Blog | EcoMENA - Part 100

What Does The Quran Say About The Natural Environment

By Suma Din | September 28, 2021 - 3:21 pm |November 5, 2022 EcoIslam, Environment, Nature

On Rainwater Cycle

‘It is He who sends the winds as heralds of good news before His Mercy. We send down pure water from the sky, so that We can revive a dead land with it, and We give it as a drink to many animals and people We have created.’ (Quran, 25:48–49)

‘And We have sent down blessed rain from the sky and made grow thereby gardens and grain from the harvest.’ (Quran, 50:9)

The Variety of Crops

‘And it is He who sends down rain from the sky. With it we produce the shoots of each plant, then bring greenery from it, and from that We bring out grains in layers.’ ‘And from the date palms come clusters – of its emerging fruit hanging low. And [We produce] gardens of grapevines and olives and pomegranates, similar yet varied. Look at [each of] its fruit when it yields and [at] its ripening.

Indeed in that are signs for a people who believe.’ (Quran, 6:99)

‘Eat and drink but do not be wasteful: God does not like wasteful people.’ (Quran, 7:30)

‘Let man consider the food he eats! We pour down abundant water and cause the soil to split open. We make grain grow, and vines and fresh vegetation, olive trees, date palms, luscious gardens, fruits and fodder, all for you and your livestock to enjoy.’ (Quran, 80: 32–34)

On Animal Life

‘And there is no creature on [or within] the earth or bird that flies with its wings except [that they are] communities like you. We have not neglected in the Register a thing. Then unto their Lord they will be gathered.’ (Quran, 6:38)

Mountains

‘And He has cast into the earth firmly set mountains, lest it shift with you, and [made] rivers and roads, that you may be guided.’ (Quran, 16:15)

Note: This is an excerpt from Suma Din’s latest book ‘The Gift of the World’ published by Beacon Books (UK). The article has been reproduced with the kind permission of Beacon Books.

You can purchase the book directly from this link

إدارة النفايات في المغرب

By Catherine Hansen | September 27, 2021 - 8:41 am |October 1, 2021 Environment, Middle East, Waste Management

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تعد إدارة النفايات الصلبة واحدة من المشكلات البيئية الرئيسية التي تهدد المملكة المغربية. إذ تنتج هذه الأخيرة أكثر من 5 ملايين طن من النفايات الصلبة بمعدل نمو توليد النفايات السنوي وصل إلى 3 في المئة. و يعاني التخلص السليم من النفايات الصلبة البلدية في المغرب من أوجه قصور رئيسية تتمثل في عدم وجود البنية التحتية المناسبة والتمويل المناسب في المناطق خارج المدن الرئيسية.

وقد أبان تقرير البنك الدولي، على أنه في عام 2008، قبل الإصلاح الأخير “لم يتم جمع إلا 70 من المئة فقط من النفايات الصلبة البلدية في المدن وأن فقط أقل من 10 من المئة من النفايات التي تم جمعها هي التي يجري التخلص منها بطريقة مقبولة بيئيا اجتماعيا. هذا مع وجود حوالي 300 مكب نفايات عشوائي، وحوالي 3500 جامع للنفايات، يشكل الأطفال 10 في المئة منهم ، يعيشون داخل وحول هذه المكبات المفتوحة “.

خطر حرق النفايات

إنه لمن المألوف أن نرى حرق النفايات كوسيلة للتخلص من النفايات الصلبة في المغرب. حاليا، يتم التخلص من النفايات البلدية بطريقة هوجاء وغير مستدامة و التي لها آثار كبيرة على الصحة العامة والبيئة. فعدم وجود البنية التحتية لإدارة النفايات يؤدي إلى حرقها كشكل من أشكال التخلص من النفايات غير المكلفة. وللأسف، فإن الآثار الصحية الرئيسية لحرق النفايات هي، يا إما غير معروفة على نطاق واسع أومستهان بها بشكل صارخ من طرف الغالبية العظمى من السكان في المغرب.

يشكل حرق النفايت مصدر قلق صحي خاص بسبب كمية الديوكسينات الكبيرة التي تنتج أثناء عملية الحرق. إذ يعد الديوكسين من الملوّثات البيئية شديدة السمية التي يتم تحريرها عند حرق النفايات المنزلية. أكثر الديوكسينات التي يتم إصدارها في الهواء أثناء عملية الحرق ينتهي بها المطاف إلى الترسب على أوراق النباتات الخضراء. وبالتالي دخولها في السلسلة الغذائية عبر أكلها من قبل الحيوانات الحلوبة مثل الأبقار والأغنام والماعز مما ينتج عنه تخزين الديوكسينات وتراكمها في الأنسجة الدهنية لهاته الحيونات. و بمجرد حدوث ذلك، يصبح من الصعب تجنب الديوكسينات ويكون الإنسان ، في المقام الأول، الأكثر عرضة لخطر الديوكسينات من خلال تناوله اللحوم ومنتجات الألبان الأخرى، وخاصة تلك التي تحتوي على نسبة عالية من الدهون.

