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 image. In just the past year, cities across MENA—from Dubai to Amman—have found themselves underwater after sudden, massive storms. These deluges aren’t freak weather—they’re a warning. And they’re finally forcing governments to rethink how cities are built, how water is managed, and how communities can adapt to climate change. We learn from an earthquake in Afghanistan that earthen buildings need to be retrofitted. What more can we learn?

A perfect storm of climate change, rapid urban growth, and geography is worsening flash flood risk across MENA:

• Climate volatility: As temperatures rise, rainstorms become more intense. Dubai recently received double its annual rainfall in just 24 hours—an unprecedented event that shut down airports and submerged neighborhoods. Similar events have struck Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain.
• Concrete jungles: Urban sprawl is replacing absorbing soil with impermeable concrete. Cities like Amman and Riyadh lack adequate drainage, causing stormwater to rush into streets rather than soak into the sand and soil.
• Wadi danger zones: MENA’s dry riverbeds—wadis—can become deadly torrents during heavy rainfall. In conflict-ridden places like Libya and Yemen, flash floods worsen humanitarian crises.

Flash floods are no longer seen as once-in-a-lifetime disasters—they’re becoming recurring disruptors that demand new thinking:

• Risk mapping ushers in smarter planning: Oman is actively mapping flood zones, classifying areas into high, medium, and low risk. Officials there are proposing 18 dams in vulnerable wadis to buffer future floods.
• Regional cooperation is emerging: The newly proposed MENA-WaFFNet (MENA Flash Flood Network) aims to unify scientific efforts across countries—Morocco to UAE—improving how flash floods are predicted, monitored, and managed.
• New tools are enabling early warnings: Programs like MEACAM offer real-time flood predictions to governments and communities, helping save lives before waters rise.

These policy shifts—from structural flood controls to science-backed warning systems—can change everything:

• Safer urban design: Building flood-aware infrastructure—like absorptive pavement, green spaces, and smart drainage—can reduce damage and save lives.
• Community resilience: Flood maps, early warnings, and local awareness empower residents to act before disaster strikes.
• Climate readiness: Managing water wisely in flash flood scenarios complements drought planning and secures the delicate balance of desert-edge living.

Flash floods are teaching us that in MENA’s rapidly changing climate, ignoring water management is no longer an option. Every flood is a lesson—and now, that lesson is reaching city halls and planning ministries. Governments are finally acknowledging that deserts can drown. From dams to data networks, policy is finally catching up—and future-proofing may become the norm, not the exception.

The post The Flash Flood Wave Redefining Policy in the MENA Region appeared first on Green Prophet.

In the volcanic highlands of northern Jordan, north of Amman engineers are mining a natural resource not for energy, but for agriculture. The material: crushed volcanic rock, now also processed into a mineral-rich soil that may hold the key to reducing water and fertilizer demand in arid regions.

The project is led by Watad, a Jordanian company founded in 2019. The firm processes volcanic rocks such as zeolite, basalt, and pozzolana into what it calls “volcanic soil”—a porous, salt-resistant substrate that improves water retention and plant growth in dry climates.

“There’s zeolite, like the one we have in the mine here. There is zeolitic tuff in one of the other mines we have. There are basalt and pozzolana,” said Ibrahim al-Manaseer, a mine engineer at the site near Mafraq in an interview with Reuters. “All of them are volcanic rocks that formed thousands of years ago.”

Watad currently produces around one million tons of volcanic soil annually, and its CEO, Mohannad al-Manaseer, says the company could scale up rapidly. al-Manaseer said the goal is to replace conventional fertilizers and soil additives with a more durable and environmentally stable alternative.

Early field reports suggest volcanic soil may reduce irrigation needs by up to 60% and cut fertilizer use by 80%. That could have significant implications for Jordan, which ranks as the second most water-scarce country in the world, with per capita water availability under 100 cubic meters per year, well below the UN’s threshold for extreme water stress.

When we visited Jordan we learned that hotels and homes get fresh water shipped to reservoirs weekly. Some people keep second hidden reservoirs to avoid running out.

