[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
Death Toll Soars from an Earthquake that Has Struck Turkey and Syria NPR (6 February 2023)
A 7.8 magnitude earthquake centered in Gaziantep, Türkiye has been felt across the region in Syria, Lebanon, Cyprus, Iraq, and Egypt. Significant damage has been reported in Türkiye and Lebanon.
Keywords: Natural Disaster, Infrastructure
Severe Weather Hampers Earthquake Rescuers in Turkey and Syria Al Jazeera (6 February 2023)
Rescue efforts following the earthquake in Türkiye have been hampered by severe weather conditions, including freezing temperatures, rain, and snow.
Keywords: Natural Disaster, Climate & Weather
In Turkey and Syria, Outdated Building Methods All but Assured Disaster from a Quake NPR (7 February 2023)
Many buildings in the areas impacted by the 7.8 magnitude Syria-Türkiye earthquake were built either prior to more stringent earthquake codes or constructed recently without enforcement of these codes, contributing to the scale of damage.
Keywords: Infrastructure, Urban Planning, Natural Disaster
Cyprus: Washed up Whales Linked to Syria-Turkiye Earthquake Middle East Monitor (11 February 2023)
Seven whales have washed up across the Cypriot coast after the Syria-Türkiye earthquake.
Keywords: Wildlife, Natural Disaster
Iraq To Provide Fuel Support to Quake-Hit Turkiye, Syria Middle East Monitor (15 February 2023)
Iraq is providing 90,000 tons of high-sulfur fuel to Türkiye and Syria.
Keywords: Energy, Natural Disaster
Flooding along the Orontes River NASA Earth Observatory (25 February 2023)
The Orontes River Basin has flooded following the major earthquake in Türkiye. The flooding is most significant in Idlib, Syria.
Keywords: Water, Natural Disaster, Food & Agriculture
Lack of Safety, Fear, Distress: Mental Health of 7m Children at Risk after Quakes Middle East Monitor (27 February 2023)
The children impacted by the Türkiye-Syria earthquake are in need of mental health support. The stress of the natural disaster can cause lifelong health implications without this intervention.
Keywords: Health, Natural Disaster
Algeria
Climate Change Tests Algeria’s Olive Farmers' Resilience Raseef 22 (1 February 2023)
Climate change and wildfires have significantly decreased the olive oil yield in Algeria in recent years.
Keywords: Food & Agriculture, Climate & Weather
The Sad Stories of Algerians during the Snow Season Raseef 22 (16 February 2023)
Algerians living in mountainous regions often experience complete isolation during snowy winters. Mountain roads are not equipped for these conditions and often become impassable, closing local establishments and preventing travel in either direction.
Keywords: Climate & Weather, Infrastructure
"غيّروا مهنتهم وتخلّوا عن بساتينهم"... معاناة منتجي الحمضيات مع تغيّر المناخ في الجزائر Raseef 22 (21 February 2023)
Changing weather patterns, pests, and increased soil salinity have damaged Algeria’s citrus yields.
Keywords: Food & Agriculture, Climate & Weather, Water
Egypt
Egypt Sweeps Its Climate Policy Loopholes under the Rug of Propagandaas-Safir al-Arabi (5 February 2023)
Current environmental policy in Egypt is largely driven by donor interests of climate-related grants.
Keywords: Climate & Weather
في مصر... "مشاتل نباتات الزينة" الطريق الأقصر إلى التصحّر Raseef 22 (7 February 2023)
Some farmers in Egypt are converting their agricultural land into ornamental plant nurseries due to the increased potential for profit. Changing patterns of land management may lead to greater desertification.
Keywords: Food & Agriculture, Land, Climate & Weather
المعمارية إنجي الحسيني: زراعة الأسطح حل سهل نحو العمارة الخضراء في القاهرة Raseef 22 (14 FEbruary 2023)
Green architecture may be the future of a more sustainable Cairo as it can reduce energy demands and resource consumption.
Keywords: Urban Planning, Infrastructure, Climate & Weather
Iran
Last of Iran’s Endangered Asiatic Cheetah Cubs in Captivity Dies The Guardian (28 February 2023)
The last Asiatic cheetah cub in captivity in Iran has died from kidney failure. The total population of cheetahs in Iran is now only one dozen.
Keywords: Wildlife, Conservation
Iraq
Winter Rains Revive Iraq’s Famed Marshlands Al Jazeera (2 February 2023)
Winter rains bring some relief to parched marshlands in Iraq following a critically dry summer.
