Desalination’s negative environmental risks can outweigh the benefits, argues our environmental lawyer blogger Josh. Israel will quadruple its output of desalinated water by 2050, according to a report released by the country’s Water Authority Council. The government will also encourage construction of new desalination facilities on manmade islands. These measures will ensure a continuous stream […]
Water conservation policies are being promoted in the naturally water poor nation of United Arab Emirates Considering that the United Arab Emirates is located in harsh and arid desert, the fact that the average resident uses around 364 liters of water a day – way above the global average of 200 litres- is surprising. Natural […]
Power and water are inextricably linked in the rapidly growing Middle East. An exhibit hopes to green up both Desalination and water treatment have seen massive growth in the MENA region, which has now emerged as the largest market in the world. The region will have to build approximately three million cubic meters per day […]
We’ll need huge desalination projects to meet the world’s future fresh water needs – but the energy to do it will be in short supply Reducing the fossil energy needed in desalination is simply critical to a sustainable future, as we cover here, frequently, because the MENA nations are at the forefront of the issue: Saudi […]
Water rich or water poor? Doomed by desalination or dealing with the problem? Get the facts on Israel’s water situation. Following my latest post on water recycling and desalination in Israel, some commentators have raised questions about the seemingly contradictory facts on Israel and water. Whilst the Israeli water authority constantly warns of a water […]
Desalination is an expensive and energy-intensive way of removing salt from water to make it potable – Israel hopes it will provide 75% of its drinkable water by 2013 Despite several problems with the use of desalination (such as high costs and energy usage) and calls from experts to consider other options first, the Middle […]
When is energy-intensive desalination a last resort? One of humankind’s worst tragedies is currently unfolding in the Horn of Africa, and it is caused by the absence of water. Two years of failed rain, and subsequent drought and famine, is responsible for the daily deaths of roughly 2,000 people in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia. According to […]
IDE Technologies wins ‘Best Company of 2011’ – but is it truly the best green company? Selected from among 15 Israeli clean technology companies, Israeli-global company IDE Technologies was recently awarded the title of ‘Best Company of 2011’ by the 2011 Cleantech Exhibition. The company was granted the award for its contribution to the field […]
The Abu Dhabi Farmers Services Center is promoting technology that can potentially set Abu Dhabi farmers free from water constraints. Abu Dhabi farmers may be able to grow food with water pulled out of dense air. With just four days back up supply of water, and desalination projects usurping considerable energy, Abu Dhabi is facing […]
Gulf States such as the UAE may now depend on expensive desalination technology for their water, but in the past they relied on more sustainable forms of water conservation In the arid landscapes of Oman and the United Arab Emirates, water has always been a huge issue. Whilst desalination which removes salt from water may […]
Saudi spends billions to win the food war. Without its oil wealth, Saudi Arabia’s 27 million inhabitants would eventually starve. At a recent social event, the country’s Minister of Agriculture Fahd Balghunaim warned that the ratio of food and water in the kingdom is perilously out of balance. But oil wealth currently ensures that its own […]
UAE high school students have a chance to flex their eco-blogging muscles for Green Prophet’s writing competition. Green Prophet is launching a blogging competition for green-minded UAE students. In order to encourage students to think about environmental issues in the Emirates and the role that they play in improving them, we are inviting students from across […]
Unsurprisingly, since water scarcity is at the forefront of the cause of most of the troubles in the Middle East, MENA nations dominated the 2011 Global Water Awards held in Berlin this week. Almost half of the international winners were from the Middle East, but surprisingly, traditional fossil-fueled water projects dominated the awardees. Advanced cleantech […]
Will the EU exploit the MENA region’s solar resource for mutual or singular gain? The Trans-Mediterranean Renewable Energy Cooperation (TREC) was formed in 2003 to find energy and clean water solutions for the Middle East, North Africa (known collectively as MENA), and the European Union (EU). A series of reports demonstrates that it is feasible […]
IBM builds a solar power desalination pilot plant in Saudi Arabia. News that Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest market for desalination plants, is planning future solar-powered reverse and osmosis projects has been met with general enthusiasm by environmentalists and non-environmentalists alike. However, while politicians in the region play up the significant advantages of modern desalination, […]
Saudi Arabia is investing huge sums to diversify its water supply, while at the same time fanning a booming construction industry. Will the latter negate the former? Desertification, depletion of underground water sources, and lack of perennial rivers or permanent water bodies are among Saudia Arabia’s greatest environmental challenges. In part, these are being met […]
IDE’s new desalination plant in China is powered by excess heat from power plant nearby. Israel has been a world leader in desalination technology and projects by through companies like Tahal and IDE Technologies. IDE has already constructed more than 400 desalination plants in 40 countries, including at least 3 in Israel – the world’s […]
How governments respond to water woes will determine the future stability of the Middle East. It’s impossible to point to any one issue and claim it as the final explanation for the protests unnerving leaders in the Middle East. Weeks ago one Tunisian man set himself on fire when he was told he couldn’t sell […]
Qatar will secure 70% food security in the country by exploiting the latest technology to make its barren land arable. Roughly as large as Connecticut, Qatar relies almost exclusively on imports for food with only 10% of the country’s edibles produced within its own borders. Unlike other Gulf countries that are usurping African land to […]
Israel’s new desalination plan, water cooperation in the Middle East, Solaris Synergy, and more headlines related to Israeli cleantech and the environment. Following reports that the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) only rose 16 centimeters in January, the Israeli government moved quickly earlier this week to pass an emergency plan that will increase desalination production capabilities. […]
Jordan will be the location of the Sahara Forest Project which uses solar power to create clean water and electricity for agriculture Whilst deserts can be the harshest and most inhabitable places in earth, they are also the perfect locations for new-fangled green technologies such as solar power. For example, Jordan has recently announced its […]
Hopefully, the UAE’s new solar energy desalination process will help create more green water. Abu Dhabi’s Environment Agency is testing a new solar energy desalination system that is much more environmentally friendly, as well as less costly, according to the English language Dubai News. The process is said to be a “zero-carbon process which helps […]
Water theme parks, like this one in the UAE, won’t reduce high water tariffs from desalination Saudi Arabia’s plans to increase water tariffs for non-residents, due to the high cost of producing desalinated fresh water, has an all too familiar ring in today’s increasing reliance on desalination in water scarce regions like the Middle East. […]
Can you guess where this winterland is located? In Dubai! In the middle of the desert. In a recent post, Pablo from Treehugger (a site we deeply admire) concluded that Ski Dubai’s indoor ski slope is not that bad. He based this conclusion on a beautifully calculated analysis of the facility’s energy consumption compared to […]
Bahrain intends to save its portion of the Gulf before the ship sinks by staging and practicing its response to a major oil spill. In an alarming testament to the bizarre times in which we live, Bahrain is planning a new kind of drill. As small children we listened eagerly for the sound of the […]
