Middle East Regional Cooperation (Merc) Success Stories
Since 1981, the MERC Program has supported Arab and Israeli researchers working together toward development and peace in the Middle East and North Africa region. Several of MERC’s recent projects are highlighted below. Research resulting in developmental impact has occurred in water, health, agriculture and environment.
Irrigation Precision in the Desert
In water-scarce Jordan, Israeli and Jordanian scientists developed ultra-high frequency low volume irrigation techniques to deliver nutrients and water to crops in a precise manner. This vastly improved water conservation by applying water and nutrients so plants will absorb them most efficiently, and little is lost to evaporation. They established minimum requirements for several key crops and trained more than 75 researchers and farmers in these techniques.
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Olive irrigation with reclaimed wastewater |
Maximizing water resources
Olives are a major crop in the Middle East with a long regional history. A MERC project developed protocols for safe, effective use of reclaimed wastewater for olive irrigation in Israel, Jordan and the West Bank. Using these techniques also retained high oil yields and market-quality flavor in the olives and reduced the need for fertilizer. Reducing the amount of scarce fresh water consumed by olives and other forms of agriculture is one the biggest challenges facing the region. Related MERC projects are developing strategies to reduce the amount of water used in other types of agriculture.
Methods for water reuse
Construction was completed on an experimental wastewater treatment facility in Israel that uses a MERC technology to cost-effectively produce water for unrestricted use. It was designed and built using the expertise of Palestinian, Jordanian and Israeli researchers with technology developed in a previous MERC project. Construction of a sister plant was recently finished in Jordan. Outside donor funding also contributed to this project.
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The Jordan River |
Salinity in the Jordan River
Two MERC-funded joint Israeli-Jordanian-Palestinian studies on water quality along the Jordan River completely changed the understanding of the source of salts in the river. The results showed that the river is impacted both by saline groundwater and sewage effluents. These studies concluded that properly treated wastewater could have a positive impact on the health of the river.
Wetland Water Purification
After an artificial-wetland wastewater treatment technology developed by a Palestinian-Israeli-Egyptian MERC partnership was successfully deployed in a West Bank village, neighboring communities began adopting the technology and constructing similar treatment facilities using local resources and funds from other donors. In addition, a resource center was constructed in the West Bank with laboratories for graduate research and for training technicians to monitor treatment plant operations. When fully operational, it is expected to include facilities for educational tours and school workshops, similar to the activities taking place at the project’s original pilot site at an Arab town in north Israel. top
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Spraying pesticides |
Pesticides and Health Risks
Researchers from Israel and the West Bank are comparing pesticide residue exposure from chemicals such as phthalate and organophosphate and the effects on mothers and newborns in Israeli and Palestinian communities. This team has developed links to world-renowned researchers in this field to ensure that the new results are comparable with previous studies.
Quitting Smoking
A project to adapt and test a smoking cessation program among high-risk youth in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank has led to numerous meetings with national and local education officials as well as NGO, religious and other community leaders. The Israeli and Palestinian partners have published a peer-reviewed article describing their novel protocol.
Reducing Lead Exposure
Health researchers in the Gaza Strip working with Israelis identified areas near manufacturing plants where more than 20% of children have dangerously high lead levels in their blood. In these areas, the Palestinian and Israeli researchers launched behavior and prevention campaigns to reduce lead exposure. They are also working together to help ensure that affected children receive treatment.
Physical Therapy for Cerebral Palsy Patients
A joint team of 28 Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian researchers have developed a new physical therapy regimen to strengthen and integrate children afflicted with cerebral palsy (CP) into their respective societies. Through their research they have also established centers that attract new patients as well as neighborhood children to their educational programs. Ultimately, the project led to a better acceptance of children with disabilities by their local communities.
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Finger prick blood sample, ct.gov |
Heart Disease Risk Factors
Palestinian and Israeli physicians have recently completed a study to correlate acute myocardial infarction with established and novel risk factors in Arabs and Israelis. During patient screening, the physicians discovered many undiagnosed or misdiagnosed diseases, most often diabetes, and initiated treatment regimens for study participants. The research also uncovered varying health risks for study participants.
Treating a Debilitating Skin Disorder
A Palestinian-Israeli project on the debilitating and sometimes fatal genetic skin disorder Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) found the disease to have a different genetic signature among Middle Eastern populations than originally assumed, impacting the prognosis of those affected. EB is usually rare, but is significantly more prevalent in cultures where marriages between cousins are common. It causes fragile skin, making the individual more susceptible to severe physical damage and cancers. Funding from this project, combined with additional outside funding, also established EB referral centers in Bethlehem and Haifa where people diagnosed with EB go for early intervention and treatment, helping to improve their quality of life.