وعلاوة على ذلك، فإن هذا النوع من الحرق في الهواء الطلق يتسبب أيضا في تلوث الجسيمات. ويقصد بهذه الأخيرة، الجسيمات المجهرية التي ينتهي بها المطاف إلى الترسب في الرئتين وبالتالي تسببها في عدد كبيرمن المشاكل الصحية للإنسان، مثل الربو والتهاب الشعب الهوائية. و للأسف، يعتبر الأطفال وكبار السن الذين يتعرضون للديوكسينات هم المهددون الأكثر بتلك الأمراض. عدا هذا، ينتج عن هذا الحرق مواد مسرطنة ضارة أخرى مثل الهيدروكربونات العطرية متعددة الحلقات، ثنائي الفينيل متعدد الكلور (PCB)، والمركبات العضوية المتطايرة، وسداسي كلورو البنزين .و من المعروف أن هذه الملوّثات تسبب مشاكل صحية عدة تتراوح بين تهيج الجلد إلى تلف الكبد والكلى وحتى في بعض الحالات الأكثر خطورة فقد تم ربطها بالسرطان.

و غالبا ما يحتوي الرماد، نفسه الناتج عن حرق النفايات، على الزئبق والرصاص والكروم والزرنيخ. “بإمكانية امتصاص و ومراكمة خضروات الحديقة لهذه المعادن، قد يشكل تناولها خطرا على الصحة. يمكن أيضا للأطفال الذين يلعبون في الساحة أو الحديقة أن يبتلعون، عن دون قصد، التربة التي تحتوي على هذه المعادن. أيضا، يمكن أن يجرف المطر الرماد إلى المياه الجوفية والمياه السطحية، و بذلك تتلوث مياه الشرب والغذاء. “هذا دون التطرق إلى فئة جامعي النفايات الذين يعرضون صحتهم مباشرة للخطر بفرزهم نفايات البلدية.

الجانب الإيجابي

إلا نه هناك خبر سار بخصوص مستقبل إدارة النفايات الصلبة في المغرب و الذي يتمثل في كون البنك الدولي قد خصص 271300000 دولار للحكومة المغربية من أجل وضع خطة إدارة النفايات البلدية . وتشمل تفاصيل الخطة استعادة حوالي 80 موقع دفن النفايات، وتحسين خدمات جمع النفايات، وزيادة إعادة التدوير بنسبة 20٪، وهذا كله بحلول عام 2020. في حين يتوقع أن يصنع هذا الإصلاح المعجزات لسكان المناطق الحضرية فإن المرء يأمل أن تشمل فوائد هذا الإصلاح فقط حوالي 43٪ من سكان المغرب الذين يعيشون في المناطق الريفية، مثل أولئك الذين يعيشون في قريتي.

ومما يعد من البديهيات، أنه وبالرغم من توجه المغرب نحو نظام إدارة ، أكثرصداقة للبيئة وأكثر أمانا، للنفايات الصلبة، فإن عددا كبيرا من سكانه، بمن فيهم الأطفال وكبار السن، سيغفل عنهم هذا الإصلاح. و حتى يتم بذل المزيد من الجهد، بما في ذلك مبادرات التمويل وزيادة في التعليم، سيظل هؤلاء الناس عرضة لظروف معيشية حرجة بسبب التمويل غير المناسب، و وضعية البنية التحتية والتعليم.

ترجمة

هند سلامة، حاصلة على شهادة الدكتوراة تخصص الكيمياءـ البيئة من كلية العلوم عين الشق جامعة الحسن الثاني ـ المغرب، عملت كمديرة مشاريع في عدة مؤسسات و أعمل حاليا كمستشارة مستقلة في مجال البيئة و التنمية المستدامة و مترجمة ، هذا عدا عن مساهماتي في البرنامج التطوعي للأمم المتحدة UNVو متطوعة أيضا مع EcoMENA

5 Ways Using Marbles At Home Help Improve Our Environment

By Salman Zafar | September 27, 2021 - 8:39 am |September 27, 2021 Construction, Environment, Home Improvements

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It is always important to consider the impact on the environment anytime you want something done in your home. Having this type of concern can make you use an eco-friendly approach to various things like energy you want to be in your house. Marble is an amazing material and has grown to become really popular among homeowners for use in their homes.

The reason why most people have grown to like marble is that it provides layers of elegance and aesthetics, but another great thing about the product is that it helps to conserve the environment. Let’s take a look at the ways how marbles can help improve our environment.

1. Marbles are Natural

Marble is environmental-friendly since it is a natural stone and this benefits the environment in so many ways. Because it is in the natural form, marble doesn’t require any power of energy to produce and therefore doesn’t cause any pollution and saves on energy. What’s more, marble has thermal mass which helps to insulate your home naturally, which saves energy since you won’t be required to heat or cool your home.

