[This is a monthly roundup of news articles and other materials related to environmental issues in the Middle East. It does not reflect the views of the Environment Page of Jadaliyya.]
Regional News
Extreme Sixth Century Droughts in Arabia Linked to Rise of Islam, Report Says
Middle East Eye (1 July 2022)
A paper published by scholars at the University of Basel and the University of Massachusetts Amherst argues that ongoing extreme drought in Arabia was one factor contributing to the decline of the Himyarite Kingdom and the rise of Islam.
Keywords: Climate & Weather, Water
COVID Comedown: Arab Region Faces Torrid Tourism Reckoning
The New Arab (4 July 2022)
The return of tourism to the Middle East brings economic opportunity at the detriment of the natural environment.
Keywords: Tourism, Waste, Pollution, Climate & Weather
Russia-Ukraine War: Global Chickpea Shortage Threatens Hummus Supply
Middle East Eye (8 July 2022)
New data from the Global Pulse Confederation indicates global chickpea production could fall by up to twenty percent this season due to weather conditions and war.
Keywords: Food & Agriculture
Soaring Food Prices Put Damper on Eid Al-Adha in Mid-East
Middle East Monitor (8 July 2022)
Increasing food and feed costs leave many unable to afford Eid Al-Adha traditions.
Keywords: Food & Agriculture
OPEC and Maximum Production: What Is Sustainable?
Middle East Institute (13 July 2022)
Pressure for OPEC to increase oil production has led to much speculation about what the maximum potential actually is.
Keywords: Natural Resources, Energy
Heeding Calls from Environmentalists, South Sudan President Suspends Dredging of Sudd Wetland
Yale Environment 360 (13 July 2022)
In May Egypt supplied South Sudan with equipment to dredge the Sudd Wetland, which would relieve flooding and increase downstream Nile water flows. Opposition from activists and the South Sudanese government has halted the project until the environmental ministry conducts impact assessments.
Keywords: Water, Wildlife
Resilience of Red Sea Coral Holds Key to Marine Conservation
The New Arab (18 July 2022)
Coral in the Gulf of Aqaba shows unique resilience to climate change.
Keywords: Wildlife, Water
Algeria
Algeria on High Alert as Fires Rip through Neighbour Morocco
The New Arab (18 July 2022)
The Algerian Agriculture Ministry declared a state of high alert for wildfires due to high temperatures.
Keywords: Climate & Weather
Egypt
Egypt: Red Sea Beaches Close after Deadly Shark Attack
BBC (3 July 2022)
Two tourists were fatally attacked by a shark near the city of Hurghada, leading to the closure of Red Sea beaches.
Keywords: Tourism, Wildlife
Demolition Deadline about To Pass for Cairo's Historic Houseboats
Al Jazeera (4 July 2022)
The deadline before authorities intervene in the removal of houseboats in Cairo, recently ruled as illegal, approaches as residents must collect their belongings.
Keywords: Urban Planning, Historic Preservation
Fears that Egypt May Use Cop27 To Whitewash Human Rights Abuses
The Guardian (29 July 2022)
Egypt will host the 2022 United Nation Climate Change Conference in November. Some fear the event will be used to distract from human rights abuses.
Keywords: Climate & Weather
Iran
A Strong Earthquake Has Killed at least 5 in Southern Iran
NPR (2 July 2022)
A 6.3 magnitude earthquake in southern Iran killed at least five and injured at least forty-four more.
Keywords: Climate & Weather
New Coronavirus Wave Sweeps Iran
Iran Focus (13 July 2022)
There has been a sharp increase in the number of patients recorded as being hospitalized for COVID-19. Health officials’ previous remarks, however, raise concern that true figures are much higher than announced.
Keywords: Health
Forty Percent of Iran's Mines Shut Down
Iran Focus (13 July 2022)
Iran’s mining sector has suffered over the last decade as the government puts pressure on contractors to increase revenue which often leads to project abandonment.
Keywords: Natural Resources
Truth on the Spread of Addiction in Iran and Regime's Goals
Iran Focus (16 July 2022)
Some feel promoting addiction is a tool used to suppress protest in Iran.
Keywords: Health
Several Arrests at Protest over Dying Iranian Lake
BBC (17 July 2022)
Lake Urmia, once the world’s second largest salt lake, is disappearing due to drought, agriculture, and damming. Police have arrested several protesting the near disappearance.
Keywords: Water, Tourism, Infrastructure, Food & Agriculture
Flooding in Southern Iran Kills at least 22 People
The Guardian (23 July 2022)
A heavy rain event around the Estahban county area caused flooding killing at least twenty-two people.
