Comprehensive Report on the Impacts of Climate Change on Arab World is released

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:23:31 GMT

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]

UNEP: Investing in ecosystem restoration is cost-effective

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:38:00 GMT

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]

Jordan's Second National Communication documents vulnerability to Climate Change

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:53:15 GMT

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]

Vulnerability to Climate Change in the Middle East

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:47:11 GMT

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]

Report documents measures taken to protect Jordan's water sources

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:21:56 GMT

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]

Rainfall in Jordan expected to decrease by 20% due to Climate Change

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:20:51 GMT

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]

Prince El Hassan: there is a need to mobilize people towards the priorities of greening WANA

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:17:00 GMT

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]

Comprehensive Report on the Impacts of Climate Change on Arab World to be released soon

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:47:00 GMT

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]

The Climate Deal may not be Sealed in Copenhagen

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:37:52 GMT

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]

Environment Ministers in Jordan and Sweden warning about the challenge of Climate Change

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:26:30 GMT

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]

Prince Hasan should be blogging

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:44:40 GMT

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]

The Economist: A Critique of Arab Education

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:39:00 GMT

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]

Strategic Implications of Climate Change on the Middle East

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:59:00 GMT

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]

Scavengers work on waste management in Jordan

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:52:00 GMT

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]

Amnesty: Israel Denying Palestinians' Right to Water

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:47:00 GMT

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]