August 2023

Communicating the shift towards water resilience

A call for Action: Revitalizing Lebanon’s Waste Management

In a nation grappling with a garbage crisis, Ziad Abichaker, a dedicated Lebanese environmental activist, has emerged as a true zero-waste hero. His tireless efforts over the decades have been instrumental in pioneering innovative recycling solutions and combating waste-related challenges that plague his country. Read this inspiring story by Mariam Younes.

Updates

Watch the AMWAJ short film ‘The Invisible Water’ at Almost There Film Fest in Lebanon

You still have time to catch the last screening of our animated short film "The Invisible Water" at the Almost There Film Festival. The screening will be on Friday, 1 September, at 9:30 pm in the Orient Institut Beirut. The short film was selected to be screened at the 7th edition of the Almost There Film Festival on Human Rights and Migration, organized by Heinrich Boll Stiftung, in Lebanon. 

Tayyarat

The weaponisation of water and Iraq’s climate catastrophe

Without the Tigris and Euphrates, civilisation as we know it would not have existed. Such is the significance of these rivers to Iraq that, as drought conditions worsen, the fate of the Mesopotamian Marshes may yet affect the fate of the nation. Read more about the drought situation in Iraq due to climate change and geopolitical turmoil in this article by Saoud Khalaf.

Member Updates

The Low Plastic Zone initiative launches in municipalities of Montenegro, Albania and Bosnia-Herzegovina

MedWaves, AMWAJ member and UNEP/MAP Regional Activity Center, has joined efforts with the German development agency GIZ to launch the Low Plastic Zone Initiative in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and Montenegro. The initiative aims to encourage and support hotel, restaurant, and café owners to reduce the amount of single-use plastic products handed to customers. Cener21, also an AMWAJ member, is one of the national partners in the Balkans that will be implementing the initiative locally.

Member Updates

CENER 21 Collaborates with Ilidža Health Center to Study Urban Heat Island Effect on Human Health

AMWAJ member CENER 21, in partnership with the Ilidža Health Center, has been actively involved in a project focused on understanding the impact of the urban heat island effect on community health. CENER 21 has monitored temperatures in both rural and urban areas of Ilidža over the past two months. These measurements have already revealed the presence of the urban heat island effect, emphasizing the importance of addressing this phenomenon in the Bosnian region.

Member Updates

What are the Implications of Coastal Erosion?

AMWAJ member CREAF has linked up with a photographic campaign promoted by the European initiative #Mission4Nature to study the state of erosion along the Mediterranean coast. The challenge aims to gather a hundred photos of beaches, cliffs, and rocky shores with the hashtag #solvethechallenge, mentioning @creaf_ecologia and @gov4nature and indicating their location.

Must Read

ChatGPT underestimates the urgency of climate change in plant science

A new study published in the journal Trends in Plant Science and 

co-authored by CREAF-based CSIC researcher Josep Peñuelas shows that ChatGPT can help to generate scientific questions related to plants, albeit with limitations.

Opportunities4u

Call for proposals SJF 2023

The Science Journalism Forum (SJF) 2023 is looking for experts and enthusiasts to submit their proposals to speak at this year’s edition. The SJF 2023 aims to explore the theme of best practices in science journalism.

Opportunities4u

Youth Policy Lab

Applications are now open for the Youth Policy Lab in Rome.  It is open to candidates aged 21-35 from North Africa, the Middle East, and Europe who are interested in the climate crisis and Mediterranean.

Opportunities4u

Regional Climate Specialist

UNDP Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) is looking to hire a Regional Climate Specialist based in Amman, Jordan. S/he will provide policy and programme advisory services to Country Offices and utilize the products and tools relevant to the thematic area of climate change.

Opportunities4u

WeMed Award 2023

You can now apply for the WeMed Award 2023, organized by AMWAJ member MedWaves.  For this third edition, the award seeks to identify change makers that have a clear focus and mission aligned with the Green Business Support, Circular Economy, Eco-innovative Entrepreneurship field.

Opportunities4u

Advanced Course on WEFE Nexus approach

Gain a comprehensive understanding of the WEFE nexus, focusing on both technical solutions and policy approaches in the course organised by PRIMA, CIHEAM Zaragoza and ICARDA. Applications are open until 31 August!

Events4u

Open Eco Innovation Challenges initiative

Save the date! Join the Open Eco-Innovation Challenges online kick-off event on 21 September. S challenges will be showcased to explore sustainable solutions in the tourism and agri-food sectors in the southern Mediterranean.

AMWAJ stands for A Mediterranean Water And Journalism platform for sustainable development. We aspire to build an energy and water community around the Mediterranean. An initiative by REVOLVE.