Related: Jordan’s leading ecological organizations

While long-term studies are still needed to assess environmental and agronomic impacts across diverse ecosystems, the use of volcanic material in soil enhancement is not new. Zeolites, in particular, have been studied for decades due to their ion exchange and adsorption properties.

What’s novel is the scale—and the urgency. In a region where desertification, rising temperatures, and resource stress are converging, Jordan’s push to mine its volcanic past could represent a rare alignment of geology and necessity.

Jordan has been working with water cooperation with Israel and the Palestinian Authority over the last couple of decades through Friends of the Earth, Middle East – Ecopeace. They are working to broker small-scale local projects in education, but also are working on larger water for energy swaps. The October 7 terror attack changed the political outlook for Israel and Jordanian cooperation, two countries that have a signed peace treaty.

Time for water cooperation? 

The Wadi Araba Treaty established cooperation between Jordan and Israel on various matters, including water sharing. In November 2022, both Jordan and Israel signed a declaration of intent at the UN climate conference to rehabilitate and protect the Jordan River, aiming to reduce pollution and restore water flow.

A 2013 agreement involved developing a desalination plant in Aqaba, with potable water shared between Israel and Jordan, and increased water releases from Lake Tiberias to Jordan. But in November 2023, Jordan announced it would not sign a proposed water-for-energy deal with Israel, citing Israel’s actions in Gaza as the reason.

Jordan is currently advancing its own water security through the Aqaba–Amman Water Desalination and Conveyance Project, aiming to produce about 300 million cubic meters of clean drinking water annually. Jordan is landlocked except for a small strip of the Red Sea, where it is bordered by Israel and Saudi Arabia.

The Abraham Accords which is creating a peace treaty and regional cooperation between countries such as Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, will likely lead to water cooperation for a very dry Jordan.

::Wated

The post Jordan turns to ancient fire and mines volcanic soil to solve water crisis appeared first on Green Prophet.

Water-poor Jordan is home to numerous organizations dedicated to environmental conservation and sustainability. Here are ten prominent eco-organizations making significant contributions. Jordanians are extremely positive and friendly people. It’s worth a visit.

1. Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN): Established in 1966, RSCN is an independent national organization committed to protecting Jordan’s natural resources. It manages several nature reserves and spearheads efforts in wildlife conservation and environmental education.
   ::myjordanjourney.com
2. EcoPeace Middle East: This unique organization brings together Jordanian, Palestinian, and Israeli environmentalists to promote sustainable development and peace in the region. Their initiatives focus on water conservation, ecological rehabilitation, and fostering cross-border cooperation.
   ::ecopeaceme.org
3. Jordan Environmental Union (JEU): Serving as a national advocacy front, JEU comprises nine of Jordan’s most active environmental NGOs. Their collective efforts cover various environmental sectors, promoting stewardship and conservation across the country.
   :: jordanewe.com
4. Jordan Green Building Council (JGBC): Dedicated to promoting sustainable building practices, JGBC works to raise awareness and implement green building standards in Jordan’s construction industry.
5. Jordanian Friends of the Environment (JOFOE): This organization focuses on environmental education and awareness campaigns, encouraging community involvement in conservation efforts.
6. Energy Conservation and Environment Sustainability Society (ECESS): ECESS advocates for energy efficiency and the adoption of sustainable practices to reduce environmental impact.
7. Jordanian Society for Desertification Control and Badia Development (JSDCBD): Committed to combating desertification, this society implements projects aimed at land rehabilitation and sustainable development in arid regions.
8. Climate Action Network (CAN) Jordan: CAN Jordan works to address climate change by fostering partnerships among local communities, businesses, and government bodies, aiming to transition towards a sustainable society.
   ::prima-med.org
9. Jordanian Royal Ecological Diving Society (JREDS): Focusing on marine conservation, JREDS conducts activities related to the protection of marine ecosystems, particularly in the Gulf of Aqaba.
10. Edama Association: Edama is a business association that seeks innovative solutions in energy, water, and environment sectors, promoting sustainable development in Jordan.

Have an organization to add? Contact us walla@greenprophet.com

The post Jordan’s leading ecological organizations appeared first on Green Prophet.

