Become an IndyACT “Eco-Warrior” fellow!

IndyACT, one of the leading advocacy organizations in the Arab region, is offering a unique fellowship opportunity for passionate environmental leaders in Lebanon to become IndyACT’s Eco-Warriors.

If you have a deep passion for environmental protection and want to be a leading advocate for environmental change, now is your chance to achieve it.

What does becoming an Eco-Warrior mean?

Gain new skills, tools and knowledge, especially in environmental issues, advocacy, leadership, team and project management, communication, negotiation and diplomatic work through a training programme specially designed by IndyACT and based on best available techniques and tools used in leading universities.

Get access to IndyACT’s vast network of experts, professionals and other stakeholders.

Launch your own initiatives, mobilise, organize, advocate, cooperate and create change.

Gain ongoing support and assistance from IndyACT to become a successful environmental leader.

Become an IndyACT representative in your local region and/or organisation.

Be part of the global environmental movement by joining IndyACT campaigns in Lebanon and around the world.

The rigorously selected fellows will undergo a six month incubation period from November 2011 till May 2012, during which they will be trained, coached, and supported to conduct their own environmental advocacy campaigns.

How do I become an Eco-Warrior?

Fill in the application form available here and send it to admin@indyact.org before October 30, 2011.

After the first round of selection, come for an in-person interview with IndyACT.

Commit to the whole duration of the incubation program.

Learn, ACT, advocate!

For further inquiries regarding the Eco-Warrior project contact admin@indyact.org.

كن من محاربي إندي أكت الخضر

تقدّم إندي أكت، وهي من المنظمات الرائدة في مجال الدعوة في المنطقة العربية، فرصة فريدة للقادة البيئيين المتحمسين في لبنان ليصبحوا من محاربي إندي أكت الخضر.

إذا كان لديك شغف عميق لحماية البيئة وتريد أن تكون من الروّاد الداعين إلى التغيير البيئي، الآن فرصتك لتحقيق ذلك.

ما معنى أن تصبح محارباً أخضر؟
• تكتسب مهارات وأدوات ومعلومات جديدة، خصوصاً في مجال القضايا البيئية والدعوة والقيادة وإدارة فرق العمل وإدارة المشاريع والاتصال والتفاوض والعمل الدبلوماسي من خلال برنامج تدريبي مصمم خصيصاً من قبل إندي أكت يرتكز على أفضل التقنيات والأدوات المتاحة المستخدمة في الجامعات الرائدة.

• تتمكن من الوصول إلى شبكة إندي أكت الواسعة التي تضم الخبراء والمتخصصين وأصحاب المصلحة الآخرين.

• تطلق مبادراتك الخاصة وتقوم بالتعبئة والتنظيم والدعوة والتعاون وخلق التغيير.

• تكسب الدعم والمساعدة المستمرين من إندي أكت لكي تصبح قائداً بيئياً ناجحاً.

• تصبح ممثل إندي أكت في منطقتك المحلية و / أو منظمتك.

• تكون جزءاً من الحركة البيئية العالمية من خلال الانضمام إلى حملات إندي أكت في لبنان وفي جميع أنحاء العالم.

سيخضع الأشخاص الذين يتم اختيارهم بعناية لفترة تدريب تمتد على ستة أشهر من تشرين الثاني / نوفمبر 2011 حتى أيار / مايو 2012، يتم خلالها تدريبهم ودعمهم ليقوموا بحملات الدعوة البيئية الخاصة بهم.

كيف تصبح محارباً أخضر؟

قم بتعبئة استمارة الطلب قبل 30 تشرين الأول وأرسلها إلى

Admin@IndyACT.org

للحصول على الإستمارة (اضغط هنا)

بعد الجولة الأولى من عملية الاختيار، تأتي لإجراء مقابلة شخصية مع إندي أكت

إلتزم بكامل فترة برنامج التدريب.

تعلّم وكن فاعلاً ومناصراً للبيئة!

لمزيد من الاستفسارات بشأن مشروع المحارب الأخضر، الرجاء الاتصال ﺒ

Admin@IndyACT.org

Job Opening: IndyACT Coordinator in Egypt

JOB DESCRIPTION

IndyACT Coordinator in Egypt

Job Title: IndyACT coordinator in Egypt

Organization: IndyACT - The League of Independent Activists

Line Managed by: Executive Director

Country: Egypt

Job Statement

IndyACT is a global league of independent environmental, cultural and social activists that works for a healthy, safe, and active planet. IndyACT is currently focusing its operations in the Arab World. IndyACT has already established several campaigns in the Arab region, including Egypt, on issues such as climate change, resource management, and marine and coastal protection. The organizations motto is passion with Professionalism and applies it in all its campaigns.