2. Marbles Don’t Require Manufacturing

Marble doesn’t require any machines to be created but requires people to harvest it, thereby eliminating the need to run machines that emit gases and pollute the environment. Because of this more people get jobs of harvesting the material and this creates job opportunities in the society.

Employment is created from the fact that marble can be quite heavy to carry from its original position and therefore many people are required to do the job. This greatly benefits the environment by eliminating the use of machines which would’ve otherwise caused pollution and helps people who were unemployed to find jobs.

3. Marble Can Be Recycled

The good thing about marble, since it is a natural stone it can easily be recycled later on if you want to change the flooring, counters, or other marble aspects in the house. There won’t be any need to dispose old material, instead all you have to do is call a marble company like marble.com to remove the old pieces of marble and re-use them anywhere else. These old marble pieces can be used to make tiles and anything else which can come out from the pieces.

This ability of marble to be able to be recycled makes it even more environment-friendly and efficient for use. Whereas it pays to recycle a naturally occurring item that has zero effects to our environment, instead of having to replace it with other not so environmentally friendly items.

4. Marble is Durable

Durability is a key factor when considering building your home and marble can really come in handy for you in this case. Since marble is natural stone it has a durable quality and when you construct your home with it, your home is able to withstand wind, snow, rain, heat, and even fire.

Also, when you use marble to build interior structures like the kitchen counter top among others, it is hard for them to get burned, scratched, or even stained. The durability makes marble environmental-friendly since you don’t have to keep extracting the material in case of damages, as marble is strong enough to withstand damages and can also be recycled.

5. Marble is Affordable

The affordability of marble is great for the environment in that many people can afford to use it, thereby avoiding other manufactured items that will affect the environment as they are being processed. Marble is a natural stone and therefore doesn’t require the use of machine for extraction. This greatly helps you save on cost yet still preserves the environment.

Another thing which we mentioned earlier that also helps to make marble much affordable is that it doesn’t get damaged easily, and old pieces of marble can be recycled and used to make something else.

Final Thoughts

Marble provides great benefits to the environment and not only that, but is also safe and efficient to use for your home. Therefore, the next time you think of building a house, changing any interior part of your home, or replacing something in your home, consider using marble to help conserve the environment.

Every person shares a responsibility to care for this environment for the sake of a peaceful coexistence with nature, as well as for our future generations. Apart from marble being very practical in your home, it is also aesthetically strong and highlighting the beauty of your home in a natural way.

10 Greenest Ways of Traveling

By Salman Zafar | September 25, 2021 - 5:47 pm |August 9, 2024 Environment, Lifestyle, Travel

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From plastic waste to carbon emissions, travel isn’t the most environmentally friendly activity. However, the benefits of venturing far from home to experience other cultures are priceless. Many millennials see travel as necessary. Fortunately, there are ways you can make your trips more eco-friendly!

1. BYOE (Bring Your Own Everything)

Coffee cups, water bottles, utensils, take-out containers, napkins, and so much more can be brought in your personal item and used throughout your trip. By replacing single-use items with reusable ones, you drastically cut down on the waste you produce while traveling. Also, be sure to bring a reusable grocery bag with you if you plan to hit the markets.

2. Travel to Eco-Friendly Locations

Some countries are more environmentally-friendly than others. Traveling to eco-friendly destinations like Spain helps you spare the planet while experiencing another culture. The country’s natural beauty is living proof of its people’s dedication to green living. You can take in the beauty of Spain while being green at your holiday home at https://www.interhome.co.uk/spain/mallorca/. Countries like India, Pakistan, and Moldova don’t rank as high on the eco-friendly scale.

3. Take the Train

When you are traveling from country to country, you can significantly reduce your carbon footprint by taking a train instead of an airplane. Europe has an efficient railway system that makes intercontinental travel a breeze. Why fly from country to country when you can experience the countryside on a relaxing train ride? You will see more of the area and help the planet!

4. Eat and Drink Local

Importing and shipping foods make a huge carbon footprint on our planet. When you are traveling, you can reduce your environmental impact by chowing down on local delights. Coastal areas offer fresh-caught fish; other areas boast fresh produce. If you want to taste some local dishes, opt for local restaurants rather than big chains.

Let’s take Danville city in Georgia, for example. While tourists may opt for familiar places to eat, we recommend checking out the local diner called Me’s Burgers and Brews; it’s easily one of the best restaurants in Danville. It’s a family-owned joint that serves gourmet burgers and craft beer, and they source local products from Melrose Bison Farm and the Windmill Farm Bake Shop. This means they provide fresh ingredients while lessening the waste from packaging and logistics as well. So no matter where you go, be sure to fill up on foods that are native to the region.

5. Take Direct Routes When Flying

Here is your excuse to avoid layovers. You can’t avoid flying, but you can cut your greenhouse gas emissions significantly by only taking flights that go directly to your destination. Planes emit the most harmful gas and use the most fuel when they are taking off, so you make your trips a little more eco-friendly when you reduce the number of takeoffs. Also, fly with budget airlines. They usually fill more seats per flight than their expensive counterparts, saving the environment and your wallet.

