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WATER POLITICS

As reported by TreeHugger, the Arab League tossed cold water on a UN proposal to set up a Middle East environmental training center focused on sustainable water solutions during a meeting in Cairo in which the 22 members of the Arab League discussed the effects of climate change on the Middle East.  As the report noted, the decision was primarily due to the fact that:

“….the majority of the 21 Arab nations in the league do not want Israel included in the center.

This is despite the fact that Israel is a world leader by far in water reclamation, irrigation and water technology; and the Arab world is seeing levels of water scarcity and desertification like never before.

According to the Jerusalem Post, Prince Turki bin Nasser, the Saudi official in charge of environmental affairs said the UN should establish an Arab-only environment training center instead.

Arabs do not need training from Israel,” Turki said following one-day discussions of Arab League nations’ environment ministers in Cairo. He added the Arab governments would discuss the proposal further with the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.”

Yet another unfortunate example of geopolitics getting in the way of sound water resource management and planning.