IndyACT is currently seeking a Coordinator for the organization in Egypt that will coordinate all of IndyACTís work in Egypt including strengthening IndyACTís presence in Egypt, conducting all managerial and administrative work, developing the organizations strategy and program in Egypt, fundraising, and implementing campaigns and project.

Job Description

The first project that the coordinator will work on is related to Concentrated Solar Power plants in Egypt. Therefore, it is strongly preferable that candidates have experience and knowledge in solar energy work, and specifically concentrated solar power plants. Nevertheless, the main tasks of the position are:

• Managing internal structure, organization and communication of IndyACT presence in Egypt
• Strengthening, coordinating and supporting the IndyACT team in Egypt
• Insuring professional standards of all campaigns, plans and programs in Egypt
• Planning the general administration of the organizations operation in Egypt
• Representing the association in front of all the organizations stakeholders in Egypt
• Directing and coordinating all approved programs, projects, and activities in Egypt
• Recruiting, hiring, training all association personnel including responsibility for promotions, and terminations
• Defining team duties, establishes performance standards, and conducts performance reviews
• Promoting interest and active participation in association activities to team members and supporters
• Maintaining effective relationships with other organizations, both public and private
• Providing leadership and management to assure that IndyACT is well-respected, self-sufficient and financially secure in Egypt
• Team members and supporters are fully informed of association conditions and of all important factors influencing them.
• Export and market the organizations training and capacity-building services
• Set short and long term strategies and plans for the organizations program, development, fundraising and financial sustainability.
• Assist in setting a national structure and the development of a new office in the country, including registration
• Create and maintain an archive and database of all IndyACTís work in Egypt, including stakeholders database, management of documents, communication, and development of the supporter base
• Maintain office records (filing system, records security, confidentiality, etc.)
• Providing security for all files, legal and historical documents, and membership and mailing lists
• Actively seek new members, supporters and donors to the organization and maintain existing ones
• Explore available grants and calls for proposals from foundations, match grants with current needs of the organization and its campaigns
• Assist in developing fundraising strategies for projects or campaigns
• Ensuring that all funds, physical assets, and other association property are appropriately safeguarded and administered; operating within the approved budget
• Exercising control of budget and all arrangements to meet financial objectives
• Develop, administer and monitor the financial system for the office in order to ensure that the municipal finances are maintained in an accurate and timely manner
• Ensuring all government regulations are adhered to (financial, administrative, etc.)
• Coordinate all work with the head office in Beirut
• Providing advice and information to the Executive Director on development in Egypt
• controlling budgets
• Develop and maintain an efficient team and office management system and services
• Perform other related duties as required

Qualifications and skills required are:

• Personal belief in and support of IndyACT core values
• Commitment to creating positive environmental, social and cultural change
• A university degree
• Good understanding of regional politics
• Ability to meet tight deadlines and work under pressure
• Ability to handle large volume of work and have excellent organization skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills, team worker, good listener, able to delegate, and develop teams
• Ability to take initiatives and be flexible and adaptable in a changing environment
• Readiness to travel on demand according to IndyACT needs
• Computer literacy (Access, Photoshop, and HTML are a plus)
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and Arabic
• managerial skills, Strategic thinking, and effective networking and communication skills
• Experience in performing administrative duties and report writing
• Preferably having experience and knowledge in general management (project and team management)
• Preferably having experience in policy development and negotiation
• Strength of will and determination to drive an advocacy program
• Analytical and problem solving skills
• Decision making skills
• Knowledge of office administration
• Attention to detail and high level of accuracy

The coordinator will receive training and support from the wider global IndyACT team.

Working Hours:

Full time job from 9am to 5pm, Monday till Friday. On account of his/her responsibilities, the Coordinator may be asked to adjust his/her working hours to suit the requirements of his/her duties. Please send a full CV/resume and a covering motivation letter via email to :

whmaidan@indyact.org

The deadline for applications is 15 October 2011.

The position will start immediately. Those who do not meet our requirements for this position will not be notified.

Salary:

Depending on experience and qualifications.