6. Take the Bus

Taking an Uber everywhere isn’t the most efficient way to get around. One of the best ways to get around locally is to use public transportation. Taking the bus or subway is a great way to meet the locals and get from place to place. The metro produces 76% fewer gas emissions than cars. Some cities even use electric buses that reduce smog and cut back on natural gas usage.

7. Don’t Go Off the Beaten Path

When you are hiking, don’t stray from the marked trekking trails that are designated for hikers. Leaving the trail is risky, and you might accidentally stomp on fragile plants or animal homes. Avoid unfortunate encounters with powerful animals and keep the wildlife around you safe by only hiking on the set path.

8. Take Tours That Give Back

Plan your tours with organizations that contribute to the community in some way. Local tours often donate part of their proceeds to great causes. If you can take a few tours that teach you about the local environment while helping it out, that’s a win-win. When you take tours, be sure to ask about the size of the tour group. Small groups harm the environment less than large ones, and tours with fewer people give you a more intimate experience and a chance to ask questions.

9. Go Electric

If you need to rent a car for your trip, consider renting an electric-powered car. It usually does more harm than good to replace your car at home with an electric one if it is still in good condition, but why not spare the environment some stress by driving an ecofriendly car on your vacation?

10. Treat Your Holiday Home Like a Home

You wouldn’t wash a towel after one use or leave the lights on when you leave your home; could you imagine the laundry and the electric bill? When you are traveling, it’s important to maintain your at-home eco-friendly practices. Always hang your towels back up so that housekeeping doesn’t wash them, turn off lights when you leave a room, and don’t spend an eternity in the shower!

Whether you reduce your environmental impact by bringing your own food containers or cutting out layovers, anything you do helps. Together, we can significantly reduce the environmental footprint we make when traveling while still being able to experience the big, wonderful world.

Rediscovering the Natural World – The Islamic Approach

By Fazlun Khalid | September 24, 2021 - 9:44 am |September 24, 2021 EcoIslam, Environment, Sustainable Development

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Today more than half the world’s population live in cities. Our increasingly urban lives have ensured an almost total disconnection from the natural world to the extent that it is not uncommon to meet children who believe that milk originates in plastic supermarket cartons. It is as well to be conscious of this as much is left out in their education, both religious and secular, to the extent that we are continuing to cause irreparable harm to the Earth.

Muslims are no exception to this, having also adopted urban lifestyles and modern modes of living that reveal an almost complete lack of awareness as to where this is all going. Taking children to the zoo or visiting national parks is more in the nature of recreational activity and actually reinforces the idea of otherness. The educational aspects remain lamentably superficial, and the spiritual is nowhere to be seen.

Care for the Natural World

In the Islamic order, care for the natural world expresses itself in every aspect of personal behaviour. The guidance for this comes from the Qur’an and Prophet Muhammad’s teachings (Sunnah). It is integral to life, an expression of existence in submission to the will of the Creator in harmony with the cosmic pattern. There is a code of conduct that governs interpersonal behaviour and an individual’s rights and responsibilities within a community; it also deals with an individual’s behaviour towards other sentient beings and the rest of the natural world.

Holistic Expression of Life

As Muslim interaction with the environment evolved, it manifested itself in a range of rules and institutions, embodying a truly holistic expression of life. It took into consideration the importance of reducing waste, being abstemious, generous, considerate, moderate, unselfish, caring, and sharing.

The qualities of love, humility, trust and justice remained preeminent. Over the centuries these values have been elaborated upon by a succession of mystics, scholars, jurists and teachers responding to real problems experienced by the growing community of Muslims in various parts of the world.

Erosion of Sacred Nexus

However, this Islamic mode of expression is now severely attenuated, having been swept aside by the forces of history – like the other older traditions – into a domain which treats the natural world exclusively as an exploitable resource. As the secular ethic progressively seeped into the Muslim psyche, and as industrial development, economic indicators and consumerism became the governing parameters of society, there has been a corresponding erosion of the Muslim perception of the holistic and a withering of its understanding of the sacred nexus between the human community and the rest of the natural order.

Environmental Approach of Quran

As the Islamic tapestry unfolded in its expression over the centuries, we discover that there are no references in the Qur’an to the environment or its -isms, as we now understand them. The context in which we discuss this subject today originated as recently as the second half of the last century and Rachel Carson is recognized as having given impetus to this movement since her research was published in 1962 (see chapter 2, ‘A Delayed Reaction’). Neither can the word ‘nature’, which is an abstraction, be found in the Qur’an. The closest term in modern Arabic usage is bi’ah, which connotes a habitat or a surrounding.

Nevertheless, the Qur’an is inherently environmental and holistic in its approach. It speaks of creation (khalq) and contains over 250 verses where this word is used in its various grammatical forms. Derived from the root kh–l–q, it is used in many ways to describe what we see, feel and sense in the world. The verses contain references to the natural world from herbs to trees, from fish to fowl, to the sun, stars and skies.

