On June 30, 2011, the World Bank closed the controversial West Delta project. The Bank had approved the US$145 million loan to the government of Egypt in June 2007 to build an irrigation system that would divert water from the Nile to supply modern, export-oriented farms on reclaimed desert lands areas that are severely depleted …
Three civil society groups have filed a complaint with the World Bank’s Inspection Panel regarding the Bank’s studies for the Red Sea – Dead Sea Water Conveyance project that aims to divert water to the Dead Sea, which has been shrinking for years. The Requesters argue that the World Bank should be considering other alternatives which are less socially and environmentally harmful and that Palestinian civil society was not given the opportunity to participate adequately in the consultation process. Read the press release which was put out by the Requesters in July 2011.
On March 14, 2011, the World Bank disclosed two documents related to the Inspection Panel case filed by 51 residents of the Greater Beirut area against the Greater Beirut Water Supply Project (GBWSP), a water project in Lebanon that is being financed by the Bank. The GBWSP aims to provide potable water for the citizens of the Greater Beirut area and the low-income neighborhoods of Southern Beirut from the Litani and Awali rivers.
BIC is happy to announce the publication of our new Executive Director advocacy toolkit. Built around our ED advocacy workshop held during the 2010 Annual Meetings, this guide provides strategies for civil society actors to engage and build relationships with the World Bank’s Executive Directors.
On November 4, 2010 the World Bank’s Inspection Panel received a complaint from a Lebanese citizen representing himself and approximately 50 Beirut inhabitants who say that a World Bank water project will have negative impacts environmentally and economically. Management at the Bank has until December 13, 2010 to respond to the complaint.
In June 2010, the World Bank held its third set of public hearings with respect to the Red-Dead Sea conduit project. Friends of the Earth – Middle East attended the hearings and presented comments. This report comes from the FoEME website.
According to the World Bank, as part of the public consultation process under the Red Sea–Dead Sea Water Conveyance Study Program, the Beneficiary Parties (the Government of Israel, the Government of Jordan and the Palestinian Authority) plan to hold a series of meetings to update interested stakeholders on the progress under the Red Sea-Dead Sea Water Conveyance Study Program and seek their feedback.
CSO exchanges letters with WB & Egypt’s Min. of Water Resources re: controversial West Delta project
Habi Center for Environmental Rights continues to engage the World Bank and the Egyptian government on the West Delta project. Egyptian CSOs have been urging the Bank to consider an alternative irrigation project which would help poor farmers as well. In March 2010, Habi Center for Environmental Rights, an Egyptian civil society organization, sent two …
Amy Ekdawi and Nadia Daar of BIC’s Middle East and North Africa Program participate in four training sessions for the World Bank’s MENA staff on engaging civil society in the region. This training is part of the Bank’s Enhanced Action Plan for the MENA region which includes improved consultations, increased translation, and more engagement with civil society.
In December 2009, the World Bank held two consultative meetings on the Social Welfare Fund Institutional Support Project with Yemeni civil society. These meetings come in the context of the Bank’s MENA Management’s Enhanced Action Plan.