The environment in the news friday, 09 July, 2010

ROWA MEDIA UPDATE

Fehied F. Al-Shareef, the governor of the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC), and Nabil Azmaruli, general manager of the General Directorate of Water in Madinah, launched the project which includes two barges anchored in Yanbu. The second barge will be deployed soon.

These barges are the largest floating desalination plants in the world and were built and constructed based on the directions of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to meet high seasonal demand for potable water in any region. The ceremony was attended by a number of officials from SWCC and the General Directorate of Water in Madinah.

Al-Shareef also inspected the second floating water desalination barge which also has a production capacity of 25,000 cubic meters per day and is to be commissioned subsequently.

Al-Shareef witnessed the completion of all required work in record time with a high degree of quality ensuring the safety of the barges and their installed equipment during operation after the barges had been transferred from Shuqaiq in the southwest to Yanbu.

“These two barges will contribute to meeting the increased demand for potable water in Madinah and Yanbu,” said Al-Shareef. He added that the SWCC is keen on ensuring that demand for desalinated water in Saudi Arabia is met and that SWCC has put forth strategic plans to meet this demand.

The barges were first put into operation in 2008 to support increased requirements in the western region and were anchored on the coast of Shuaibah. In 2009 the barges moved to the shores of Shuqaiq city in record time and with minimal resources, making mobility one of the most important features of the barges.

The water desalination barges are owned by BOWAREGE, a group comprising the International Barges Company for Water Desalination Ltd., which was established in partnership between ACWA Power International with 65 percent ownership and 35 percent stake owned by Rakaa Saudi Water and Power Ltd.

Abdullah A. Bajunaid, executive managing officer (EMO) of BOWAREGE, said the project, which was carried out at a total cost of more than SR370 million, has succeeded in achieving its primary objectives of focusing on supplying desalinated water for the seasonal growing demand in the coastal areas as they have been moved from two previous sites to Yanbu with the lowest cost and in minimum time.

“We are proud that in the Kingdom we have the two largest floating water desalination barges in the world. They can be rapidly transferred at any time to areas that suffer from a lack of potable water.” Each of the two barges has a production capacity of 25,000 cubic meters per day of desalinated water. They are independent of each other as each barge contains all the necessary required equipment and facilities for the desalination process such as electric generators, laboratories, control rooms and living quarters for staff.

Currently SWCC is the sole client with an obligation to buy the entire production as per a signed agreement.

 

http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article80987.ece

"The idea of the visit is to evaluate the damage incurred on plots of farmland in Jordan and come up with solutions to halt the annual fires that break out each year in summer," Minister of Agriculture Saeed Masri told The Jordan Times over the phone yesterday.

He added that aerial photographs will be taken to document the damage.

“We want to ensure that the documents we have on the damage are similar to those possessed by the Israeli side,” Masri underlined, noting that the government has yet to receive a reply from Israeli authorities on their evaluation of the situation.

“No promises were made by the Israeli side regarding extending compensation to Jordan,” the minister pointed out, stressing that the Kingdom has not received any compensation from Israel so far.

Masri said the field visit carried out by the committee will be followed by political action to coordinate and reach appropriate solutions to bring an end to the persistent fires in the border area, indicating that two fires erupted in the border area in 2009 and one broke out this year.

Highlighting the government’s measures to prevent the blazes, the minister said that a side road was paved on the eastern side of the Jordan River to remove plants that can trigger the fires.

The joint Jordanian-Israeli committee was formed in 2009 to assess the damage.

A report issued by the committee at that time revealed that 60 dunums of agricultural lands at the border were affected by the fire, which started on the Israeli side, while the cost of the damage was estimated at JD25,000.

The Jordan Valley’s total agricultural area consists of 300,000 dunums, around 190,000 of which are planted with vegetables and the rest with bananas, grains and citrus fruit.

Since the beginning of the year, at least 15 centennial Aleppo pine trees were lost due to illegal logging, while seven fires in the reserve destroyed 30 dunums with different types of trees, according to reserve director Basheer Ayasrah.

Announced as a nature reserve by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) in 2004, Dibbeen is situated in the northern Governorate of Ajloun and extends over 8.5 square kilometres of mountainous topography, rich with pine and oak trees.

"Dibbeen is the driest part of the world in which Aleppo pine trees are known to grow naturally," environment researcher Nashat Hamidan, told reporters during an RSCN-organised media tour to the reserve on Tuesday.

Studies have indicated that Dibbeen is one of the best remaining examples of the region’s original pine-oak forests, according to the RSCN, which noted that the forest is home to at least 17 threatened species and globally significant biodiversity.

"The Dibbeen forest is an important habitat for the Persian squirrel, the stone marten and threatened plants, including orchids. It is the location where the Nazareth Iris was rediscovered," Hamidan pointed out.

"Losing the forest means losing all of these species," he warned.

The ecologist listed illegal logging as the number one threat to the Dibbeen forest and its unique biodiversity, adding that fires and random grazing also jeopardise the forest’s sustainability.

According to Ayasrah, littering is another major challenge facing the reserve. He noted that 100,000 picnickers visited the reserve in 2009, with over 45,000 visitors since the beginning of the year, resulting in thousands of tonnes of trash.

During a clean-up campaign last year, 160,000 garbage bags full of trash were collected, Ayasrah pointed out, noting the reserve carries out a “continuous awareness programme to curb littering and preserve the environment and people are starting to respond”.

"Visitors are recognising more and more that Dibbeen is a nature reserve where certain regulations are applied and not just any picnicking site," he added.

The director underscored that the Dibbeen Forest Reserve is designed to preserve the unique biodiversity in addition to improving the livelihood of local communities in Ajloun.