He (Allah) created everything and determined them in exact proportions (25: 2).

The human community is but an infinitesimal part of the natural world but we have now lost sight of this through our proclivity for dominating it. The Qur’an observes:

The creation of the heavens and the earth is far greater than the creation of humankind. But most of humankind do not know it (40: 57).

Multi-faceted Response

Creation is the fabric into which the tapestry of life is worked. An Islamic approach to environment provides us with a three-faceted response:

The first is to approach the Earth as sacred and identify how through abusing it we have desacralized our understanding of it. Hence we can rediscover what it is that we have lost in the process.
The second is to formulate an ethical understanding of our relationship with the natural world and build a knowledge base that enables us to resolve the immediate crisis and motivates us to lay down a basis for long term behavioural change.
The third is to look at this through the prism of political economy and discover what it is that an Islamic approach to this subject can do to both improve our understanding of the current malaise and provide some answers as to how we can create a model of well-being without having to subvert our own existence.

Note: The excerpt has been published from Fazlun Khalid’s latest book Signs On The Earth: Islam, Modernity And The Climate Crisis, published by Kube Publishing. The book can be purchased from the Amazon website.

أنسنة العمارة – بعيون معمارية أردنية

By Ruba Al-Zu'bi | September 22, 2021 - 10:33 am |October 1, 2021 Middle East, Sustainable Development

أثار التغير المناخي على مصادر المياه

By Amir Dakkak | September 22, 2021 - 10:31 am |May 23, 2024 Climate Change, Middle East, Water

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النقص الحاصل في كمية المياه العذبة في الشرق الأوسط و شمال إفريقيا يمثل خطرا حقيقيا في النمو الإقتصادي , التلاصق الإجتماعي , السلام و الإستقرار السياسي . علاوة على ذلك , إستهلاك المياه العذبة في هذه الأيام لم يعد يقتصر على توافرها الحالي و المستقبلي و إنما تعتمد على إحتياجات الإستهلاكية التنافسية قطاعياً و جغرافياً .

و ما يزيد الأمر سوءا , أن هذا الوضع الرهيب بدأ بالتفاقم بسبب التغيرالمناخي السريع . التغير المناخي يؤثر على مصادر المياه من خلال تأثيره العميق على كل من كمية المياه , التوقيت , التغير , الشكل و شدة الترسيب .

منطقة الشرق الأوسط و شمال أفريقيا تحديداً هي الأكثر عرضة لأثار التغير المناخي التخريبية و ذلك بسبب أن دول هذه المنطقة بلا شك هي من الدول التي تعاني شدة في النقص للمياه عالمياً , حيث أن نصيب الفرد للمياه أقل من المعدل الطبيعي .

بالإضافة إلى أن دول الشرق الأوسط و شمال إفريقيا تعاني من وضع حرج بالنسبة لإنخفاض تساقط الأمطار و تفاوت شديد في هطولها مكانيا و زمانيا , غير أن لبنان هي الأفضل حالا من ناحية الهطول , و قطر هي الأسوء في تغير نسب هطولها .

كيف يؤثر التغير المناخي على مصادر المياه

درجات الحرارة المرتفعة تزيد من نسبة تبخر للمياه الموجودة في الجو , مما يؤدي إلى زيادة قدرة الجو على حمل المياه .هذا يسبب حدوث مواسم جريان مبكرة و قصيرة و زيادة في المواسم الجافة . كما أن زيادة التبخر يقلل من مستويات الرطوبة في التربة , والتي بدورها تزيد من نسبة تكرار الجفاف الحاصل في المنطقة , و زيادة أرجحية حدوث التصحر . بالإضافة إلى نقصان نسبة الرطوبة في التربة أيضا و حدوث إنخفاض في نسب الترشيح مما يؤدي إلى إنخفاض معدل التغذية في المياه الجوفية .

التغير المناخي أيضا يؤثر على مستويات البحر . إن إرتفاع مستويات سطح البحر قد يؤدي إلى إنخفاض في طبيعة و وفرة المياه في المناطق الساحلية . إرتفاع مستويات سطح البحر قد يؤثر سلبا على نوعية المياه الجوفية من خلال تسرب المياه المالحة إليها . بالإضافة إلى ذلك إرتفاع مستوى سطح البحر يؤثر على دورة المياه تحت سطح المناطق الساحلية مما يؤدي إلى إنخفاض تدفق المياه العذبة و قلة نسبة المساحات المائية العذبة .

