The discussion will be held in both Arabic and English, with interpretation available on Zoom only.

You can register to attend by following this link. You will receive a Zoom confirmation email should your registration be successful. Alternatively, you can watch the event live here on our Facebook page.

“This page was originally created for the Crossroads of Crises conference, which has now been postponed. Two of the planned panels will take place as online webinars — details and registration links below.”

In light of the escalating conflict between Iran and the Israeland the growing instability across the region, we and our partners at Robert Bosch Stiftung have made the difficult decision to postpone the Crossroads of Crises: Conflict, Climate Change, and the Environment in the MENA Region conference, originally scheduled to take place in Amman on June 23-24, 2025.

It is with deep sadness that we acknowledge the ongoing loss of civilian lives across the region. At a time when we had hoped to convene to better understand the devastating ways in which conflict harms both people and the environment, the very forces we intended to examine have made this gathering impossible. This moment serves as a sobering reminder of the urgency of the issues our conference seeks to address.

However, we also strongly believe in the importance of maintainingspaces for dialogue—especially now.

In place of the postponed conference, we will move forward with two online panels from the original program, offered as live webinars. We invite you to join us for these timely conversations:

Webinar 1 - Post-Conflict Syria: Evaluating the Impact of War on the Environment

Following the fall of the Baathist regime in Syria in December 2024, Syrian civil society and environmental advocates are navigating new political spaces — documenting the staggering environmental devastation wrought by 14 years of war. Across Syria’s landscape, one now finds severe soil degradation, widespread water contamination, the near-collapse of waste management systems, and abandoned agricultural lands.

This webinar will explore:

• The known environmental impacts of the conflict on Syria’s natural ecosystems, forests, arable lands, and water sources
• The use of environmental degradation as a weapon of war
• The actors engaged in documenting environmental damage and the challenges they face
• How Syria’s post-conflict reconstruction could become an opportunity for environmental rehabilitation and justice — with meaningful involvement of civil society and local communities

Moderator: Sarine Karajerjian — Director, Environmental Politics Program, ARI

Speakers:

• Rula Asad — Co-Founder, Syrian Female Journalists Network
• Ansar Jassim — PhD Student, Free University of Berlin
• Talah al Shami — Researcher, Syrbanism
• Rukaia Alabadi — Independent Investigative Journalist

Register here

Upon registering, you will receive a confirmation email with details for joining via Zoom. You may also follow the webinars live on our Facebook page.

In these challenging times, we remain committed to fostering conversations that deepen understanding, inspire action, and promote just and sustainable recovery across our region.
We hope you will join us.

Webinar 2 - Cities After Conflict: How to Rebuild Cities that are Adapted to New Environmental and Climate Challenges