Keywords: Climate & Weather, Water, Food & Agriculture
Prominent Iraq Environmental Activist Kidnapped near Baghdad Middle East Monitor (5 February 2023)
Jassim Al-Asadi, prominent conservationist and co-founder of the NGO Nature Iraq, was kidnapped outside of Baghdad.
Keywords: Conservation
Iraq Oil Flow to Turkiye Resumes Middle East Monitor (9 February 2023)
The flow of crude oil to Ceyhan has resumed after an Iraqi pipeline was suspended in the wake of the Turkish earthquakes.
Keywords: Energy, Natural Disaster
Water Levels in Iraq’s Tigris and Euphrates Rivers Hit New Lows Middle East Monitor (27 February 2023)
Water levels in the TIgris and Euphrates rivers reach unprecedented lows. The Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources has attributed the decline to dam construction in Türkiye and Iran as well as irrigation.
Keywords: Water, Climate & Weather, Infrastructure, Food & Agriculture
Jordan, Palestine, And Israel
Strong Winds, Cold Temperatures Hit Gaza Middle East Monitor (7 February 2023)
A low pressure weather system brings cold temperatures and strong winds to Gazans who face difficulty heating their homes due to Israeli electricity cuts.
Keywords: Climate & Weather, Energy
The Effects of Waste on Palestinians’ Health and Environment Raseef 22 (14 February 2023)
Unsanitary waste management is one of the greatest environmental challenges in Palestine currently. Land management and Israeli settlements significant barriers to solving the crisis.
Keywords: Waste, Health, Pollution, Land
Palestinian Death Toll in Turkiye-Syria Earthquakes Rises to 104 Middle East Monitor (16 February 2023)
104 Palestinians in Türkiye and Syria have died from the 6 February earthquake.
Keywords: Natural Disaster
Palestine: Israel Settlers Cut Dozens of Olive Saplings South of Nablus Middle East Monitor (22 February 2023)
Israeli settlers have cut down eighty olive saplings in Al-Lubban Al-Sharqiya, south of Nablus.
Keywords: Food & Agriculture
Are Palestinians Prepared for a Major Earthquake of Their Own? 972 Magazine (24 February 2023)
The earthquake in Türkiye and Syria has raised preparedness concerns across the region for future seismic events. Israeli planning restrictions and an under-resourced public health system in Palestine are central concerns for Palestine’s ability to cope with a major earthquake.
Keywords: Natural Disaster, Urban Planning
Using AI To Listen to Jordan’s Date Palms Al Jazeera (26 February 2023)
The startup Palmear uses acoustic AI to detect red palm weevil activity in palm trees. This early detection can help prevent large scale destruction of trees and subsequent economic loss, and provides an alternative to large-scale pesticide application.
Keywords: Food & Agriculture
Lebanon
Une escorte de l'armée pour fermer une décharge à Baalbeck L’Orient Le Jour (1 February 2023)
The Kayyal landfill in Bekaa was closed in late January due to its harmful effects on the health of nearby residents.
Keywords: Waste, Pollution, Health
Snow Spell Adds to Pain of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon Middle East Monitor (5 February 2023)
About 120,000 refugees living in the area around Arsal without access to heating face deteriorating living conditions as cold winter weather brings snow.
Keywords: Climate & Weather
Plenty More Fish in the Sea? The Catastrophic Repercussions of Illegal Fishing in Lebanon Raseef 22 (20 February 2023)
The use of explosives for fishing in Lebanon threatens fish populations and marine ecosystem stability. Although the practice is banned, it has gained popularity in recent years.
Keywords: Wildlife, Food & Agriculture
How Ancient Seeds in Lebanon Could Help Us Adapt to Climate Change NPR (24 February 2023)
The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas, a Lebanese seed bank, may contain the genes needed to help some countries improve food security in the face of climate change and drought.
Keywords: Food & Agriculture, Climate & Weather
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia To Establish 3,000 Temporary Houses for Quake Victims in Turkiye, Syria Middle East Monitor (15 February 2023)
Saudi Arabia plans to erect thousands of temporary shelters to house victims in earthquake stricken areas of Türkiye and Syria.
Keywords: Infrastructure, Natural Disaster
Syria
Shattered Roads Slow Aid to Quake-Hit Syria Middle East Monitor (8 February 2023)
Road damage at the Bab Al-Hawa crossing between Türkiye and Syria has hindered the delivery of aid to Syria.