Amman, Jordan’s bustling capital, is not just a city of ancient ruins and vibrant souks—it’s also home to a growing number of eco-friendly parks and green spaces. These areas offer a refreshing escape from urban life while promoting sustainability and environmental awareness. Here are ten eco-conscious parks and spaces you should explore in Amman:

1. Al Hussein Public Parks – A sprawling space with beautifully landscaped gardens, cultural exhibits, and recreational areas. It’s designed to promote environmental awareness through its natural features and sustainable landscaping.
2. King Hussein Park – Known for its wide-open green spaces, walking paths, and eco-friendly design, this park is perfect for families and nature lovers looking to unwind in an urban setting.
3. Sharhabil Bin Hassneh EcoPark – Located just outside Amman, this eco-park is a haven for biodiversity. It offers hiking trails, bird-watching spots, and environmental education programs focused on sustainability and conservation.
4. Jordan EcoPark – Nestled in the Jordan Valley, this park is a model for eco-tourism. Visitors can explore its diverse wildlife, scenic trails, and learn about local conservation efforts.
5. Wild Jordan Center – More than just a park, this eco-tourism hub in downtown Amman promotes sustainable living through eco-friendly workshops, organic products, and breathtaking views of the city.
6. The Hashemite Plaza – While known for its Roman ruins, the plaza also features green spaces that blend historical charm with sustainable urban design, creating a balance between culture and nature.
7. Prince Hashem Bird Garden – A peaceful sanctuary for bird lovers, this garden offers a safe habitat for local and migratory birds while educating visitors about avian conservation efforts.
8. Japanese Park – A serene space inspired by Japanese garden aesthetics, promoting harmony with nature and mindfulness through minimalist landscaping and eco-friendly principles.
9. King Abdullah Park – A favorite among locals, this park offers ample green space, shaded walking paths, and recreational facilities designed with environmental sustainability in mind.
10. Zahran Park – A community-focused park known for its lush greenery and commitment to maintaining a clean, eco-friendly environment for residents and visitors alike.

These parks showcase Amman’s dedication to blending green spaces with sustainable living, offering both locals and tourists a chance to connect with nature while supporting eco-friendly initiatives.

The post Top 10 Eco-Friendly Parks and Green Spaces in Amman, Jordan appeared first on Green Prophet.

The city of Tel Aviv on the Mediterranean Sea received the advanced grade A- in the ranking of the CDP, the largest international platform for measuring, managing and reporting the environmental data of companies and cities. This is a significant step up compared to the grades the municipality received in previous years, and its position is higher than the global average of all the reported cities.

The CDP is an international non-profit organisation based in the United Kingdom, Japan, India, China, Germany, Brazil and the United States that helps companies, cities, states, regions and public authorities disclose their environmental impact.

Tel Aviv has been reporting to the CDP voluntarily for a decade, and after joining C40 in 2018, an international network of cities committed to reducing the effects of the climate crisis and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, reporting became mandatory.

The report to the CDP includes the presentation of consumption and performance data on carbon emissions, energy consumption and runoff management, along with the presentation of a comprehensive climate plan that includes adaptation to climate change and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions while meeting the municipal goals of this plan.

Tel Aviv is a city that makes a lot of sense in the face of climate change. First of all the moderate weather means less heating in the winter. The environmental footprint of city-goers is low thanks to e-scooters, above ground trains and buses. New projects make Tel Aviv very walkable. Food is hyper local, usually sourced from farms not more than 50 miles away. The Mediterranean Diet! Low key, low cost recreation at night and on the beach make it a great city for locals and travellers. You can live in flip-flops. There are impact investors and super cool startups dealing with climate and the environment.

We interviewed Tel Aviv visitors this summer about climate change. Here is what they say.

Problems in Tel Aviv? Asbestos is everywhere. Noise pollution. Violence from electric scooters on the sidewalks in Tel Aviv and Jaffa. Pollution and plastics in the sea. High cost of living, rents and dining out. Over-fishing.

More good sides? Its sister sister Jaffa. Ariel Weil writes a green guide to Jaffa here.