المجتمع المدني : اعتمادنا على السيارة الخاصة يدمر الاقتصاد

بيروت – 24 ايلول 2011: للمرة الأولى في لبنان يجتمع 300 مواطن لبناني للمطالبة بخطة للنقل مستدامة، تؤمن نقل عام فعال ومتطور واقتصادي، ويخفف من اعتمادنا على السيارة الخاصة التي تؤدي الى عبء اقتصادي واجتماعي وبيئي. في مساء يوم السبت اطلقت 14 منظمة من المجتمع المدني ومبادرات مدنية "الحملة الوطنية للنقل المستدام" التي هي حملة مطلبية موجهة نحو الحكومة اللبنانية لوضع هذه الخطة.

وتم اطلاق هذه الحملة عبر تنظيم اعتصام على الدراجات الهوائية والزلاجات ومشيا على الاقدام وغيرها من وسائل النقل البديلة، كما شارك مقعدين على كراسيهم المتحركة. ويأتي هذا الإعتصام كجزء من تحرك عالمي يقوم به ناشطون في كل أنحاء العالم للحد من التلوث الناجم عن استخدام المحروقات، للمطالبة بوسائل نقل مستدامة تحمي الاقتصاد وتحقق العدالة الاجتماعقية وصديقة للبيئة.

إنطلق الاعتصام في تمام الساعة الخامسة عصراً من أمام مدخل البيال واحتلت الدراجات الهوائية الطرقات لمدة ساعة كاملة. حمل المشاركون والمشاركات لافتات طالبت بـ "نقل عام مشترك" و"أرصفة وشوارع آمنة للمشاة" و"هواء نظيف خالٍ من غازات السيارات" و"النقل المشترك للعيش المشترك" وغيرها من الشعارات التي تتعلق بخطة نقل مستدامة. وقالت سارة عبيد من جمعية الخط الأخضر بأن وضع النقل في لبنان لم يعد محمولاً مشيرة إلى أن الحملة التي أطلقت سوف تواصل بالتحرك اعلاميا وسياسيا وعلى كافة الاصعدة الى ان نصل الى هدفنا.

ترتكز الخطة التي تطالب بها الحملة على "ادارة الطلب على النقل" عبر تخفيف اعتمادنا على السيارة الخاصة. بحيث يزيد الاعتماد على السيارات من تكاليف النقل واستهلاك الموارد كما يتطلّب إستثمارات ماليّة ضخمة لشق الطرق وإقامة مواقف السيارات، ويزيد من زحمة السير ومخاطر الطرق والتأثيرات السلبية على البيئة، ناهيك عن التكاليف الطبية الباهظة الناتجة عن حوادث السير، بالإضافة إلى الأمراض الناتجة عن التلوّث. ففي جميع الدول المتطورة لا تعتبرالسيارة الخاصة الوسيلة الرئيسية للنقل، فمثلا في السويد فقط 36 في المئة من النقل يتم بالسيارة الخاصة، مقارنة بلبنان حيث أكثرمن 90 في المئة من النقل يتم بالسيارة الخاصة. أما الخطوات التي يمكن أن تتضمنها هذه الخطة فهي: تفعيل وسائل النقل العام، إدارة تدفّق السير، تحسين التنظيم المدني، انشاء خطوط سير مخصصة للباصات، انشاء شوارع خالية من السيارات ومخصصة للمشاة.

وقال وائل حميدان من منظمة إندي-أكت بأن أي اقتصاد ناجح يحتاج الى مقومات رئيسية كتأمين الكهرباء بشكل متواصل وشبكة اتصالات فعالة وقطاع نقل سريع واقتصادي. لذلك بعد اقرار خطة الكهرباء وتحسين شبكة الاتصالات آن الوقت لحل مشكلة النقل.

