Water hyacinth in lebanon (http://landandpeople.blogspot.com/2007/11/water-hyacinth-in-lebanon.html)


http://bp3.blogger.com/_R32leBmhdVA/R0KR8nixwSI/AAAAAAAAAEs/ToB-5mfwbWA/s320/waterhyacinth.JPG (http://bp3.blogger.com/_R32leBmhdVA/R0KR8nixwSI/AAAAAAAAAEs/ToB-5mfwbWA/s1600-h/waterhyacinth.JPG)In al safir today, a brief story (http://www.assafir.com/Article.aspx?EditionId=796&ChannelId=17860&ArticleId=2143&Author=)about how
water hyacinth is invading the estuary of Nahr al kabir, the river delineating the border between Lebanon and Syria in North Lebanon. This is very interesting (in a sad way) because:

1) Water hyacinth is a tropical aquatic weed that is not native to Lebanon or to the Middle East. The nearest place where it is found would be the Nile. We are in presence of an invasive aquatic weed species, one that is quite damaging, and has been called "a floating nightmare (http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/mar00/water0300.htm)": it blocks navigation, but also sunlight and oxygenation and can cause the death of aquatic organisms. There are world programs for the eradication of water hyacinth.


more (http://landandpeople.blogspot.com/2007/11/water-hyacinth-in-lebanon.html)