Tel Aviv’s mayor Ron Huldai says, “Thinking about sustainability, green energy, runoff management and climate change assessments is part of the DNA of the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality, and the significant increase in the ranking in the CDP index proves this.

“The city of Tel Aviv-Yafo is one of the leading cities in the world in climate protection policy and we are members of the C40 leadership organization along with a network of leading cities in the world, working together on the issue. These are not words, we are committed to actions. We will continue to promote and implement the urban climate plan, formulate new plans and expand the green areas in the city, to ensure that we, our children and grandchildren can continue to enjoy life in the city and in Israel as a whole.

There is no doubt that the municipal efforts that include climate risk assessment, the implementation of the action plan to prepare for climate change in broad municipal cooperation, together with the channels of action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions place the city of Tel Aviv-Yafo on the international map. Reporting to the CDP plays a significant role in promoting sustainability and corporate responsibility.

Having a great CDP score means taking responsibility on the urban carbon footprint and encourages it to take significant steps to improve performance and reduce emissions, including risk management from climate change. Investors are increasingly considering environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors when making investment decisions in the city. Reporting to the CDP demonstrates the municipality’s commitment to addressing climate-related risks and can improve investor confidence in the assets and companies that operate within it.

Outlining Tel Aviv’s journey

The first step jump in the Tel Aviv- Yafo municipality’s score in the CDP index occurred in 2020 after the publication of the action plan for preparing for climate change. This program is the first program in Israel for preparing for climate change, and was built after mapping the main threats that the city faces in the context of climate. The action plan focuses on two key tasks – cooling the city and water management.

The channels of action include a variety of nature-based solutions such as planting trees as part of an urban goal of 100,000 trees by 2030 (well Tel Aviv also wants to cut down important trees, let’s not forget) and improving natural percolation in the city by adding runoff retention ponds. This year’s report included a reference to all the actions that were taken, and the high score received indicates a good implementation of the plan in the municipality, and meeting the goals while referring to the climate risks.

We would like to add that this is the first year that the municipality has reported on actions included in the mitigation program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The plan will soon be published to the public and includes reference to three main sectors: energy, waste and transportation with measurable targets for reducing emissions. The goals set in the program are ambitious goals that are in line with leading cities in the world and refer to a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and zero emissions by 2050.

The high rating received by the Tel Aviv- Yafo municipality in this year’s index indicates that it places the climate and sustainability field at the top of its priorities. The municipality invests resources in the field of climate and deals with it in a serious and professional manner; Both in terms of analyzing the risks and understanding them, setting ambitious long-term goals and in terms of applicable channels of action in the variety of sectors and arenas of action.

CDP-ICLEI Track is the world’s leading climate reporting platform and progress accountability mechanism for cities. Tracking over 1,100 cities’ climate action in 2021. There are now 119 cities on the ‘A List’, show that action to tackle climate change is becoming mainstream for many of the world’s urban areas, including in the Global South.

Amman, Istanbul (great for second hand clothes!) and Kadıköy also made the A list.

The post Tel Aviv gets an A- for sustainable city appeared first on Green Prophet.

In the Middle East’s November, the landscape changes from dry, brown summer to soft green. After a week of good rain, you’ll see clovers and fuzzy hints of wild grasses sprouting everywhere -between the cracks in the sidewalk, along road medians, and in gardens. This bodes well for the produce of late fall.

Fruit of November:

Olives are still on some trees, left to ripen and turn black for late harvest. If you don’t mind stooping, you can pick quite a lot from those that fell to the ground. Good olive pickings are found in national parks. 

Here’s the Green Prophet way to preserve olives. Black, wrinkled ones don’t require much time, and sometimes all they need is to be packed in salt.

Persimmons are fat and orange, but most aren’t quite ripe. Buy, but put them aside a day or two until they soften.

Avocados are fat and green, and their price has gone down. In the shuk (market), there’s usually a stand of avocados ripe for eating, which the vendor is desperate to sell before they go too soft. Select some, but beware signs of bruising on the flesh. One way to tell if an avocado is good is to scratch the little nub of stem off the top. If the patch of flesh under it is a healthy green, buy the avocado. If it’s a sad brown, reject it.