تتضمن الحملة الوطنية للنقل المستدام المنظمات والمبادرات التالية:
‏Aie serve, Nahnoo, Green Line, Greenpeace, IndyACT, Train-Train, Fast Forward, Rotaract club Beirut, Critical Mass Beirut, Tour in Sour, El Mina by Bike, Green Hands, , Lebanese Physical
Handicapped Union

محاسن تبني خطة نقل مستدامة تتضمن الآتي:
التخفيف من نسبة تلوث
التخفيف من زحمة السير، وبالتالي الزيادة بانتاجية المجتمع والتخفيف من التوتر لدى المتنقلين
التقليل من مصاريف الحكومة على شق وبناء الطرق وصيانتها
التوفير على المستهلك من تكاليف صيانة وتشغيل سيارته
الزيادة في السلامة العامة على الطرقات
تأمين النقل العام للأشخاص المعوقين جسدياً

الاستخدام الفعال للاراضي: التقليل من شق طرقات وانشاء مواقف للسيارات، وذلك لقلة الطلب، ويؤدي الى استعمال الاراضي المتوافرة بشكل فعّال اكثر
التنمية الاقتصادية: مثال: انجذاب السائح الى الاماكن التي لا تجوبها السيارات مثل وسط المدينة

للإتصال بنا
sustransportation@gmail.com 70-903802 / 76-805036 / 03-506313

IndyACT: a new victory for civil society Lebanese parliament approves smoking ban in closed public places

Beirut, 17 August 2011: Two years after starting its campaign to prevent smoking in closed public places, IndyACT congratulated all Lebanese on the adoption of the tobacco control law during the Lebanese parliament meeting today.

The parliament has included the tobacco control draft law on its last agenda after a coalition of civic organizations (including IndyACT, AUB Tobacco Control Research Group and Tobacco Free Initiative) carried out a long campaign to achieve this result. During this campaign, tobacco companies constantly tried to influence the law by either delaying its adoption or by trying to weaken its content.

Nevertheless, IndyACT and its allies were successfully able to prevent the intervention of these companies after making several direct actions on the matter.

Commenting on the adoption of the law, IndyACT Executive Director, Wael Hmaidan, said: “Today the parliament proved that it is out of its paralysis, and is now able to formulate and pass fair laws that protect citizens; this gives the Lebanese a ray of hope that the legislative process can return to its normal course after a long absence” .

In the period before the law was passed, IndyACT and its allies worked for months with MPs to discuss the gaps that existed in early versions of this law. Now, the law contains many good provisions.

The most important of which are: complete ban on in all closed public places such as restaurants, cafes and public transport; preventing all tobacco companies from conducting any kind of ad campaigns or sponsorship for their products; and placing a warning that covers 40% of cigarette packs.

The gap that IndyACT was able to modify in the last minute was to impose a fine on the owners of closed public places in the event of having someone smoking tobacco in them, as well as fining the smoker himself/herself.

“Lebanese can be proud of this law which is considered progressive compared to the existing laws around the world; many told us that this achievement is impossible in Lebanon, but nothing is impossible, if you believe in change and work relentlessly for it”, added Hmaidan.

The law gave the owners of tourist establishments and restaurants a whole year to prepare and adapt to the upcoming ban on smoking in closed spaces. During this time, IndyACT and its allies will carry out a campaign to make sure the law is implemented in a serious manner. This law has the potential to enormously reduce health costs for the government and the citizen. Lebanon is losing more than $ 50 million annually from treating smoke related diseases, and more than 3000 Lebanese die each year due to smoking.

- End of press release -

For more information, please contact:

Ali Fakhry, Communication Officer

Telephone - Fax: +961-1-447192, Mobile: +96171421593, E-mail: comms@indyact.org

Job oppening : Project Manager

Job Description for Project Manager

Description:

The role of the Project Manager is to plan, execute, and finalize projects according to strict deadlines and within budget. This includes acquiring resources and coordinating the efforts of team members and third-party contractors or consultants in order to deliver projects according to plan. The Project Manager will also define the project’s objectives and oversee quality control throughout its life cycle.

Required Qualifications:

Education:

A university degree or college diploma in the field of Project Management or any other relevant field is required.

Experience:

Three years experience in project management and execution of projects.

Languages

Excellent command of spoken and written English and Arabic. French is a plus. General qualifications.

- Highly developed written and oral communication skills.

- Strong management skills including: analytical skills, judgment and decision making, project
management; resource management and managing multiple priorities. Be able to provide
leadership and direction.

- Ability to work in a collaborative manner and develop strong working relationships.

- Highly flexible in style with the ability to produce creative and pragmatic solutions to complex
problems.

- Resourceful and creative with the capacity to implement and respond to change. - Solution focused with the ability to work quickly and flexibly in changing circumstances.

- Ability to coordinate and organize multiple projects efficiently.

- Ability to meet tight deadlines and work under pressure.

- Ability to work in a team and have excellent organization skills.

- Good knowledge of accounting principles and practices.

