Protecting the Environment
 To help protect and improve the health of people living in the community of Thula, Yemen, USAID sponsored the rehabilitation of the main cistern. The renovated Jadaan Cistern is built of natural stone that protects the water supply. (Photo: USAID)
MIDDLE EAST BUREAU ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMS
Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, West Bank/Gaza and Yemen
CONTACTS
John Wilson
Senior Environmental Officer
Tel: (202) 712-4633
Email: jwilson@usaid.gov
Overview
The continued social and economic development of the Middle
East rests on responsible stewardship and sustainable use of its natural
resources. The challenge is great: demands on natural resources and
environmental systems are intensifying due to population growth, inequitable
national policies, poverty and corruption.
Programs
Making Clean Water Available to Communities
In the Middle East and North Africa, water is used faster
than it can be replenished. Although the region has 5 percent of the world’s
population—and is growing rapidly—it has only 1 percent of the world’s
renewable fresh water. As people consume the water flowing above and below the
ground, tensions over water become inevitable.
In
response, USAID has launched a Blue Revolution Initiative that aims to increase
broad-based access to safe water and improved sanitation for security,
prosperity, and health in the Middle East. Through this initiative, USAID will work
in partnership with other federal agencies, national and local governments,
regional organizations, other donors, and the private sector to reduce tensions
associated with water. The initiative also will promote more efficient use and
reuse of water; improve utility operations and service delivery; and increase
municipal and private financing for water supply and sanitation.
Over the past
year, USAID programs in the West Bank
and Gaza have improved access to clean water and sanitation for over 1.6
million Palestinians. In Iraq, USAID projects have provided sewage treatment to
over 5.1 million people and have provided plant-level operations and
maintenance training and support. In Jordan, promoting good sanitation
practices, increasing the availability of water, encouraging reuse of wastewater
in industry and agriculture, and improving water-use efficiency are high
priorities.
Providing Clean Energy for Growth
Air pollution levels are a growing concern, particularly in
Egypt. Urban air pollution threatens the health and welfare of Egyptian
citizens as well as the survival of the country’s ancient treasures. USAID
works with businesses and the government on new policies and awareness
activities; USAID programs have helped convert 40,000 vehicles to clean-burning
fuels.
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