و من ناحية أخرى فإن إرتفاع مستويات سطح البحر يزيد من مستوى المياه في خزانات المياه الجوفية , مما قد يزيد نسبة الجريان السطحي لكن على حساب تغذية الخزانات الجوفية . إنه من المتوقع أن يرتفع مستوى سطح البحر ما يقارب 19 إلى 58 سنتيمترا في نهاية القرن الواحد و العشرين . و الذي بدوره سيؤثر على 12 دولة من أصل 19 دولة من دول الشرق الأوسط و شمال أفريقيا . إرتفاع سطح البحر على هذا النحو من المحتمل أن يكلف جمهورية مصر , حيث أنها من الدول الرئيسية التي ستتأثر بهكذا إرتفاع , 10 % من سكان دلتا نهر النيل مشمولين مع الأراضي الزراعية و الأنتاج .

هذه الأنخفاضات في مصادر المياه ستؤدي إلى عواقب اجتماعية واقتصادية مكلفة . المياه المستعملة في تصنيع الأغذية , إنتاج الطاقة , الصناعات التحويلية , الملاحة , استخدام الأراضي , و إعادة التصنيع . و بناءا على ذلك فإنه من الصعب أبقاء توازن بين جميع إحتياجات الإنسان بإستمرار حصول نقص في مصادر المياه . على سبيل المثال , إنه لمن المتوقع في حال زيادة درجات الحرارة حدوث زيادة في إحتياج المحاصيل للمياه بحدود من 5 إلى 8 % بحلول عام 2070 , و الذي يجب أن يعوض عن طريق إستخدام المياه المستعملة في تصنيع الطاقة , و بالتالي يهدد أمكانية إنتاج الطاقة . كما أن النقص في مصادر المياه يشارك في زيادة أسعار المياه , من خلال فواتير المياه الشهرية أو خدمات توصيل المياه مرة واحدة شهريا للمنازل و الشركات .

و أخيرا , إن النقص المتزايد في مصادر المياه سيؤدي إلى لجوء الحكومات لإتباع مشاريع إقتصادية شديدة مثل محطات تحلية المياه , الأنابيب ( مشروع نقل مياه البحر الأحمر – البحر الميت ) و السدود . هذه المشاريع ليست الوحيدة الشديدة إقتصاديا بل أيضا غير مستادمة بيئا و سوف تساهم بالنهاية إلى إحتباس حراري و تغير مناخي ( انبعاثات غاز ثاني أكسيد الكربون من محطات التحلية ) .

نقاط مفتاحية سريعة

الإحترار العالمي لا ينكر , و الزيادة في إنبعاثات الغازات الدفيئة سيكون له أثر عميق مناخيا , بيئيا , و إجتماعيا بشكل عالمي , خصوصا في مجال مصادر المياه . هذا من أكبر إهتمامات دول الشرق الأوسط و شمال إفريقيا , حيث أن هناك تزايد في تسجيلات الجفاف المتكررة , كما أن توافر المياه من المتوقع أن ينقص بنسبة 30-50% بحلول عام 2050 .

و من الواجب على دول المنطقة أن تقلل من إنبعاثات غازاتها الدفيئة و تحويل مصادر طاقتها إلى الطاقة النظيفة . و ينبغي على هذه المناطق عمل جهود عاجلة و طويلة الأمد للحفاظ على الماء عن طريق تقليل المتطلبات و الإستهلاك , من خلال تحسين البنى التحتية للمياه بهدف التقليل من التسريب , تحسين تقنيات إدارة المياه , و إزالة دعم المياه .

كل فرد يعتمد على شيئ موثوق, دعم نظيف للمياه العذبة للحفاظ على حياته . المياه شيء أساسي لكل جزء في الحياة من الطاقة لإنتاج الغذاء و حتى الحفاظ على النظام البيئي . الإجراءات يجب أن لا تكون فقط لإيقاف النقص , لكن أيضا لتحسين الوضع , لأنه بدون ماء , ليس هناك حياة .

ترجمة

علا محمود المشاقبة , حاصلة على درجة البكالوريوس تخصص ” إدارة الأراضي و المياه ” من الجامعة الهاشمية – الأردن بتقدير جيد جدا , عملت تطوعيا كعضو إداري مع مجموعة ” مخضّرو الأردن JO Greeners – الجيل الأخضر حاليا -” منذ ثلاثة سنوات, و متطوعة أيضا مع منظمة EcoMENA . موهبة الكتابة شيء أساسي في حياتي و قمت بتوظيفها في خدمة القضايا البيئية

Catastrophic Impacts of Biological Warfare on Biodiversity

By Nura A. Abboud | September 21, 2021 - 5:43 pm |November 5, 2022 Environment, Nature, Pollution

2 Comments

Biological weapons are considered the most dangerous of all known weapons of mass destruction. They are used to deliberately cause epidemics among humans; destroy the environmental components, including water, air, and soil; and target crops and livestock. Examples of diseases used in biological warfare include anthrax, smallpox, plague, cholera, and avian flu. In addition to the catastrophic effects of biological warfare on the biodiversity and the environment, their danger lies in their low cost and rapid spread, as well as their easy preparation, transport, and use.

