Water

Oil pollution in Basrah’s soil is 1,200% higher than it should be

Soil pollution levels in parts of Basra are 1,200% to 3,300% higher than those typically measured in cities like Toronto or New York, according to new comparative soil data. It's getting into water.

Microplastics Are Becoming Superbug Highways — New Study Warns Beachgoers to Wear Gloves

Prof. Pennie Lindeque added that microplastics “act as carriers for antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, enhancing their survival and spread… each particle becomes a tiny vehicle capable of transporting pathogens from sewage works to beaches, swimming areas and shellfish-growing sites.”

Iran’s holiest city about to run dry as terror chosen over water management

Iran’s second-largest city, Mashhad, is facing an acute water emergency after dam reservoirs feeding the city fell below three percent capacity, according to Iranian state and local media. Officials warn that without rainfall or improved inflows from neighboring Afghanistan, the city’s supply could soon collapse.

Polluters like L’Oreal may need to pay for polluting EU waterways

A new EU directive is forcing pharmaceutical and cosmetics companies to pay for removing drug residues from wastewater after a major study found 175 pharmaceuticals polluting Europe’s rivers. The industry is fighting back, but scientists warn that without urgent action, these invisible chemicals will continue to poison aquatic life and seep into our drinking water.

Ocean Action Forum 2025: Can Saudi Arabia Redefine the Future of Marine Stewardship?

Saudi Arabia, a nation better known for its oil wealth, is rapidly reinventing itself as a marine sustainability player. Positioned between the ecologically sensitive...

Dubai overfishing: 13 years after Tafline’s warning

In 2012, Green Prophet sounded the alarm about depleted Gulf fish stocks and weak enforcement in Dubai. Revisit Tafline Laylin’s original piece here: Dubai Finally Gets Serious About Overfishing.

Saudi Arabia’s oil-powered desalination “success” consumes 20% of its domestic oil use

Nearly 20% of Saudi Arabia’s oil powers desalination, with projections rising to 50% by 2030. Experts warn it should remain a last-resort solution due to high energy and environmental costs.

Egypt overhauls its irrigation system in anticipation of losing the Nile

Egypt’s irrigation system has roots in millennia-old techniques, from Aswan Dam regulation to historic canal networks. The current program builds on this heritage, blending tradition with pressure-based systems and digital monitoring. Watch developments on the GERD dam opening this year from Ethiopia as water volume from the Nile that goes to Egypt may drop dramatically. 

Saudi Arabia’s $650M bet on desalination

No Saudi water story is complete without NEOM, the high-profile giga-project selling a future of “100% renewable desalination,” circular brine chemistry, and hydrogen-powered industry. Ambition is welcome—Saudi needs moonshots to decouple water from oil.

Water conflicts in the Middle East region to watch in 2025

Rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall, and more frequent droughts amplify existing disputes. Water scarcity can fuel unrest, as seen in Iran’s Khuzestan protests, and can undermine fragile peace deals in post-conflict states like Libya and Yemen.

The Flash Flood Wave Redefining Policy in the MENA Region

If you’ve ever imagined the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region as forever sun-drenched and dry, recent flash floods may challenge that mental...

Iran’s water mafia and thirst for war leaves the country on brink of being dry

Iran’s Lake Urmia, once the Middle East’s largest saltwater lake, has shrunk by 90 percent due to mismanagement, dams, and drought. As Tehran pours billions into foreign conflicts, water activists face repression at home. The crisis mirrors Syria’s drought-driven unrest, showing how water scarcity can destabilize entire regions.

Wastewater plants are a hidden climate issue, and we’re measuring it all wrong

Wastewater treatment plants are a hidden source of greenhouse gas emissions, releasing methane, nitrous oxide, and fossil CO₂. A new study calls for smarter monitoring and tailored emission factors. U.S. firms like Jacobs, AECOM, and Black & Veatch are key players in building climate-resilient wastewater infrastructure.

Iran is sinking in sinkholes from overwatering

What's that sinking feeling? In Iran, the very ground under your feet may drop away. The issue here isn’t war. The issue is land subsidence, a...

Ecomondo 2025: Italy’s Green Expo Powers Global Circular Innovation

Each November, a quiet city on Italy’s Adriatic coast becomes the epicenter of the world’s circular economy conversation. What began in 1997 as a local waste management trade show has grown into Ecomondo, a global forum for environmental innovation, resource regeneration, and ecological transition.

Hot this week

Astro uses AI to help procure land for renewable energy

For oil-rich, environmentally vigilant Gulf states, Astro isn’t just another startup story. It is a blueprint for accelerating an energy transition that is now existential, not optional.

The Science Behind How Elite Marathon Runners Train

Discover the science behind elite marathon training. Explore techniques, nutrition, and mental strategies that propel top runners to success.

Earth building with Dead Sea salt bricks

Researchers develop a brick made largely from recycled Dead Sea salt—offering a potential alternative to carbon-intensive cement.

The Christ’s thorn (sidr tree) is also a well-known folk medicine

Christ’s thorn jujube (Ziziphus spina-christi) also known as the sidr tree is a real, identifiable tree native to the Middle East, and it appears—directly or indirectly—in Islam, Judaism, and later Christian tradition. The connections between the three faiths are not theological agreements but overlapping uses, names, and symbolic associations rooted in the same landscape.

Farm To Table Israel Connects People To The Land

Farm To Table Israel is transforming the traditional dining experience into a hands-on journey.

Topics

Astro uses AI to help procure land for renewable energy

For oil-rich, environmentally vigilant Gulf states, Astro isn’t just another startup story. It is a blueprint for accelerating an energy transition that is now existential, not optional.

The Science Behind How Elite Marathon Runners Train

Discover the science behind elite marathon training. Explore techniques, nutrition, and mental strategies that propel top runners to success.

Earth building with Dead Sea salt bricks

Researchers develop a brick made largely from recycled Dead Sea salt—offering a potential alternative to carbon-intensive cement.

The Christ’s thorn (sidr tree) is also a well-known folk medicine

Christ’s thorn jujube (Ziziphus spina-christi) also known as the sidr tree is a real, identifiable tree native to the Middle East, and it appears—directly or indirectly—in Islam, Judaism, and later Christian tradition. The connections between the three faiths are not theological agreements but overlapping uses, names, and symbolic associations rooted in the same landscape.

Farm To Table Israel Connects People To The Land

Farm To Table Israel is transforming the traditional dining experience into a hands-on journey.

The Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, explained

Knowing about the concept of the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary helps explain a core idea in Islam.

The Air Tea Kettle creates a new way to meet plants and herbalism

Air Tea is a new technology. Instead of drinking tea, you inhale herbal vapor through warm air extraction. There is no water and no combustion. The warm air releases essential oils that are often lost in hot water and digestion.

Why Health Systems Are Reaching a Turning Point

Health emerges from a continuous energy and material flow from water through food to human physiology. Technical energy systems support this cycle through water treatment, agriculture, and infrastructure.
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