- Knowledge of accounting and finance procedures.

- Ability to maintain financial records and to organize own work.

- Must demonstrate responsible behavior and attention to detail.

Tasks and Responsibilities:

1- Assist in the developing and planning of projects.

2- Implement and monitor project logistics within IndyACT’s campaigns.

3- Overall evaluation of projects.

4- Handle project budgets.

5- Coordinate with stakeholders.

6- Coordinate with all team members on their individual tasks.

7- Coordinate with project activists and volunteers.

8- Plan and schedule project timelines and execution strategies.

9- Conduct weekly meetings for follow up and evaluation.

10-Follow up on donor requests, support, and transparent reporting. Liaise with project
stakeholders on an ongoing basis.

11- Following up on data collection, achievements, and analyses.

12- Direct and manage project development from beginning to end.

13-Define project scope, goals and deliverables in collaboration with senior management and
stakeholders.

14- Effectively communicate project expectations to team members and stakeholders in a timely
and clear fashion.

15- Estimate the resources and participants needed to achieve project goals.

16-Draft and submit budget proposals, and recommend subsequent budget changes where
necessary.

17- Where required, negotiate with other department managers for the acquisition of required
personnel.

18- Determine and assess need for additional staff and/or consultants and make the appropriate
recruitments if necessary during project cycle.

19- Set and continually manage project expectations with team members and other stakeholders.

20- Delegate tasks and responsibilities to appropriate personnel.

21- Identify and resolve issues and conflicts within the project team.

22- Identify and manage project dependencies and critical path.

23- Track project milestones and deliverable through appropriate tools.

24- Proactively manage changes in project scope and identify potential crises.

25- Define project success criteria and disseminate them to involved parties throughout project life cycle.

26- Coach, mentor, motivate and supervise project team members and contractors, and influence them to take positive action and accountability for their assigned work.

27- Build, develop, and grow any relationships vital to the success of the project.

28-Conduct post project evaluation and create a recommendations report in order to identify
successful and unsuccessful project elements.

Working Hours:

Full time job from 9am to 5pm, Monday till Friday. On account of his/her responsibilities, the Project Manager may be asked to adjust his/her working hours to suit the requirements of his/her duties. Please send a full CV/resume and a motivation letter via email to admin@indyact.org. The deadline for applications is August 30, 2011.

Salary

Salary will be based on qualifications and experience.

Job oppening : Communication Officer

Job Statement

IndyACT is a global league of independent environmental, cultural and social activists.
IndyACT is currently focusing its operations in the Arab World.
Although it is a new organization, IndyACT has already established several campaigns in the Arab region, especially Lebanon, on issues such as climate change, resource management, marine and coastal protection, and youth and women’s rights.
The organization’s motto is “Passion with Professionalism” and applies it in all its campaigns.
IndyACT is currently seeking a Communication Officer and a Project Manager.

Job Description for Communication Officer:

Description:

To undertake the planning, development and delivery of IndyACT’s internal and external communications, including website, monthly newsletter and other member communications and publications, in liaison with other IndyACT staff; to contribute to wider policy and communications and IndyACT work programmes.

Required Qualifications Education:

University degree in a related field.

Experience:

Three years work experience in communication and campaigning.

Languages:

Excellent command of spoken and written English and Arabic. French is a plus.

General Qualifications:

- Personal belief in and support of IndyACT core values.

- Writing and outreach experience.

- Media and awareness-raising experience.

- A strong capacity for analysis, communication and information management.

- Excellent communication and writing skills.

- Ability to meet tight deadlines and work under pressure.

- Ability to handle large volume of work and have excellent organizational skills.

- Commitment to creating positive environmental, social and cultural change.

- Excellent interpersonal skills, team work and a good listener.

- Ability to take initiatives and be flexible and adaptable in a changing environment.

- Computer literacy (Photoshop and HTML)

- Excellent Knowledge and proficiency in social media networking.

Tasks and Responsibilities:

1. Manage IndyACT social media profiles.

2. Build strong social media networks and tools in order to push for IndyACT’s communication
strategy online and to strengthen IndyACT’s image in the media and in cyber, virtual and social
networks.

3. Build campaign media materials.

4. Maintain the indyact.org website and follow up on its functionality.

5. Manage media contact lists and add more contacts to it.

6. Maintain and build relations with mainstream media, empower the role of the organization
among them and build trustful and personal relationships with them.