Unlike nuclear and chemical bombs, biological bombs are without odor or color and therefore cannot be detected. Additionally, bioweapons are dangerous because of their effects on untargeted organisms in a military attack, and the clinical symptoms they create may be difficult to distinguish from normal diseases. Bioweapon pathogens remain in nature for several years and are able to survive in harsh environmental conditions.

Threat to Natural Resources

Bioweapons spread germs that contaminate air, food, water, and the environment, causing epidemiological diseases for different living organisms.

Air: A wide variety of germs can contaminate air and are used in biological warfare. Fungi are the most common, and they travel by air over long distances to infect healthy plants.
Food: Food contamination is also one of the most powerful methods used to carry out biological warfare attacks. Disease is transmitted either directly to humans through contaminated food or drink or indirectly by hosts.
Water: Water can spread a number of lethal infectious agents as well. For example, one gram of Clostridium tetani poison is able to kill eight million people within six hours.

Threats to Biodiversity

Diseases are one of the main drivers of extinction in endangered species; therefore, disease control is fundamental to preserve biodiversity. Despite the presence of vaccines and drugs for most bioweapons, they may not be available in adequate quantities to cope with an epidemiological disease outbreak.

Biological attacks pose a threat to naturally rare wild plants and animals and to species whose natural habitats have been degraded by human activities. Furthermore, diseases that humans, domestic animals, and domestic plants have been able to develop immunity to can be fatal in wild animals and plants. Bioweapons are not only having direct effects on the genetic biodiversity of indigenous species but also are having direct and indirect catastrophic effects on vital plant and animal communities.

Threats to Animal Biodiversity

Conservation of livestock breeds is essential to maintaining genetic diversity, which in turn is vital to increasing the ability of living organisms to adapt to environmental changes. The danger of bioweapons regarding animal biodiversity is summarized in three main points:

1. The direct impact of diseases on wild species

Some deadly diseases in humans or domestic animals can infect wild animals. For instance, an epidemic destructive impact on endangered species is reflected in the effects of Canine distemper, a natural viral disease that infects wild dogs and wild animals belonging to the same group. Canine distemper was also developed in bioweapon laboratories.

Over the past decade, the spread of this disease has resulted in habitat loss and in the extinction of a large number of wild species in North America. Additionally, it led to the elimination of about one-third of the lion population in Tanzania and had serious impacts on the endangered leopard population.

2. Invasive species

The history of rinderpest in Africa provides a model for predicting the potential effects of lethal diseases on wild species and livestock. In 1887, European colonial armies introduced the rinderpest virus to Africa through imported cattle, which led to a rinderpest outbreak among domestic cattle breeds and wild species, killing an estimated 90–95% of African cattle and buffaloes within three years.

To control the epidemic, African herds and buffaloes have been destroyed in most parts of Africa. Despite efforts to combat rinderpest over the past century, the disease is still strong, and its outbreak in the region occurs frequently.

3. Elimination of animal species, hosts, and vectors

Threatened species may be destroyed in areas that have been subjected to biological attacks with the aim of eradicating the disease. For example, in the United States, programs to control brucellosis in livestock have resulted in killing large numbers of wild animals, including the Bison and the white tailed deer.

Threats to Plant Biodiversity

Microbes can be used in crop destruction. For instance, “Rice blast” is a disease affecting rice and therefore leads to crop destruction and genetic changes in the plant.

Conclusion

The discussion about controlling destructive bioweapons is growing, as they pose a vast danger to both humanity and the environment alike. Any failure to prevent biological attacks can lead to the deterioration of genetic diversity in animals and plants, the extinction of endangered species, and the destruction of human livelihoods and traditional cultures.

Biotechnology has increased the economical value of genetic diversity of living organisms; hence, it has increased the risk of eliminating genetic diversity through the use of GMO bioweapons. Most of all, the environment will be the silent victim of this war.

It is not easy to put an end to the biological arms race, so global efforts must be consolidated to combat these threats. Countries must strengthen their ability to detect early attacks. Biologists and economists need to communicate with decision makers to convince them of the importance of developing defense systems to face bioweapons and limit their environmental and socioeconomical effects. Certainly, it is necessary to raise awareness regarding the dangers of biological warfare.

Interdisciplinary and international efforts are required to increase the surveillance, monitoring, and identification of pathogens and to better understand the dynamics of disease transmission within human, plant, and animal populations. This will greatly enhance our ability to combat the effects of bioweapons and emerging diseases on biodiversity.

