Category Archives: Middle East

Environmental Initiatives in Middle East – Challenges and Remedies

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Environmental protection has become an increasingly important item on the social and economic policy agenda of Middle East nations. As I read last week’s piece titled “Environmental Impacts of Plastic Bags” I was struck by the succinct summary of the main problems with the ongoing use of plastic bags and how their effects can be felt in many ways, some widely publicized and others not. The article prompted a series of reflections upon other environmental initiatives emerging in the Middle East and North Africa, especially in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. In this article, I wish to share my … Continue reading →

Environmental Perceptions and Attitudes in Qatar – A Survey

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Measuring environmental knowledge, opinion and attitude is of paramount importance to the academics and policymakers for developing better policies for human well-being and protection of ecosystems. Self-reporting attitudes and behaviours are one of the ways to measure. A first-of-its-kind national opinion survey on environmental issues was conducted in 2016 in a series of three surveys including ten socio-demographic questions in each survey. The survey covered a wide range of topics from climate change to government policies to urbanization to food. The results show a large number of people are deeply aware of the local and global environmental problems. Overall, the … Continue reading →

Why Cities in the Middle East Need More Trees?

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In 2016, The Nature Conservancy, one of the largest environmental NGOs in the United States, released a report entitled “Planting Healthy Air” that examines the role planting trees in urban areas plays in reducing pollution and extreme heat. As the report indicates, the population of city dwellers globally is increasing, as is the number of deaths associated with exposure to pollution and intense heat waves. The authors of the report argue that urban forestation projects are one of the most cost effective means to reduce particulate matter in the air and cool temperatures in the world’s largest cities. Urban forestation … Continue reading →

Green Building Trends in the Middle East

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The Middle East region faces a unique set of environmental and socio-economic challenges in the form of water scarcity, harsh climatic conditions, ecological degradation and abundance of fossil fuels. Commercial and residential buildings in the Middle East consume more energy than those in other parts of the world, mainly on account of extremely hot weather, rampant use of glass exteriors and heavy reliance on air-conditioning. The Middle East building industry, in recent years, is actively trying to make widespread use of eco-friendly architecture, traditional building methods and sustainable construction practices. Some of the other drivers for the progress of green buildings sector … Continue reading →

The Significance of Groundwater Atlas in Water Management

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Groundwater atlases are becoming a necessary resource for identifying natural reservoirs of our most precious natural resource – water.  A groundwater atlas for the USA was published was published by regions i.e. several states in the 1990s culminating in the 2000 release of the Groundwater Atlas for the U.S.A. It describes the location, extent as well as the geological and hydrological characteristics of aquifers across the United States. An African Groundwater Atlas, a project undertaken by the British Geological Survey, released the atlas in 2014 making groundwater information and data available across the globe. Abu Dhabi released its groundwater atlas … Continue reading →

UAE and Indonesia’s Mangrove Alliance: A Global Climate Change Solution

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Mangroves dominate the entire Arabian Peninsula’s coastal vegetation. Once regarded as a swampy wasteland, mangroves are now the magic bullet for regions susceptible to the adverse impacts of climate change. The swampy marshes’ unique ability to mitigate the damage caused by waves, severe storms, and soil erosion, acting as a cushion, protecting coastal communities from flooding and the effect of sea level rise – makes it an “ecosystem engineer”. A nature-based solution Mangroves are integral part the coastal ecosystem. It hold the potential to act as a carbon sink, taking in the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and converting it … Continue reading →

E-waste Recyclers are a Growing Concern to the Economy of the UAE

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Amidst the  COP 28 proceedings, the launch of ‘waste to zero’ initiative called our attention to hazardous waste management. As per the data unveiled by the former US Vice President Gore, at COP28’s main plenary hall, UAE’s greenhouse gas emissions rose by 7.5% in 2022 from the previous years. The waste to zero initiative launched at COP28 will be a joint initiative between The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) and Tadweer (Abu Dhabi Waste Management Company) aiming towards decarbonisation of waste. Being the largest emirate of the UAE, Abu Dhabi also has high level of industrial activities –  … Continue reading →