7. Draft and issue press releases, information notes, and written material for dissemination
among local and international media.

8. Handle internal lists, events and updates.

9. Improve the use of communication tools.

10. Improve and maintain IndyACT’s active image.

11. Update IndyACT's monthly newsletter.

Working Hours:

Full time job from 9am to 5pm, Monday till Friday. On account of his/her responsibilities, the Communication officer may be asked to adjust his/her working hours to suit the requirements of his/her duties. Please send a full CV/resume and a motivation letter via email to admin@indyact.org. The deadline for applications is August 30, 2011.

Salary:
Salary will be based on qualifications and experience.

Voice of civil society seen as cornerstone of sustainable future for the Mediterranean

“We must take action today if we want to achieve a positive impact on the environment and the security of people’s lives tomorrow. The time is now to invest in our Mediterranean future, and it is essential for civil society to be an integral part of that process.”

Mustapha Derdabi of Morocco’s Association for Environmental Protection of Wilaya de Tétouan summed up the concerns of many around the table, speaking at an unprecedented meeting at the Union for the Mediterranean Secretariat in Barcelona, Spain, with WWF and a range of environmental civil society groups from across the Mediterranean.

Global conservation organisation WWF and the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Secretariat together gathered the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) this week to define and agree on the need for civil society to be a stronger voice in policy-making and projects on nature and the environment.

The civil society representatives – from Albania, Croatia, Egypt, France, Italy, Lebanon, Montenegro, Morocco, Tunisia and elsewhere around the Mediterranean and EU – discussed the need to strengthen and improve NGO participation in UfM policies and processes.

“Coordination and collaboration among environmental NGOs across the Mediterranean has massive potential to bring about positive change on a regional and even global level. Civil society can contribute significantly to capturing this potential within the Union for the Mediterranean”, said Wael Hmaidan of IndyACT, an activist group based in Lebanon and working across the Arab and European regions.

The Mediterranean is one of the richest regions in the world in terms of environment and natural resources, but also one of the most vulnerable.

Dwindling water resources, habitat degradation, the risks of a changing climate and the need to develop renewable and sustainable energies were seen as particularly pressing environmental concerns – acknowledged as issues that have a direct impact on the stability and security of daily life across the Mediterranean, and in which civil society can and should play a valuable role.

“It is exciting to follow the rapid evolution of this region – and it is essential to keep civil society and NGOs involved, especially in getting nature and the environment higher on the UfM agenda. Regional representation and building capacity of civil society across the Mediterranean, as well as a transparent process of engagement, will be key to achieving positive steps forward,” said Paloma Agrasot, manager of WWF’s European Neighbourhood Programme.

Discussion touched on the so-called Arab Spring, the political awakening and revolutions that have swept this year across the Middle East and North Africa region – highlighting the key role of civil society in bringing about positive change and translating the needs of local populations into clearly communicated demands.

The Arab Spring has revived the attention of institutions on the pivotal role of civil society in bringing about real and far-reaching change.

Building the capacity of environmental civil society groups around the Mediterranean is a key need in empowering and encouraging NGO involvement and representation.

“Moving closer to democracy does not inevitably entail the successful involvement of civil society in decisions and policy-making,” said Michal Sagive of Friends of the Earth Middle East. “We need to keep pushing for NGO participation, and to empower civil society through training and capacity-building.”

WWF has called for more UfM attention on the natural and biological assets of the Mediterranean – and on the region’s struggle with ecological scarcity. The marine environment and fisheries, for example, are still not considered a priority among top environmental issues facing the Mediterranean – yet these resources are of high socioeconomic as well as ecological value.

Spanish Member of the EU Parliament Raül Romeva i Rueda, Vice President of the European Greens, joined the discussions and stressed the need for civil society to collaborate Mediterranean-wide.

“Mediterranean countries share a range of major common threats and risks to the stability of their environment and wellbeing. We have much to gain by facing these challenges together, and by getting civil society involved in the conversation on all environmental questions – including urgent fisheries and marine issues that so often remain submerged,” said Romeva.

“The voice of civil society has been expressed loud and clear these days in Barcelona,” said Dr Rafiq Husseini, Deputy Secretary General for Water and the Environment at the UfM Secretariat. “Those involved in the Union for the Mediterranean process should encourage this voice and continue to engage environmental civil society groups more and more in decisions and policies that have such a direct impact on the lives of citizens around the Mediterranean.”