Apples and pears are in full season. Here, the best pears are the unassuming-looking, little green ones. They feel wooden in the hand until they ripen, and then they’re far more flavorful than any imported pear.

Make your own applesauce with our easy recipe. 

Citrus fruit is best after the first rain, so pick up all that vitamin C in fruit shape. Oranges, clementines, lemons, yellow and red grapefruit and pomelos are sweet and juicy now. Lemons are especially suited to freezing. Just rinse and pat them dry, and stash them in the freezer, whole. They’ll be mushy when thawed out, but easy to juice.

Dragon fruit and bananas are in season. There are still plenty of pomegranates.

Pineapples of a reasonable size are available too, where once they were tiny and sort of sad-looking. 

If you like guavas, now is the season. Some people can’t abide them, but I like them, and buy a couple every year just to set out on a plate and enjoy the pungent fragrance.

Vegetables in season in November

Rain brings on glorious vegetables. Leafy greens in season now are kale, Swiss chard, fat lettuces, leeks, and artichokes. 

Jerusalem artichokes, kohlrabi and fennel are worth buying right now. Cucumbers, hothouse tomatoes, pumpkins, and squashes are abundant and (relatively) cheap.

Beets, potato varieties, celeriac, carrots of different colors and red and purple sweet potatoes are good, although root vegetables will be even better in October and December.

Cauliflower and broccoli are recovering from summer’s heat. They were available at the beginning of the month, but not advisable; now they’re worth buying. Just turn the package around to inspect them closely, and if you can handle the vegetable itself, check for insect infestation.

Have you tried our garlicky vegan cauliflower recipe? It’s divine. 

Onions, which looked withered in summer, are now plump and firm. Eggplants, which shriveled with exhaustion just a month ago, have perked up with cooler weather. You can buy large baladi (heritage) eggplants with their attractive ridges and big flavor, and for a short while, baby eggplants for pickling.

See (and cook) our recipe for eggplants stuffed with cheese and tomatoes.

Bell peppers of all colors are looking firm and good. But chili-heads beware: if you’re looking for hot peppers, hurry up and buy some now, because in winter, hot peppers aren’t very hot. 

Mushrooms are grown in specialty farms, but somehow are more beautiful in cooler weather. Mushroom prices are reasonable, and shops offer several different varieties.

Herbs in Season in November

The herbs you love are for sale in big bunches tied with rubber bands.There’s watercress, basil, rocket, dill, tarragon, chives, thyme (good for hanging up and drying), scallions, mint, coriander leaf, parsley,  and sour grass. 

Woody herbs like rosemary, za’atar, sage, and bitter wormwood (sheeba) for tea are in full leaf too.  Are you wondering how to use za’atar, pictured above? Here’s focaccia with an olive and za’atar topping.

Forager’s notes for November:

Writing in mid-November, I haven’t seen any great abundance of wild herbs. Nettles and chickweed are just sprouting and not noticeable unless you’re keeping an eye out for them. Look for mallows and wild beets in December.

The post November’s Seasonal Produce appeared first on Green Prophet.

Here in sleepy, post-Ramadan Amman, I am slowly adjusting to recent underemployment. My head loops with pithy proverbs as I stumble through “work days” newly freed from work.  And those ancient sayings? My sense of recall reveals me for the Yankee workhorse that I am.

A penny saved is a penny earned. Waste not, want not. Idle hands are the devil’s workshop. He that lies down with dogs shall rise up with fleas (that last popped to mind after stealing a nap with the pup, I think more Catholic guilt than Puritan ethics).

So it occurs to look for the silver lining in all this free time. I’m in the house more now – what’s bothering me about that? Let’s start with the wall of shelves in a room where I write.  Practical storage for dusty photo albums, a decades’ worth of Guinness World Records, bags of unknit yarn, and hundreds of CDs (you remember CDs, don’t you?); each calls to me like a siren to a shipwreck of potentially wasted time.

How to quiet their enchanting voices so I can write?  Out of sight, out of mind (oy, these sayings!) – I need a screen.

