Water wars in the Middle East
“If many of the wars this century were about oil, those of the next century will be over water,”1 Ismail Serageldin, vice-president of the World Bank at the time, declared to Newsweek in 1995. Alongside the degradation of air quality and soil depletion, water resources’ quantity and quality are already defined as part of these […]
Op-Ed: In Israel, Water Prices Will Continue to Rise
On January 1st, the price of domestic water rose again in Israel. The cost of a cubic meter including sewage treatment is now 9.1 NIS for the first 3.5 cm a month and then 14.64 NIS for the rest. My neighbor reacted with frustration, “But we are blessed with such a good start to […]
Good Water Neighbors and Kosovo
This year Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME) forged a partnership with the Forum for Civic Initiatives (FIQ), a non-governmental organization in Kosovo dedicated to increasing citizens’ participation in decision-making processes. Aiming to exchange experiences and share some of the lessons learned from 10 years of community based environmental peacemaking, FoEME’s Good Water Neighbors […]
Waste(not)water for Agriculture
Reclaimed Water is Water for Farms Reclaimed water is wastewater that has been treated to improve its quality to render it usable to irrigate crops. Most of the crops grown in Palestine are rain-fed, which causes significant fluctuations in annual productivity[1]. However, supplementing rain-fed farming with irrigated farming using treated wastewater would greatly stabilize production.
Sealing The Pipes To Save Water In Palestine
To raise awareness about the region’s opportunities to conserve water in Palestine, Israel and Jordan, FoEME is launching campaigns to raise public awareness about important and eco-nomically sensible interventions that can be implemented to save water and increase the water supply to the Jordan River. In Palestine, although most of the population is connected to […]
The Tale of the Jordan Valley: Why We Must Protect the Lower Jordan River and the Dead Sea
Throughout history, the land of Jordan has been renowned for its verdant vegetation and wildlife. Ancient mosaics and stone engravings show pictures of lush fields filled with exotic animals. Known in the Bible as the “land of milk and honey,” the area was also described by more recent historians and travelers as green and abundant […]
“Water does not recognize borders” – Interview with FoEME staff Malek Abulfailat
You already know about our mission. Now it’s time to meet the men and women behind the curtain. This is the first post in a series of interviews of FoEME staff and affiliates. We hope you enjoy getting to know us better! Community work, participation, improving water economy, rehabilitation through strategic planning, as well as […]
The “Insights into Community Driven Water Demand Management” Symposium
Today, May 28th, 2012, FoEME attended a symposium funded by USAID, Jordan River Foundation, the Royal Scientific Society and Mercy Corps about possibly community based initiatives that can be taken to reduce demand for water in Jordan. At “Insights into Community Driven Water Demand Management,” held at the Sheraton Hotel in Amman, experts discussed possible […]
Come Kiss the Otter at FoEME and Global Nature Fund’s Green Week Booth in Brussels!
From May 22nd to May 25th, FoEME and its partner Global Nature Fund’s efforts to rehabilitate the Lower Jordan River will be spotlighted at the Green Week Conference in Brussels. This year the conference, aptly entitled “Every Drop Counts,” focuses on water; the FoEME and GNF booth will highlight the Lutra lutra, also known as […]
Reflections of an American Intern with Friends of the Earth Middle East
I use my cab rides to practice Arabic. After a day or two interning with Friends of the Earth Middle East, I mastered a new Arabic script: a FoEME elevator pitch for cab drivers. Oh, I heard about them on the radio, drivers would respond. I’ve interned with FoEME’s Amman office for the last two […]