Keywords: Climate & Weather, Water
Days of Deadly Floods and Landslides Wreak Havoc in Iran
Al Jazeera (31 July 2022)
Over a week of flash flooding across Iran causes severe damage.
Keywords: Climate & Weather, Water
Iraq
Psychotherapists Help Yazidis Heal Layers Of Trauma In Iraq
Al Jazeera (10 July 2022)
A psychotherapy clinic in Duhok seeks to train therapists in treating trauma after years of war.
Keywords: Health
Iraq's Karbala Oil Refinery To Start Production before Year End
Reuters (18 July 2022)
The Karbala Oil Refinery south of Baghdad is set to begin refinery operations at the end of the year, with potential to produce up to 140,000 barrels of oil daily.
Keywords: Energy, Natural Resources, Infrastructure
Morocco
Firefighters Struggle to Contain Wildfires in Northern Morocco
Al Jazeera (15 July 2022)
High temperatures, strong winds, and drought lead to wildfires across northern Morocco.
Keywords: Climate & Weather
Photos: Firefighters, Soldiers Battle Morocco's Forest Blazes
Al Jazeera (18 July 2022)
Photos capture blazes of fires in northern Morocco and crews working to control the flames.
Keywords: Climate & Weather
Lebanon
L’Orient Le Jour (2 July 2022)
Damage to a key pipe of the Beirut water network has caused supply interruptions for two weeks, and will require another two weeks to repair.
Keywords: Infrastructure, Water
No Texts, Calls or Wi-Fi: Lebanese React to Steep Increase of Telecom Tariffs
L’Orient Le Jour (6 July 2022)
New telecom tariffs went into effect on August 1, causing outrage among customers. Protesters marched from the Energy Ministry in response to the increases and electrical shortages.
Keywords: Infrastructure
L'Opérateur des Centrales D'edl Rétablit le Courant, après des Contacts ''au plus Haut Niveau''
L’Orient Le Jour (6 July 2022)
Primesouth cut power supply across Lebanon for two hours in response to the accumulation of delayed payments.
Keywords: Energy
Innovative Motorist Navigates the Streets of Saida in a Self-Designed Solar-Powered Car
L’Orient Le Jour (7 July 2022)
Amid the energy crisis in Lebanon, a resident has equipped his electric vehicle to recharge via solar panels.
Keywords: Energy
As More Lebanese Ditch Their Cars for Motorcycles, Refugees Become Even More Vulnerable
L’Orient Le Jour (7 July 2022)
Motorcycles gain popularity amid soaring gas prices leading to greater crackdowns on unregistered vehicles.
Keywords: Energy
Non-Native Jellyfish Swarm North Lebanon's Coast
L’Orient Le Jour (12 July 2022)
Venomous jellyfish gather on the north coast of Lebanon. Experts say not to worry about the presence of the non-native species.
Keywords: Wildlife
“Sort at the Source!” Women in South Lebanon Wait for No Savior
Assafir Arabi (15 July 2022)
The town of Arabsalim has self-managed living waste-free since 1995 thanks to the leadership of local women.
Keywords: Waste
Army Choppers Seen Dowsing Blaze at Beirut Port’s Grain Silos
L’Orient Le Jour (16 July 2022)
The Lebanese army deployed a helicopter to port silo remains as fires have repeatedly erupted at the site in recent days.
Keywords: Infrastructure
Silos Damaged in 2020 Beirut Port Explosion Partly Collapse after Fire
The Guardian (31 July 2022)
Fermenting grain caused a weeks-long fire in silo remnants left from the 2020 Beirut explosion, leading to further collapse.
Keywords: Infrastructure, Food & Agriculture
Libya
Libyan Oil Firm Chief Denounces Tripoli's Move To Replace Him
Al Jazeera (14 July 2022)
A standoff for power over appointing the Libyan National Oil Corporation chairman puts the company in the middle of tensions between Libya’s government in Tripoli and the energy committee of Libya’s eastern-based parliament.
Keywords: Energy
Palestine, Israel, and Jordan
Israel Shoots Down Hezbollah Drones Heading for Gas Rig
BBC (2 July 2022)
Rising tensions between Israel and Lebanon over jurisdiction of the Karish gas field in the Mediterranean leads Israel to strike down a Hezbollah drone.
Keywords: Natural Resources
'A Disaster': Aqaba Port Unsafe for Years, Say Gas Leak Survivors
Al Jazeera (5 July 2022)
A tank with twenty-five tonnes of chlorine gas fell at the Aqaba Port, killing thirteen and wounding hundreds more. Aqaba Port Corporation employees held a week-long strike following the incident.
