Conservation initiatives in the region can only be successful when they transcend boundaries, much the same way nature itself transcends boundaries.

Saving the Dead Sea will require political will, changes in industry best practices, and coordinated restoration efforts in a region that is notorious for its lack of cooperation.

This July, Columbia University and Tel Aviv University will send graduate students to the Middle East to learn about the environmental challenges facing communities in Jordan and Israel.

In Israel and Palestine, wildfires offer an exemplary case study of the potential of environment management as a lever for cooperation, or as a driver of conflict among communities sharing common resources.

Natural parks are good for people and the environment. However, what if they came at a cost such as taking someone’s land without permission? Would it be worth it?

Traveling to Jordan and Israel, I expected to eat great food, see great sites, and learn more about one of the most significant conflicts in the world. But I did not expect to learn about the power that individuals can have in resolving a crisis.

The Arab and Jewish women of Sindyanna of Galilee work together to grow and sell olive oil. Their cooperation provides economic opportunities and underlines the mutual interests of both groups.

The small Arab community of Baqa al-Gharbiyye has been deeply impacted by the construction of the wall.

Rivers, deserts, and species don’t stop at borders or fences. They are not participating in the conflict in the Middle East, but they are affected by it.

The next part of our tour provided an excellent example of the challenges people working toward environmental peace-building in Israel, Jordan and Palestine face: a site that we were unable to visit.