References

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Buchanan and Gibbons (1994) . Bergey’s Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, New York.
DUDLEY J.and WOODFORD M. (2002), Bioweapons, Biodiversity, and Ecocide: Potential Effects of Biological Weapons on Biological Diversityو BioScience, 52(7):583-592. 2002. http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1641/0006-3568%282002%29052%5B0583%3ABBAEPE %5D0.CO%3B2)
DUDLEY, JOSEPH, and MICHAEL WOODFORD. “Bioweapons, Biodiversity, and Ecocide: Potential Effects of Biological Weapons on Biological Diversity.” American Institute of Biological Sciences, 52(7):583-592. 2002
DUDLEY, J.P, and M.H Woodford. “Bioweapons, Bioterrorism and Biodiversity.” Rev. Sci. tech.off. int. EPIZ. 2002, 21 (1) , 125-137
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Hockenhull , D . J . D . (1981). The fermentor piolt plant and its aims. . . . Appl . Microbiol . 19 , 187 – 208 .
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Top 3 Trends in Environmental Sustainability

By Salman Zafar | September 20, 2021 - 10:39 am |March 1, 2023 Business, Environment, Sustainable Development

7 Comments

Environmental sustainability occupies an increasingly important position on the corporate agenda around the world. The major ingredients of environmental sustainability are elimination of waste and emissions, maximizing energy efficiency and productivity and minimizing practices that may adversely affect utilization of natural resources by coming generations. More and more companies are realizing the importance of environmental initiatives in business development and brand promotion.

Decrease in energy and raw material usage combined with reduced emissions and waste generation can tackle a host of environmental challenges facing the world. Leading IT companies, like Microsoft, Adobe, Apple and Google, are investing in renewable sources of energy that can generate power directly on-site. Clean manufacturing practices and energy-efficient design of equipment are also hallmarks of environmental sustainability. Water conservation is one of the most important environmental issues of this century and growing number of companies are using it to educate and change consumer behavior.

Let us take a close look at some of the major developments in the arena of environmental sustainability.

1. Eco-Friendly Packaging

Packaging is an important concern for consumers, particularly those who are interested in converting to eco-friendly buying behaviors. Packaging plays a great role in environmental sustainability by protecting products, preventing waste and enabling efficient business conduct. Reduction in the amount of packaging and use of eco-friendly food packaging for use as food wrapping paper or protection of goods is an attractive opportunity to promote environmental sustainability.

Sustainable packaging is a relatively new addition to the environmental considerations for CSR. Companies using environment-friendly packaging materials are reducing their carbon footprint, using more recycled materials and minimizing waste generation. Companies that highlight their environmental initiatives to consumers can increase sales as well as boost product reputation.

For example, Cisco outsources all of its manufacturing and has over 600 suppliers. To avoid any problems, Cisco’s packaging team undertakes a painstaking process to create more effective and environmentally friendly packaging. In 2012, the company eliminated 757,000 pounds of paper and plastic waste for one product line alone. For its total shipments during 2012, Cisco reduced its use of cardboard, plastic and paper by as much as 466 metric tons.

2. Clean Energy

Deployment of renewable energy systems can make a big impact on CSR activities of companies as clean energy is one of the best methods to mitigate climate changes. Decentralized power generation using renewable resources is rapidly gaining popularity among world’s top companies.

Most of the world’s largest companies, like Microsoft, Apple and Google, are adopting renewable energy as it makes good business sense to lower emissions, diversify energy supply, mitigate fuel cost and above all portray a green image. Many companies in the Western world are resorting to use of biogas, biodiesel, bioethanol and hydrogen to power vehicle fleets.

World’s leading IT companies are rushing to develop renewable energy projects to power their giant data centres, Google has entered a 10-year deal with utility company Grand River Dam Authority to supply 48 MW of wind power to its Oklahoma data center. Apple’s data center in Maiden (North Carolina), which draws staggering 20MW power, will run entirely on solar energy and biogas.

Likewise, to meet tremendous energy needs, Adobe has invested in alternative energy sources that can generate power directly on-site, such as wind turbines and fuel cells at its California facilities. Microsoft has also unveiled plans to utilize biogas generated from wastewater treatment facilities to power its research center at Wyoming.

3. Environmental Reporting

Environmental reporting, voluntary as well as mandatory, is also getting prominence in the context of corporate social responsibility. Environmental information like greenhouse gas emissions, waste generation, energy consumption, use of transport can improve the transparency of industrial activities, thereby, providing a powerful tool to fight environmental degradation. Business can save significant costs in areas like use of raw materials and supplies, reduction in waste, water, energy use, transport, travel and packaging.

There are several countries in which the private sector is required to report greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption to the government. Australia’s National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act requires corporations to report information on their greenhouse gas emissions, energy production and energy consumption to the Greenhouse and Energy Data Officer. United Kingdom’s Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme forces all organizations and companies having electricity demand greater than 6,000 MWh per year to participate in the mandatory scheme, which applies to more than 5,000 entities until now. The Perform, Achieve and Trade scheme in India has established consumption targets for energy-intensive industries as well as the cap-and-trade structure.

Conclusions

Pollution prevention, energy efficiency, eco-friendly design, and industrial ecology are emerging as top priorities for companies across all industrial sectors. Reduction in the amount of packaging and use of eco-friendly packaging material provide an attractive opportunity to promote environmental sustainability.

Water, waste, packaging, energy and transport are being integrated into mainstream operations to facilitate sustainability. Use of clean energy is also an attractive proposition to reduce carbon footprint and project a ‘green’ image of a particular company.