The Environment Working Group
The Environment Working Group endeavors to enhance the ability of
the regional parties to deal with maritime pollution, waste water
treatment, environmental management and desertification. At its last meeting in The Hague, in April 1994, the working group has established several projects:
Gulf of Eilat/Aqaba Pollution Project
Experts from Egypt, Jordan, Israel
and the EU met in Nuweiba, Egypt in order to develop a proposal for
emergency preparedness for oil spills in the Upper Gulf of Eilat /Aqaba.
The EC has agreed to forward 2.5 million ECU towards the building of three
centers, in Aqaba, Eilat, and Nuweiba, which would stand ready to protect
these areas against oil spills and other catastrophes relating to water.
Environmental Management
Several activities are taking place in the realm
of environmental management. These include the establishment of a Middle
East Environmental Code of Conduct, a workshop on environment monitoring
and measurement, a mission to the region to study environmental impact
assessments, and the establishment of an environmental data bank in the
West Bank and Gaza.
Desertification
The World Bank is overseeing a project to address natural
resource degradation of arid lands in the Middle East, which was discussed
and launched at the last working group meeting in Cairo. This project
includes the establishment of grazing lands, wildlife, forestation and
planting of orchards, introducing varieties of vegetation appropriate for
arid climates, and the purification of brackish water. It would be implemented
through five local centers. The participating nations include: Israel, Egypt,
Jordan, and Tunisia.
Chair: Japan
May 1992, Tokyo
Oct. 1992, The Hague
May 1993, Tokyo
Nov. 1993, Cairo
Apr. 1994, The Hague
Feb. 1995, Bahrain
Jun. 1995, Amman
Key Projects
Links to related information maintained at IGCC
Philip Warburg's IGCC Policy Paper on environmental issues in the Middle East.
Philip Warburg's IGCC Policy Brief
Philip Warburg's IGCC Policy Brief on environmental cooperation in the Middle East.
Working papers delivered at IGCC's 1994 Athens conference on Middle East Issues.
Related Internet Sites
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