Israel

Water is a central element of the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Israel controls several water pipelines entering Gaza, much as it controls most of life there. But water can also be a source of hope for an alternative future. The Middle East is an arid region that is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. There is an essential need for solutions that offer equitable access to water and sanitation, and that protect Israel and the Palestinian territories’ shared water resources. We study approaches to managing water and other environmental resources and conduct work at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, a nonprofit teaching and research center in the south of Israel. At the institute, students and academics from Israel, the Palestinian territories and Jordan come together to learn from each other and work together, developing technologies and programs that meet the region’s water needs. Our experience has shown us that worki...

Fifty years ago, a secret deal among Arab governments triggered one of the most traumatic economic crises to afflict the United States and other big oil importers. Saudi King Faisal and other Arab leaders launched an oil embargo on Oct. 17, 1973, as payback for Washington siding with Israel in its war with neighboring Egypt and Syria. The oil market hostilities arose from a pact between Faisal and the leaders of Egypt and Syria, whose armies planned surprise drives to retake their territory under Israeli occupation. If the United States intervened to assist Israel, Faisal and other Arab producers agreed to retaliate with the “oil weapon.” When Washington airlifted in U.S. weapons that helped Israel thwart Arab gains, Faisal and OPEC’s Arab members retaliated. They increased oil prices, banned oil shipments to the United States and cut production by 5% per month. The ensuing economic and political carnage is legendary. The embargo catalyzed a long period of...

Arizona is one of the fastest-growing states in the U.S., with an economy that offers many opportunities for workers and businesses. But it faces a daunting challenge: a water crisis that could seriously constrain its economic growth and vitality. A recent report that projected a roughly 4% shortfall in groundwater supplies in the Phoenix area over the next 100 years prompted the state to curtail new approval of groundwater-dependent residential development in some of the region’s fast-growing suburbs. Moreover, negotiations continue over dwindling supplies from the Colorado River, which historically supplied more than a third of the state’s water. The Colorado River’s watershed extends across seven U.S. states and into Mexico. Use of river water is governed by a compact negotiated in 1922. Center for Colorado River Studies, CC BY-ND As a partial solution, the Arizona Water Infras...

The COP28 climate change conference called on all countries to move from fossil fuels in the global fight against climate change. The high-level climate summit was held amid extreme weather events linked to the climate crisis. The world witnessed the hottest summer on record, with the global average temperature reaching 16.77C (62.19F) from June to August. The hottest day in history was recorded on July 6, soaring to 17.23C. Rising temperatures linked to global warming spark deadly extreme weather events, with more than 11,000 lives lost in Libya’s recent flood disaster Israeli attacks on Gaza, causing civilian casualties, also unleashed an environmental and public health crisis with the use of banned munitions like white phosphorus. Anadolu covers key global environmental developments in 2023. El Nino adds to global warming effect The El Nino weather phenomenon took effect in May, leading to record temperatures worldwide. Between June and A...