مسقبل الطاقة المتجددة في دول الخليج العربي

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تتجه الأنظار حاليآ إلى مشاريع الطاقة المتجددة في أنحاء العالم, و ذلك نظرآ لأهميتها في تقليل الإنبعاثات الغازية الضارة بالبيئة. إنطلاقآ من ذلك, تسعى دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي جاهدة في الإستثمار والتطوير في هذا المجال. فمن المؤكد أن هذا التوجه سيحد بشكل رئيسي من إرتفاع نسب الإستهلاك المحلي للطاقة من جهة, و لضمان الإستقرار الإقتصادي و الذي سيدفع بعجلة التطور في قطاع الطاقة النظيفة ودعمها بالتقنية اللازمة و الأبحاث المبتكرة من جهة أخرى. فمن المتوقع أن تشهد منطقة الخليج من مدينة أبوظبي إلى مدينة الرياض مشاريع ذات جودة عالية في تنويع مصادر الطاقة بشكل عام. لمحة عن المشاريع الحالية تبوأت … Continue reading →

Climate Change Awareness in Jordan: An Overview

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Climate change has become a global concern in recent decades and Jordan is no exception. According to IPPC, scientific evidences show that the earth experienced an average warming of around 0.7°C during the 20th century, and are projected to warm by up to 4°C by the end of the 21st century. Scientific studies reveal an increase in annual minimum air temperatures in Jordan since 1970s. The increase of mean temperature indicates a slight regional climate change, while decreasing temperature range proves that the earth is trapping terrestrial infrared radiation responsible for climate change. Besides, researchers predict further increase in the mean annual … Continue reading →

المشربية: بين الجمال والوظيفة

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تميزت العمارة والفنون الإسلامية بمجموعة من الأساليب والخصائص التصميمية والتي يمكن من خلال دراستها أن تمثل مصدراً لمجموعة من الأسس والقيم التصميمية، وقد كان الفن الإسلامي بطبيعته فناً بيئياً حياتياً يلعب الجمال فيه دوراً بارزاً، حيث تجده في معظم الأحوال مستلهماً من الطبيعة، ومستفيداً من أشكالها، ومحاكياً لعناصرها، بأسلوب تجريدي لتحقيق التطور التصميمي من زخرفة العناصر المعمارية الأساسية والتكميلية التي تؤكد على الطراز الإسلامي. وبالرغم من تنوع الأنماط المعمارية عند المسلمين إلا أن العمارة لم تغفل عن إعطاء البيئة والمحيط القدر الكاف من التميز، مما أتاح المزيد من التجسيد الفعلي لمعاني الإسلام حتى على مستوي الحفاظ على البيئة، ومن الجدير … Continue reading →

مياه الصرف الصحي في لبنان: مضرة ام فرصة؟

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من المرجح أن تأثر التغيرات المناخية على إعادة تغذية الأنهار والمياه الجوفية وتوافر المياه خلال الصيف ومواسم الجفاف يشير التقريرالوطني الثاني للأمم المتحدة (وزارة البيئة, 2011) أنه من المتوقع انخفاض إجمالي الموارد المائية في لبنان ، المقدر حاليًا بـ 2800 إلى 4700 مليون متر مكعب ، إلى 2.550 إلى 4400 مليون متر مكعب و 2350 إلى 4100 مليون متر مكعب إذا ارتفعت درجات الحرارة بمقدار 1 درجة مئوية و 2 درجة مئوية على التوالي. مع تزايد الضغط الناجم عن التوسع الحضري والنمو السكاني إلى جانب محدودية توافر موارد المياه والأراضي ، تعد الزراعة أكثر القطاعات ضعفاً مع تعرض المحاصيل الزراعية … Continue reading →

Sustainability in the Middle East: Complications and Opportunities

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The Middle East region is facing a unique set of natural, operational, political, economic and social challenges in efforts to adopt sustainability. The rapid development and increasing population in these countries have led to an increased consumption of fossil fuels, water, and other non-renewable natural resources, taking a toll on the environment. Though the Middle East countries have significantly contributed to the carbon emissions, over the past decade they have taken positive steps towards addressing the core environmental issues and improving sustainability situation in their respective countries. This article aims at sharing the common challenges and opportunities faced by the … Continue reading →