An amazing market pops up in downtown Amman every weekend.  On Thursday morning, the vendors of Souk Abdeli set up their racks of clothes and tables crammed with housewares and toys under a roof of orange and blue tarpaulins. The shops stay open for a continuous 48 hours, sellers sleep under their tables in shifts.

Inventory changes with the seasons. Winter was all about woolens.  Stacks of scarves appear in summer. And what better place to shop for headscarves than the Middle East?  They come in cotton, polyester, mystery fiber – and creamy, lush silk.  Plunge your arms into tabletop tangles and feel for your fiber of choice.

About half are damaged (stained or slightly torn) – you won’t know for certain until you get your catch home for closer inspection. Prices range from 4 for a dinar, to 2 dinar each (in USD, that’s 35 cents to under 3 bucks!), so slap on your game face and get your haggle on. Go home, rinse them in soapy water, hang them to air dry (20 minutes in Jordan sunshine), and iron them flat. I am obsessed.

For this project, I gathered my pocket-hankie-sized specimens (do people really empty their noses into silk? I mean, really?). Measure the area to be covered, and add about 20% to the width for a slight billow.  Group scarves with acceptable neighbors and machine sew them into long panels.  Next sew the panels together, and do a quick hem at the top for a curtain rod. (I went with an Ikea tension cable).  Better tailors than me would probably hem the curtain all around.

And there you have it.  A colorful swatch of sartorial history; once-swanky accessories donated by European women to their local charity shops, ending up in a Middle East souk, and bought by an idle American who is adjusting to life without a business card.

The souk reopens this weekend.  Wonder what can I do with with old t-shirts?

The post Arab souk in Amman is treasure chests for do-it-yourselfer! Here’s my journey appeared first on Green Prophet.

Amman, Jordan is enjoying a mild summer, but air conditioners (AC) have been buzzing for months.  The house teen spotted a sluggishness in her bedroom unit’s performance – the conditioned air is tepid, the mechanical breeze limp. Damn, mom, another broken appliance!?

The engineer husband wearily shakes his head.  Unplugs the unit and teaches the kid some basic AC maintenance. Turns out to be embarrassingly easy.  And if an attitude-y 16 year old can do it, so can you.

ACs are simple machines, and maintenance is also basic.  (Maurice has shown how you can rejigger your units to capture precious condensate and use the water to irrigate houseplants – link here). 

The primary way to keep your AC purring like the coolest of cats is to change its filter. Every unit has a removable filter to capture airborne dirt, dust, and here in the Middle East, sand. If filter fibers clog up, air flow is minimized and the unit becomes asthmatic. A wheezing AC is inefficient, meaning you’ll run it longer and consume upwards of 10% more energy.

Here’s the fix:

– Turn off the AC.

– Find the filter:

a. Filters in window and wall-mounted units will be located near the AC front panel, near the vents. Open the panel and slide out the filter.  It can look like either of the two images above – or similar.

b. Central air filters are usually placed behind air vents running along a return air duct (scan your walls and                    ceiling for a vent panel). Carefully remove the panel to access the filter.

c. Stumped? Check the user manual or Google the make/model for manufacturer’s guidance.

 – Most filters are washable, and can be rinsed with plain water in a sink or tub. Not sure if yours can handle a bath? Then wipe it with a damp rag to remove surface debris. If it’s still dingy, take it to a hardware store and get a replacement.

– Know that filters vary by size, material, and performance. Each is graded on its minimum reporting value (MERV). The higher the MERV rating (a scale of 1 to 12), the more cleaning power it has. Higher ratings are better suited for air handling in medical or industrial settings, or in buildings seeking green building status. For home use, stick with filters graded around 7.

– Pop the cleaned or new filter back in the unit, replace the panels, and remember to repeat it every month that the AC is in use.

You are so cool.

The post A DIY hack to make your air conditioner cooler appeared first on Green Prophet.

Jordan is becoming a heavyweight on the global stage, but this is nothing to puff up about.  The kingdom is among the world’s worst countries for obesity according to Oxfam’s World Food Index 2013, with 33% of standing Jordanians unable to see their feet. Over 14% of the population is also diabetic.

