An aquaduct in Petra – A Jordanian water conveyance system that is much less controversial! A major study published last week found levels of radioactive isotopes in Jordan’s Disi aquifer that far exceed international drinking water standards. The study, which was conducted by a team of Israeli, Palestinian, and Jordanian scientists and led by Duke […]
“Water, water everywhere/Nor any drop to drink…” Those immortal words in the poem “Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” by 18th century English romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge only help the emphasize the reality of the water crises that countries in the Middle East and other arid regions are now facing. As annual rainfall amounts become […]
As the dust settles on the recent round of violence between Israelis and Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, reports indicate that the environmental damage is another unfortunate byproduct of the war. The political situation aside, Gaza’s ecological conditions are already conducive to groundwater pollution. The sandy desert soil tends to absorb water – or pollutants […]
How do changemakers form bold ideas, and turn them into a massive project like a major documentary film? Today we talk with Courtney Nichols, producer of the new film Blood For Water, on how she came from the world of business to take on the global problem of water politics head on. She’s planning on turning […]
The video is a bit slow to start and speaks to a somewhat unsophisticated audience, but it introduces an important concept of charity in Islam (sadaqah jariyah), and why Muslims should support “Waqf” –– for the environment’s sake. Or at the very least political stability. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Waqf […]
According to Forbes (2006), she is the richest woman in the Middle East, with assets totaling $5.5 billion. Today she has found a way to merge business and do-gooding for the planet, setting an example for future environmental philanthropists and clean technology experts. Shari Arison, who inherited the Carnival Cruise Line’s fortune and her late […]
Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME) is a longtime advocate of sustainability and environmental peacebuilding in the region. Fresh off the pages of Time Magazine, where FoEME’s directors were recently named Heroes of the Environment 2008, FoEME is hosting a conference next week as part of the Pro-Aquifer project. Over the past two years, […]
A friend of mine recently asked me with great concern about the water supply from his tap – is it going to disappear tomorrow? Next week? We hear reports about all of the contamination of our water supplies, and we see the public service announcements in which the lovely model’s skin turns to bark before […]
Shari Arison, Israel’s wealthiest citizen, took advantage of the International Water Congress in Vienna to formally announce Miya. The new company aims to make a profit on cutting back water losses. Miya says one third of the world’s drinking water is lost through leaky pipes. CEO Booky Oren, a former chair of Israel’s national water […]