Public Health and Substance Abuse
Two MERC projects evaluating substance abuse in the Gaza Strip, Israel and Egypt, developed the Addiction Severity Index (ASI) as a standard diagnostic tool. Initially developed in Hebrew, the ASI has now been translated into Arabic and English and is becoming an established tool in the participating countries. Other countries such as Morocco are starting to use it as well. top
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Potato plant test plot |
Potatoes and Salt Tolerance
Scientists from Israel and three Arab countries tested several potato varieties and found one that is highly tolerant to saline soils. They are currently testing it on barren fields in Egypt thought too salty for production.
Desert Agriculture
Scientists from Israel and Morocco identified and tested salt and drought tolerant cultivars of argan nut and morula fruit. Local farmers have been planting the varieties to produce food and utilize arid, saline soils in both countries. Argan is a traditional crop in Morocco and a source of income for women’s cooperatives.
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Egyptian strawberries infected with fungus |
Protecting Middle East Strawberry Crops
Researchers funded by MERC initiated their project with a training session on molecular biology techniques attended by American, Israeli and Egyptian scientists. The meeting trained 30 Egyptian scientists to detect and identify viruses and fungi infecting strawberry crops. The project has identified major viral and fungal threats to the Egyptian crops. The research group has also developed molecular diagnostic techniques to identify diseased plants.
Stopping the Spread of Mango Disease
An Egyptian-Israeli MERC project identified a primary route through which mango malformation disease, which can devastate fruit yields, spreads to new seedlings. The scientists developed cost-effective methods to reduce disease transmission. They also produced and distributed 5,000 pamphlets in Arabic to Egyptian farmers with simple guidelines to significantly reduce the spread of infection.
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Mediterranean fruit fly, usda.gov |
Reducing Fruit Fly Crop Damage
Research completed by Israeli and Jordanian scientists developed into a joint program by the two governments to control the Mediterranean fruit fly. Using techniques developed through the research project, the Jordanian and Israeli governments release sterile flies on both sides of the border in a coordinated operation to curb crop damage. The two governments also created a public outreach campaign through a website, CD distribution and appearances on Jordanian television.
Agriculture Research Creating Diagnostic Tools
A MERC project involving six Arab countries and Israel developed tests for 38 Middle Eastern strains of plant viruses that affect major crops in the region. These tests were refined and made available for diagnostic purposes, and as a result the national governments are presently implementing these tests. Students trained under this MERC project have become valuable resources at government seed certification centers. However, the West Bank and Gaza lacked the government facilities to screen plants for viruses. To remedy this lack of resources, the chief Palestinian scientist on the project set up a small non-profit test lab at his university. Growers now send him their seeds for certification on a fee-for-service basis.
Aquaculture to Protect Natural Fish Populations
A joint Egyptian-Israeli MERC project successfully induced spawning of grey mullet in captivity, a major technical accomplishment that could ultimately eliminate the current practice of capturing the larval-stage fish in the wild. Related MERC projects involve other aquaculture research designed to meet the growing demands on fish markets and reduce pressure on wild resources. top
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Air quality monitoring station in Eilat, Israel. Aqaba, Jordan is in the background |
Regional Air Pollution Studies
A project studying the impacts of urbanization on air quality in Israel and Jordan and the circulation of pollutants in the region has provided policy makers with conclusive evidence that peaks in pollution are regional rather than local. These results have significant implications for developing policy approaches necessary to effectively improve air quality.
Red Sea - Dead Sea Conduit
The culmination of a joint Jordanian-Palestinian-Israeli feasibility study on a proposed water conduit between the Red and Dead Seas produced recommendations that were incorporated by the World Bank’s Terms-of-Reference, which will guide future decisions on the project. In addition, government officials, researchers and a media group gathered to hear the research findings and discuss the ramifications of the proposed conduit. The project included non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and government partners working together. The lead NGO partner on this project has expanded its efforts to include Arab-Israeli community-level environmental protection and advocacy projects.
Earthquake Hazards
Israeli and Jordanian scientists are working together to accurately map the fault lines in the land and marine regions of the Gulf of Aqaba. This area is developing rapidly, especially on the Jordanian side of the border. The researchers are compiling data to help the Jordanian government and developers avoid earthquake hazards by creating appropriate building codes.
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Scaffold used to create the artificial reef off the coast of Aqaba, Jordan |
Artificial Coral Reefs
In response to coral reef damage in the Gulf of Aqaba, Israeli and Jordanian researchers developed and installed an artificial coral reef near Eilat, Israel in the Red Sea. After a few weeks, marine life began to colonize the structure and the artificial reef also drew divers away from more sensitive marine areas. A second reef installed on the Jordanian side of the Gulf incorporated further design improvements and provided more information on the biodiversity and slightly differing conditions on the Jordanian side near the border of Saudi Arabia.
Biodiversity and Species Discovery
A joint project between Jordan and Israel studied the effects of land development on biodiversity. In the process, they trained several Jordanian master’s degree students and discovered many new insect species and at least five new spider species. top
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