To arrange telephone interviews and for more information:

Gemma Parkes, WWF Mediterranean, e gparkes@wwf.panda.org, t +39 346 387 3237

Notes to editor:

- The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), established in 2008, is the only political process that brings together all Mediterranean and EU countries and allows multilateral discussions. It includes all 27 EU Member States, along with 16 further Mediterranean partners, representing more than 756 million citizens. The initiative is strategic regarding the relationship between the EU and the Mediterranean, one of its major neighboring regions.

More information on the Secretariat of the UfM: http://www.ufmsecretariat.org/en/

- More on WWF’s work across the Mediterranean region: http://mediterranean.panda.org/

Gulf conservation and corporate 'greenwash'

Environmentalists say that polluting corporations only fund Middle East conservation projects as a "greenwash" policy.

The US conservation movement is regularly derided for its willingness to take "dirty money" from Big Oil. Meanwhile, in the Middle East, those same companies are funding significant conservation projects with no such scrutiny.

Exxon Mobil, Dow Chemical and Ford Motors fund conservation projects such as the Emirates Diving Association which protects marine life, IFAW Middle East , which fights the illegal trade in animals - as well as Al Yaal that works to protect Kuwait's marine ecosystems. And all without strong criticism from either environmentalists or conservationists.

Those involved in these projects state that they do not see any problem taking funding from companies which are believed to cause environmental damage - if they are working together to protect nature.

Wahab Al Ghanim, the managing partner of en.v, which is behind the Al Yaal initiative to protect Kuwait's marine environment remarked: "The way I see it, all these companies are not going anywhere, so we may as well try and do something positive together and reverse some of the [environmental] damage that has been done, whether by individuals, companies or governments."

The small environmental movement in the region also means that few activists are raising any questions about the motives of companies behind such projects and whether they are simply being used for "greenwash", where companies feign environmental concern to make themselves look better without doing anything substantive.

Wael Hmaidan, the director of IndyACT- an independent organisation of activists based in Lebanon which campaigns on environmental issues - spoke to Al Jazeera from Bonn, where he is currently taking part in the latest UNFCCC climate negotiations.

"I do think that there are some corporations taking advantage of the fact that the Middle East has a weak environmental and civil society and are bringing projects here that wouldn't be accepted in more aware countries."

"I can't think of any other region that is doing worse than the Middle East in terms of environmental awareness. So, when we talk of recognizing greenwash I would say that there are very few of us who would spot it and criticize it in the region."

To continue reading please go to: http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/features/2011/06/201162571431133120.html

A region with big climate vulnerability and bigger distractions

Lisa Friedman, E&E reporter

The third in a series. Click here to read the first story and here for the second in the series.

Climate change may be the last thing that leaders of revolution-riddled countries in the Middle East want to deal with now. But before long, experts say, the problems caused by rising global temperatures could disfigure the land they are fighting over.

From disappearing snow in Lebanon to rising seas threatening Bahrain to flooding in Tunisia and Egypt, climate change already is giving the Middle East and North Africa a good deal to worry about. And those who work in the region note that governments struggling to maintain power and in some cases engaging in all-out warfare with their citizens are losing valuable time needed to adapt.

"Climate change and the environmental agenda is not anywhere in the top priorities of our governments, and wasn't on the agenda since even before the revolution," said Wael Hmaidan, executive director of the League of Independent Activists in Beirut.

Curiously, many governments are embracing renewable energy development even as they ignore adaptation needs. Egypt, Morocco and Jordan all are making serious strides, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has long been a regional leader in clean energy, and now even other oil producers like Saudi Arabia and Qatar are signaling their interest in solar and other low-carbon energy sources.

Hmaidan and others blame the disconnect on the suppression of free expression and the media. While some governments, like that of the UAE, have shown a sincere desire to address climate change, he said, for others, it's hard to tell if the interest is part of a real move to a low-carbon strategy or a mere jump on the renewables bandwagon for a short-term economic infusion. In the meantime, few countries are taking steps to build resilience or adapt to weather-related climate change impacts.

"You need civil society and free media in order to really change the priorities of the governments," Hmaidan said. "It has to become part of their core economic strategy."

Water stress for 100M people

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the water-scarce and thirsty Middle East is considered one of the regions of the world most vulnerable to climate change impacts. If temperatures increase up to 4 degrees Celsius by 2050, the result could be a 20 to
30 percent water drop-off in countries spanning North Africa and the Mediterranean.