The nature reserve hosts two socio-economic projects, under which more than 20 local women were trained on pottery making and embroidery featuring the flora and fauna of Dibbeen, according to the RSCN.

http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=28144
Bahrain
Rights drive to clean up seas  

A HUMAN rights group is launching a year-long drive to clean up the seas surrounding the country, it was announced yesterday.

The campaign, entitled 'Keep it Blue - Keep it Clean', is set to begin on August 15 with the aim of ensuring that fish resources are revived once Bahrain's seas are free from pollution.

It will be held by Human Rights Watch Society (BHRWS) in co-ordination with Artists Without Borders, who will use all forms of arts to spread an environmental protection message to the public.

The initiative was inspired by the efforts exerted by Public Commission for the Protection of Marine Resources, Environment and Wildlife president Shaikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa, said BHRWS secretary-general Faisal Fulad.

It will look at educating the public and the authorities concerned on the need to keep the seas clean, he told a Press conference held at the BHRWS premises in Manama.

"We have had several incidents in the last few years when Bahrain's fishermen have had harrowing experiences in neighbouring countries, most recently in Qatar, because they were caught fishing in their waters," said Mr Fulad.

He said the fishermen end up breaking the law because there was not enough fish in Bahrain.

"There was a time when the fish in Bahrain were the best in the region, but not any more," said Mr Fulad.

"Reckless reclamation, pollutants from industries and a general lack of awareness have resulted in a lot of problems.

"The fish have gone to cleaner waters and the Bahrainis are suffering. We aim to spread this awareness during the one-year campaign."

Mr Fulad said it was for all non-government organisations to play a role and support Shaikh Abdulla's efforts.

Fishermen

"We have to get the fish back to Bahrain so that we don't have to go and get our fishermen back all the time," he said.

Artists Without Borders representative Naghma Ahmed Mohseni said they would use all kinds of arts such music, dance and painting to help generate awareness in Bahrain about the need to keep the marine environment clean.

"Exhibitions in malls, shows at social and cultural centres and activities in school are part of the plan," she said.

BHRWS campaigns director Salman Nasser said it would also support the United Nations Environment Programme's efforts to safeguard the country's resources.

"We hope to make a difference by the end of the campaign."

Hama, (SANA)- The General Board for the Management and Development of al-Badia (MDB) in Hama has sat up a number of projects in Hama Badia among them palm oases, planting cacti, medical and aromatic plants and using solar energy to extract groundwater and in lighting.

Director of Hama Brach of the MDB General Board Haroon Khatab said a 100 acres oasis of palm was set up at the site of the al-Azeeb Valley, Hama Badia, pointing to the need to bring back palm tree to the Badia due to its main role in stabilizing the soil, maintaining moisture and fixing sand dunes.

 Khatab added the second project is planting about 10 acres of medical and aromatic plants for their importance in manufacturing medicines for treating various diseases, pointing out that the Hama Badia is the original home for varieties of these medical and aromatic plants.

He pointed out that work is underway for using the solar energy in getting out groundwater and in lighting and to complete a study on the establishment of environmental reserve in the Rasem al-Ahmar area.

The environmental reserves in al-Azeeb valley extends over an area of 20, 215 hectares, Abu Fayad natural reserve also spreads over an area of 13,300 hectares and Abu al-Neetl over an area of 7,000 hectares, in addition to Rasem al-Ahmar natural reserve over an area of 4,040 hectares.

They aim at preserving vegetation and stopping the deterioration of soil and pastures. Assistant Director of Hama MDB Branch Asaad al-Aswad said the use of solar energy to get out groundwater using pumps operated by solar light cells provided with batteries.

The General Board for the Management and Development of al-Badia was established in 2006. It aimed at developing the Syrian Badia, its domestic community, the natural and human resources and infrastructure and management.

8^th July 2010

Acclaimed actor and conservation activist Edward Norton took on his latest role today, as Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon designated him United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for Biodiversity.

With the issues of community development and conservation close to his heart, Mr. Norton voiced hope that he can channel the attention he receives for his work in Hollywood towards raising awareness of the UN’s ideals and activities. “I think that [Goodwill] Ambassadors in many ways can play a role in highlighting the models of success that the UN is promoting around the world,” he told the UN News Centre.
Mr. Norton’s family has long been involved in sustainable development issues, with his father being a conservation advocate and his maternal grandparents having founded an organization to help provide affordable housing in the United States.
For his part, the new Goodwill Ambassador is very active in garnering support for conservation efforts, serving as a board member of the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust and taking part in launching an innovative social networking platform called Crowdrise to boost participation in charitable work.
Last year, he ran in the New York City Marathon, helping to raise more than $1 million for local communities in Kenya. In his new role, Mr. Norton said he will work with the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to spotlight the “crisis of biodiversity” and ensure world leaders take appropriate measures to protect the environment.
One of his top priorities as Goodwill Ambassador will be to increase “people’s focus on the fact that human well-being is intertwined fundamentally with biodiversity,” the actor, twice nominated for an Academy Award, said.
It is vital that “people realize that they are not separate from the web of life,” he added. “Our ability to thrive as a species and as a civilization totally depends on that web of life.” At his designation ceremony, Mr. Norton told the Secretary-General that biodiversity is an issue that “transcends national boundaries,” with people “having lost sight” of the need for environmental protection.
Referring to one of Mr. Norton’s most famous movies, Mr. Ban voiced hope that the Goodwill Ambassador will help to move the world from “Fight Club to a peace club.”

Addressing reporters in New York, the new Goodwill Ambassador said environmental issues will “incontestably” be the “defining challenge of this era.”