Refreshing our water resources
Flamingos soaring over shimmering water. The hum of crickets in the scorching heat of an Andalusian summer. An Iberian Lynx nursing its cub in a merciful patch of shade. For anyone who has visited or read of Spain’s iconic Doñana National Park, these are the images that come to mind. But the underlying reality is […]
The role of ecosystems and the concept and application of nature-based solutions (NBS) for sustainable water management is not new. Indeed, the use of natural processes to manage water spans millennia, but “nature-based solutions” terminology emerged only recently. NBS are increasingly recognized as important to address complex challenges in water management – water scarcity, quality […]
Living by the sea evokes the wander lust and a more laissez-faire lifestyle of going with the flow of the waves coming in and out. Fishing, loitering, meandering along the shores of the Mediterranean – this shared space so full of culture and history, so full of potential for sustainable development based on a richness […]
When innovation meets water scarcity challenges: A technological and financial perspective for a better water future.
Water resources in Oman are exposed to manmade and natural threats such as tropical cyclones which are common in Oman, and water losses or Non-Revenue Water (NRW) through pipes leaks and other reasons. The water supply system in Oman is run by a government Public Authority for Electricity and Water (PAEW). The high values of […]
Transboundary lake and river basins cover nearly half of the Earth’s land surface and account for an estimated 60% of global freshwater flow. Transboundary groundwaters provide drinking and domestic water for about two billion people across the world, support their income and livelihood and play a crucial role in conserving ecosystems. While demands for water […]
In the arid and semi-arid climate of the southern and eastern Mediterranean (SEMED) region, the management and access to scarce water resources is one of the strongest factors affecting agriculture, food security and the livelihoods of farming communities. Climate change will exacerbate these factors and even less water is expected to be available for agriculture. […]
The recognition of access to water and to sanitation as human rights, derived from the right to an adequate standard of living, by the United Nations General Assembly and the Human Rights Council in 2010, confirmed the obligation of governments to ensure that water and sanitation services are available, physically accessible, of good quality and […]
Water is an essential resource. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #6: “Ensure access to water and sanitation for all” is the evidence of its growing global concern and recognition of its link with poverty by the international community. Regardless of the type of ownership, the affordable and universal access to clean and potable water is now […]
Urban growth, temperature rise and melting glaciers threaten river deltas around the world.
Today, as much as anywhere else in the world, it concentrates the problems we face. It brings us face to face with the realities of water scarcity, urbanisation, and our growing energy needs. On its southern shores, an enduring economic crisis is bringing ongoing socio-political instability, conflict and large-scale migratory movements. And one thing is […]
A selection of images from this photo essay features in the 2017 edition of the bilingual Arabic-English Revolve Water Around the Mediterranean report The Mediterranean region has many faces. Rich in history and blessed with a pleasant climate, the Med is the most popular tourist destination in the world. Over 220 million tourists flock to the Mediterranean beaches […]
There is a looming water crisis that is beginning to manifest itself in very serious ways across North Africa and the Middle East (MENA) regions. The general public seems oblivious to the threat and national ministries often seem to be looking the other way, but the data is there now: According to NASA, we are […]
Water, employment and migration crises are posing rising risks globally. In parts of the Mediterranean, the situation on all three crises is alarming. Their link may not be obvious at a first glance, but it is becoming increasingly evident based on the hard evidence of realities on the ground. Exploring their causal relationships will provide […]
The Global Catch In 2011, the global volume of fish caught by fisheries was 93.7 million tons. It was the second highest catch ever landed, just under the record of 93.8 million tons in 1996. The European Commission revealed in October 2014 that a positive long-term trend of increasing fish populations is happening. With such a […]
In 2012, renewables provided just 11.3% of UK electricity generation and while this figure has since increased, we know that Britain’s electricity reserve generating margin could fall to as low as 2% by the winter of 2015/16. As is the case across much of Europe, we need to invest in new sources of low carbon generation at scale. It’s not such a […]
Sponges (Phylum Porifera) are the oldest metazoan group still existing on Earth. Apart from the commercially bath sponges well known since the Greek civilization, more than 7,000 species are currently described and new ones are regularly discovered. They have remarkably survived over Earth’s changing chemical history since the Late Cambrian (509 MYA) in all aquatic […]
In the highlands of western Sumatra the matrilineal Minang people of Lake Maninjau have for centuries made a volcano’s watery roof their home. Though devout Muslims, the Minang people eschew many patriarchal traditions with land and property being passed from mother to daughter; boys traditionally leave home at age 7 to live in community prayer […]
Documentary photographer Ad van Denderen traveled around the Mediterranean from 2003 to 2008, exploring the political, cultural and religious diversity of this region where Africa, Asia and Europe, Christianity and Islam, rich and poor come together. His project ‘So Blue So Blue’ reflects, among others, on the region’s booming tourism industry and its impact on […]
The marine environment of the Gulf of Aqaba is of global significance in having some of the northern-most reef systems in the Western Indo-Pacific. Its coral reef ecosystem has a high environmental and human value since it provides food and economic benefits to local communities in the form of tourism. However, marine litter, in particular plastic garbage, causes a wide spectrum of environmental, economic and […]
The accumulation of marine litter in the oceanis a growing problem worldwide and hasserious impacts on the marine environment, human health, and the economy. Plastic, the most utilized and persistent material arises as the primary contaminant in the marine environ- ment. The Royal Marine Conservation Society of Jordan (JREDS) is organizing the regional exhibition “Plastic […]
On the Italian north-west coast, in the province of La Spezia, Liguria, little towns with colorful houses cling to steep hills along a narrow, rugged strip of land between the Maritime Alps, the Apennine Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea. The rich vegetation, scenic vineyards, hiking trails with spectacular views distinctively define these five medieval towns of Cinque Terre. Such morphology, while visually pleasing can have […]
Italy is famous for the tradition of high quality food but the production systems that struggle to survive are less spoken of. An exampleis the region of Tuscany where modern agricultural development relates to just asection of its territory. Far from the rural idyll associated with the Tuscany brand, mountain areas such as the Garfagnana […]
The great civilizations of Mesoamerica and South America developed on the basis of agricultural surpluses produced by complex irrigation systems, which required efficient handling of water resources. Today, the growing demands for food by populations that are increasingly energy-intensive jeopardize the availability of reliable water resources and the sustainability of ecosystems. This prognosis becomes even […]
Economic and social development over the last century was achieved through intensive, inefficient and unsustainable use of our planet’s finite resources. These challenges are mounting as the world population is forecast to reach 9 billion by 2050, of which 70-80% will live in resource-intensive urban areas. Resource exploitation already exceeds the Earth’s biological capacity. The […]