Nearly 18% of Saudis suffer from that disease. Saudi also lumbered away with the trophy for “worst in the unhealthy eating index”, perfectly understandable for a nation whose fast food market is expected to reach $4.5 billion in gross sales by 2015, driven by growing demand from its young, western-influenced population, and higher disposable incomes.

The just-released report named Kuwait as the hub of chub, with 42% of its people obese. Saudi Arabia came in second, tied with America and Egypt, where almost one in every three citizens is obese.

Nations were ranked on the availability, quality and affordability of food and dietary health. The percentage of underweight children, diabetes incidence, food diversity and access to clean water also weighed into the scores.

European countries emerged as top performers with African nations predominant in the bottom thirty.  Yemen (ranked 121 of 125) has one of the worst nutrition rates and the most underweight children.

Oxfam figures show 840 million people go hungry every day, partly due to the way food is produced and distributed. They blame food shortages on prohibitive trading agreements and underinvestment in infrastructure in developing nations. Biofuel targets that divert crops from food markets and the impact of climate change also have significant impact; research suggests that climate change could raise the number of people at risk of hunger by 20% to 50% by 2050.

Oxfam compiled the data between October and December 2013 using information from the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Foundation, and the International Labour Organization to provide a snapshot of the relative differences in 125 countries.

“Over-consumption, misuse of resources and waste are common elements of a system that leaves hundreds of millions without enough to eat,” the organization said in a statement posted on its website.

Top-ranked Netherlands was said to have “the most plentiful, nutritious, healthy and affordable diet, beating France and Switzerland into second place”.  Chad is last place, behind Ethiopia and Angola.

Globally, obesity is deadlier than hunger.  Chew on that.

Image of large belly from Shutterstock

The post In Jordan, 33 percent standing can’t see their feet appeared first on Green Prophet.

They have upcycled dozens of cypress trees destroyed by recent heavy weather in Amman.

Named “Cypress Memory”, the three-phase art project emerged in the aftermath of December’s “Storm Alexa” when over 1,800 trees within the campus’ historic forests were destroyed by heavy ice.  Amman’s streets were clogged with downed branches and upsided tree trunks for weeks afterwards, but where most saw reason to complain about sluggish municipal reaction, Khasawneh saw an opportunity to let imagination soar.

“We asked ourselves, how can we make these trees into something artistic and beautiful, and turn a catastrophe into art?”, he told BarakaBits. Using Twitter and Facebook to broadcast the project, Khasawneh incited over 50 students and university staff to brave the frigid weather and take up the terrifying tools of the tree-cutting trade – chainsaws and axes, cherry-picking lifts and hammers.

On January 5 they began transforming the organic wreckage into a swiftly designed sculpture garden.  People worked individually or in teams, creating 30 different pieces. Each work symbolizes a unique message either specifically about the storm, or about the state of the Arab world in general.

“We worked with the trees for 10 days, from morning to evening,” said Khasawneh, “We loved that everyone expressed what he wanted from inside himself, transforming this chaos into something beautiful and returning life to broken branches.”

There’s an eye-grabbing cache of giant colored pencils. Student Jasmine al-Kurdi tackled the notion of tyrannical power. Khasawneh described his own creation, entitled “Containment”, as symbolizing “how many people from different faculties, sects, and religions studied under these sheltering trees”, a reminder that we are all from one source, the earth.

Support from the university community and wider Amman has been strong, and students have grown fiercely protective of the new “forest” of art.  When a sculpture was vandalized, the artists created five more.

[youtube]http://youtu.be/kFbXWQPxNkU[/youtube]

“We are determined to keep working,” Khasawneh said, “All we need is financial support.” He plans to commence Phase Two, to be called “Spring Memory”, will commence this month if funds can be raised for materials and tools. “Summer Memory”, the final phase, targets a May start, and will feature artists from across the world.

See a video of Phase One, below.  Interested in supporting these artistic tree-cutters?  Contact the professor via his Facebook page (link here).

All images from Professor Khasaweh’s Facebook page

The post Broken trees from epic storm sprout public art at Jordan University appeared first on Green Prophet.