jordan Archives - State of the Planet

In Biblical Land, Searching for Droughts Past and Future

Human-influenced climate warming has already reduced rainfall and increased evaporation in the Mideast, worsening water shortages. Up to now, climate scientists had projected that rainfall could decline another 20 percent by 2100. But the Dead Sea cores suggest that things could become much worse, much faster.

by |October 31, 2017

Photo Essay: The Dead Sea, Living Waters and Megadrought

Thousands of years before Biblical times, during a period when temperatures were unusually high, the lands around the Dead Sea now occupied by Israel, Jordan and surrounding nations suffered megadroughts far worse than any recorded by humans. Warming climate now threatens to return such conditions to this already hard-pressed region.

by |October 31, 2017
Qasr Al Yehud Jordan River Baptismal Site

Nature Has No Boundaries

Rivers, deserts, and species don’t stop at borders or fences. They are not participating in the conflict in the Middle East, but they are affected by it.

by |August 30, 2017

Environmental Peace-Building in the Middle East

The next part of our tour provided an excellent example of the challenges people working toward environmental peace-building in Israel, Jordan and Palestine face: a site that we were unable to visit.

by |June 24, 2016

Dead Pool: the Depletion of a Shared Natural Resource

The Dead Sea could soon enough become a dead “pool” of sea. But perhaps there’s another alternative.

by |June 23, 2016

Crossing Boundaries for the Environment

It is not the concept of a borderless nature that should serve as a model to facilitate cross-border dialogue and cooperation. Rather, it is that nature’s systems are interconnected and their borders are open to exchange.

by |June 21, 2016

In an Environmental and Political Conflict Zone, Hope for Peace

The Middle East is the only place on earth where the neighbors are so close and so far at the same time.

by |June 14, 2016

How to Wrap Your Head Around Dead Sea Rehabilitation

The Dead Sea has been receding at an average rate of 1 meter per year. How can this important historic, cultural and environmental landmark be rehabilitated in one of the world’s driest regions while improving water access for Israel, Palestine and Jordan?

by |June 13, 2016

Students Travel to the Middle East

Students from Columbia University and Tel Aviv University are traveling through Jordan and Israel to learn about environmental challenges facing the two countries. They’ll be posting here about their experiences. You can also follow them on social media at #CUJordanIsrael2016.

by |May 25, 2016

In the Middle East, Discovering the Aspirations of Youth

“I was on the ground collecting data in Jordan, and worked with data collection teams in Syria and Palestine. Within Jordan this involved traveling across the country to speak with Syrian youth refugees, as well as Jordanian and Palestinian youth. I was deeply struck by how candid the respondents were.”

by |May 9, 2016