Keywords: Natural Disaster, Infrastructure
Amid Cholera Outbreak, Health Fears Grow in Quake-Hit Syria Al Jazeera (12 February 2023)
Experts fear that a preexisting outbreak of cholera, which emerged in Syria late last year, may worsen in the aftermath of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake.
Keywords: Health, Natural Disaster, Infrastructure, Water
Syria Earthquake: Flooding Wipes out Vital Farmland after Dam Bursts Its Banks Middle East Eye (13 February 2023)
A dam has collapsed near the Syrian-Turkish border from the recent earthquake. Thousands of acres of wheat and bean fields have been destroyed, raising concerns about worsening food security.
Keywords: Natural Disaster, Food & Agriculture
Engineers Count Cost of Rebuilding in Quake-Hit, War-Weary Syria Al Jazeera (22 February 2023)
The Syrian Engineers Association has begun evaluating the safety and stability of buildings across more than 100 Syrian cities and towns impacted by the major earthquake and its aftershocks.
Keywords: Natural Disaster, Urban Planning, Infrastructure
Cholera Outbreak in Quake-Hit Northwestern Syria Kills Two People Al Jazeera (28 February 2023)
Cholera spreads in northwest Syria as the recent earthquake has further damaged sewage and water systems.
Keywords: Health, Infrastructure, Water, Waste, Natural Disaster
Türkiye
Disease the New Threat as Turkiye Faces Post-Quake Water Shortage Middle East Monitor (15 February 2023)
Damage from the 7.8 magnitude earthquake has damaged water infrastructure, leaving residents in affected areas without access to clean water and raising concerns about the possible spread of disease.
Keywords: Health, Infrastructure, Water, Natural Disaster
Why Did a Turkish City Withstand the Earthquake When Others Crumbled? New York Times (17 February 2023)
The city of Erzin is still standing after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake, while many surrounding towns are not. This is due in part to the city being built atop more sturdy soil and bedrock, as opposed to soft sediments which lie beneath much of the region.
Keywords: Land, Urban Planning, Natural Disaster
Erdoğan Faces Backlash over Building Standards in City Wrecked by Quake The Guardian (19 February 2023)
The scale of destruction caused by this month’s major earthquake raises concern in Türkiye over corruption in the building industry and failure to enforce structural regulations.
Keywords: Urban Planning, Infrastructure, Natural Disaster
Turkey and Syria Quakes Prompt Fresh Worries about Istanbul's Building Safety NPR (20 February 2023)
This month’s earthquakes raise questions over whether Istanbul is ready in the event of future earthquakes.
Keywords: Urban Planning, Infrastructure, Natural Disaster
A New Earthquake Hits Turkey, as Teams Still Respond to Earlier Catastrophic Quake NPR (20 February 2023)
A 6.4 and a 5.8 magnitude earthquake hit Gaziantep, Turkey as aftershocks from the 6 February earthquake continue.
Keywords: Natural Disaster
Magnitude 5.3 Earthquake Jolts Turkey’s Central Nigde Province Al Jazeera (25 February 2023)
A 5.3 magnitude earthquake shakes Nigde, no casualties have been reported.
Keywords: Natural Disaster
New Earthquake Strikes Turkey, Rattling an Already Devastated Region New York Times (27 February 2023)
A 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck Malatya in southern Turkey. Seventy casualties have been reported and twenty-nine buildings have
collapsed.
Keywords: Natural Disaster
United Arab Emirates
UAE Oil Company Employees Given Roles in Office Hosting COP28 The Guardian (3 February 2023)
A dozen employees of the UAE’s state-owned oil company have been appointed to organize COP28. Critics are concerned about the influence of the fossil fuel industry in a climate summit.
Keywords: Climate & Weather
Yemen
Wars Taught Yemenis To seek Food Self Sufficiency Raseef 22 (9 February 2023)
The war in Yemen has encouraged the restoration of many abandoned farms in order to secure access to food.
Keywords: Food & Agriculture
"عصارة" النفايات... خطر خفي يتسرب إلى حياة اليمنيين Raseef 22 (9 February 2023)
Failure to sort waste in a ninety meter mountain of waste outside Sana’a results in the mixing of toxins which leach out beyond the dump, creating a health and environmental disaster.
Keywords: Health, Waste, Pollution
Yemen: Sanaa Gov’t Launches Solar-Powered Project for Coffee Irrigation Middle East Monitor (20 February 2023)
Many Yemeni coffee farmers struggle to afford electricity to power irrigation pumps. A new solar irrigation project opening in the Sana’a governorate is expected to promote coffee cultivation.
Keywords: Food & Agriculture, Energy, Water