Keywords: Health, Labor
Jordanian Recycling Initiative Turns Plastic Waste into Fuel
The New Arab (7 July 2022)
The recycling project Karak Star converts paper waste into egg cartons, and is developing the capacity to convert plastic waste into cheap fuel.
Keywords: Waste, Energy
'The Sea Is More Blue': Gazans Head to the Beach after Sewage Cleanup
The Guardian (8 July 2022)
A local ocean cleanup effort restores Gazan beaches to be clean enough for swimming for the first time in years.
Keywords: Pollution, Waste, Water, Restoration
Qatar
Shell Buys Stake in Qatari Gas Field Expansion Project
Al Jazeera (5 July 2022)
Shell has joined QatarEnergy’s project to expand production of the largest natural gas field in the world.
Keywords: Natural Resources, Energy
Rare July Rain in Qatar as Storms Hit Gulf
Al Jazeera (28 July 2022)
Thunderstorms hit Qatar in unusual July weather, causing floods. Rain is expected to continue.
Keywords: Weather & Climate
Saudi Arabia
This Eid Al-Adha, the New Rules for Hajj Have Left Many Frustrated
NPR (9 July 2022)
Mecca is open to international travelers for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, but new COVID regulations bring new frustrations to visitors.
Keywords: Health, Tourism
Saudi Artists Confront Change as Kingdom Shifts
BBC (9 July 2022)
As Saudi Arabia seeks modernization, local artists preserve memories in their works of areas changing with the reforms.
Keywords: Art, Urban Planning
Biden’s Saudi Trip Is Framed as Centering on National Security, but Oil Is the Most Urgent Factor
New York Times (13 July 2022)
The White House has presented Biden’s trip to Saudi Arabia as attending to a wide range of national security issues, but oil remains the primary concern of the visit.
Keywords: Energy, Natural Resources
Saudi Arabia’s Neom Megacity Dreams Get Wilder, Enriching Foreign Consultants
Middle East Eye (15 July 2022)
The Al-Howeitat tribe have been displaced from the Tabuk province, where they have lived for centuries, for the construction of the futuristic megacity Neom. Tribespeople report not receiving promised compensation or being jailed for protesting, while city planning consultants have been receiving large tax free salaries.
Keywords: Urban Planning, Land
US, Saudi Arabia Pledge Moves To Stabilise Global Energy Markets
Al Jazeera (16 July 2022)
A joint statement from the US and Saudi Arabia states the countries will collaborate on balancing global oil markets, climate, and energy transition following a visit from Biden.
Keywords: Energy
Syria
Israel Strike on Syria Hits Poultry Farms, Wounds Two Civilians, Ministry Says
Middle East Eye (2 July 2022)
Israel conducts airstrikes on poultry farms claiming they were being used by Hezbollah.
Keywords: Food & Agriculture
Climate Change and War Send Syria's Bees Further Afield
Al Jazeera (6 July 2022)
Syrian beekeepers struggle to find land for their bees due to climate change, displacement, and war leading to continually decreasing yields.
Keywords: Food & Agriculture
Türkiye
Food Crisis: Ukraine Grain Export Deal Reached with Russia, Says Turkey
BBC (22 July 2022)
Following two months of negotiations, Türkiye, Ukraine, Russia, and the UN have reached a deal to export the twenty million tons of grain stuck in Ukraine in an effort to address the global food crisis.
Keywords: Food & Agriculture
Russia Strikes Ukraine's Black Sea Port of Odesa Hours after Grain Deals Signed
NPR (23 July 2022)
Ukraine reports at least four Russian missiles struck the Port of Odesa less than twenty-four hours after signing a grain export deal which included assurances that port facilities would not be targeted.
Keywords: Food & Agriculture
UAE
France, UAE Sign Energy Cooperation Deal
Reuters (18 July 2022)
The UAE and France have entered a strategic agreement to identify investment projects related to hydrogen, renewable, and nuclear energy.
Keywords: Energy
Yemen
Yemen Awaiting 'Disaster of Dramatic Magnitude' If Red Sea Oil Spill Not Averted
Middle East Eye (5 July 2022)
Experts warn the rusting ship carrying a million barrels of crude oil off the coast of Yemen could break apart at any moment. A spill could trigger a major international crisis as the Red Sea is a major location of transportation, trade, and the fishing industry for many countries.
Keywords: Energy, Infrastructure, Natural Resources
Photos: Yemen’s Honey Production a Victim of War, Climate Crisis
Al Jazeera (31 July 2022)
The once lucrative Yemeni honey business is slowly disappearing, despite being considered by experts as some of the best in the world.
Keywords: Food & Agriculture, Climate & Weather