According the World Bank, that could mean as many as 100 million people exposed to water stress. Meanwhile, in urban parts of North Africa, researchers predict that a temperature increase of up to 3 degrees could expose up to 25 million people to flooding.

A recent study on climate change vulnerability rankings from the Center for Global Development found that five Middle Eastern and North African countries ranked in the top 20 at risk from sea level rise by 2050.
They are: Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates.

Yet the body of scientific work examining the Middle East and North Africa remains thin, particularly compared to vast studies that have been done in South Asia and Africa. Some chalk up the disparity to the fact that the Middle East is literally betwixt and between. Partially in Asia and partially in Africa, countries in the region are often divided in official U.N. research and not given attention as a whole.

But the other reality, said Josh Busby, an assistant professor at the University of Texas, Austin's Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs who has studied climate and conflict in North Africa, is that many governments in the region don't have the government and scientific apparatus to support climate research. That's particularly true now as countries like Egypt and Tunisia try to find their balance post- revolution and protests continue to be met with state violence in places like Yemen and Syria.

A region with attention deficit

"They just can't pay attention to climate change if they're dealing with transitions to a new regime and have broader political instability," Busby said. "That could just be a short hiccup, but I think at the end of the day, a country like Egypt -- barring a major political cataclysm -- I think they're going to have to have more of the scientific expertise to come to grips with the climate issue."

Scientists in the region agree. In a paper last year for the Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED), Egyptian scientist Ibrahim Abdel Gelil warned, "If Arab scientists want to play a role in climate change policy in the Arab world, then they desperately need to offer better-informed science.

"The need to bridge the gap between science and public policy in the Arab region is obvious," he wrote. "The environmental and climate policy is no exception. In a region with a long history of autocratic political systems and under funding of research and development (R&D), the scientific community is lacking both the independence and the resources it needs to drive the public-policy process."

The tide is slowly turning in the Middle East, noted Mohamed El-Ashry, a senior fellow at the U.N. Foundation and a member of the board of trustees of AFED. Slowly but steadily, countries are starting to do their own research to better understand what climate impacts will mean nationally and locally.

In Lebanon, for example, scientists have found that climate change is threatening two of the country's most treasured symbols: its snow and its cedars. If temperatures rise 1 degree Celsius on the coast and 2 degrees inland by 2040 as researchers expect, the tall evergreen cedars might not get the snow they need to thrive. Hmaidan said the losses would be physically and psychologically devastating.

"The cedar is in our flag and the snow is in our flag, so these are part of the Lebanese identity," he said. "As Lebanese, we cannot imagine ourselves without our snow, without our cedar trees. It's as if we're losing our country, just like the small island states."

Wanted: a more immediate timeline

Meanwhile, the World Bank is also starting to tackle climate change in the Middle East in a serious way. Earlier this year, a major study by the bank and the League of Arab States found that climate change could lead to the loss of more than 70,000 square miles of rain-fed agricultural land across the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Iran.

It's a topic on which Arab leaders increasingly are demanding more information, bank officials said. But even then, there remains a persistent message from leaders in the region that the most immediate needs are the most important.

In a recent study of how climate change and natural disasters will affect North African coastal cities, World Bank Urban Cultural Heritage Coordinator Anthony Gad Bigio said researchers purposely both broadened and narrowed their scope. It was important, he said, to study more immediate natural disasters in addition to long-term climate impacts, and the researchers made a conscious decision to keep the focus of the study on coastal impacts by 2030. According to the IPCC, most serious climate impacts are expected to reveal themselves by midcentury.

In doing so, he said, the World Bank was able to learn that cities like Alexandria, Egypt; Tunis, Tunisia; and Casablanca, Morocco, face far more immediate threats from natural disasters than from climate change.
That's something that city leaders can wrap their arms around and get re-elected fixing. Yet flood control measures, upgrading drainage structures and developing flood early-warning systems are precisely the kinds of things that can help lessen the long-term impacts of climate change.

"There's a real continuum between natural disasters and climate change," Bagio said. But, he noted, "We would really make a mistake if we approached these cities only talking about climate change.

"If you go in and only look at climate change, you would be looking at a timeline that is probably further out than the one we looked at.
Engaging policymakers ... it's going to be very difficult to get their attention. Ignoring challenges they've got on their table right now is probably not very conducive."