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Sustainable Development in Jordan: Perspectives

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During the last few decades, sustainable development emerged as a hot topic in many reform agendas and strategic management plans in Jordan. The picture is not always optimistic where poverty, climate change and wars to name but a few of the continuous burdens, yet, some results have been successfully reaped. In this article, I will provide a reflection on the sustainable development journey in Jordan. Firstly, what the country achieved from the year 2000 to 2015 and secondly, what challenges the country has to counter from the year 2015 to 2030. Millennium Development Goals – Year 2000 to 2015 Jordan … Continue reading →

CSR Perspectives for the Middle East

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Corporate Social Responsibility has moved beyond philanthropy, and is rapidly undergoing integration into the company’s core business strategy. However, in the Middle East, we can find companies that are still perceiving CSR as philanthropy and yet to view it as a “core business strategy “. Is it because of the culture and religion that we should give to the poor (Zakat or charity) so they consider it as their CSR? Should it be obligatory so companies will start thinking about CSR more strategically? Over the past few years, the interest has literally exploded in regional media and business community with … Continue reading →

Anthropogenic Climate Change Impacts on Ecosystems

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Anthropogenic climate change is hindering a wide variety of organisms, their genetics and species’ habitats – in short, biodiversity. The accelerated pace of human development and its impacts on biodiversity which sustain it, is both massive and significant. Biodiversity is inextricably linked to climate; climate change is both a cause and an effect of biodiversity change. Climate change jeopardizes the services offered by the global ecosystems that have been taken for granted. Let us examine how climate change is affecting specific ecosystems. Agricultural Ecosystem Agricultural ecosystems are spread around the globe; hence, the impacts of climate change on agricultural biodiversity will be diverse and extensive. … Continue reading →

Waste Management Awareness in Oman: A Pilot Study

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The four Rs (reduce, reuse, repurpose, and recycle) of waste management have not yet entered the everyday discourse of Oman, but does this mean that they are not part of everyday life in Oman? We think the people of Oman can help us to answer this question. To get a first-hand understanding of the degree of waste management awareness in Oman, a pilot study was designed, a questionnaire was prepared, and in a series of interviews with individual Omanis we recorded their responses. Insights into the Survey The questionnaire covered household consumption habits, food waste and other household waste, and awareness of … Continue reading →

ثقافة المجتمعات الأصلية في معادلة السلوك البشري والتنمية المستدامة

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المجتمعات الأصلية في المناطق المختلفة من العالم التي قطنت الغابات والجبال والسيوح والسهول والمناطق البرية والساحلية، بنت منظومة من القيم والتقاليد والثقافات المتعارف عليها التي صارت على مر الزمن نظاماً عرفياً يحدّد مبادئ والتزامات العقد الاجتماعي والسلوك البشري في العلاقة مع النظم البيئية، وجرى الاعتراف بها وتأكيدها في مواثيق المؤتمرات الدولية بشأن التنمية المستدامة ومبادئ الاتفاقية الدولية للتنوع الحيوي. وتؤكد المادة (8) الصيانة في الوضع الطبيعي، من الاتفاقية على أن على كل طرف متعاقد، قدر الإمكان وحسب الاقتضاء وذلك وفقاً لما هو منصوص عليه في البند (ي) «القيام، رهناً بتشريعاته الوطنية، باحترام المعارف والابتكارات وممارسات المجتمعات الأصلية والمحلية التي تجسد … Continue reading →

دليل التسوق الأخضر

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مع قدوم شهركانون الأول، يتم التخطيط و التحضير للعديد من المناسبات والحفلات الموسمية على الصعيد العالمي. و يأتي مع هذه المناسبات نوع من التسوق المنفعل مما يؤدي إلى استخدام وهدر المزيد من الموارد. بالإضافة إلى ذلك، شهركانون الأول هو أيضا مشهور بهوس التسوق الذي يُسيطر على الأشخاص من مختلف مناحى الحياة “التسوق” هو بالتأكيد أحد أشهر ‘الرياضات في الأماكن المغلقة “يُمارس بالتساوي من قبل شعوب الدول المتقدمة والنامية إعتماداً على أسلوب حياتهم وميزانياتهم و تقوم به السيدات بنسبة أكبر. “التحول الأخضر” هو الطريق الجديد بالنسبة لنا جميعاً فهو عبارة عن تغيير نمط الحياة الى الأفضل بما في ذلك تحسين العادات الشرائية … Continue reading →

Recycling of E-Waste in GCC: Challenges and Opportunities

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The growing amount of e-waste is gaining more and more attention on the global agenda. In 2017, e-waste production is expected to reach up to 48 million metric tons worldwide. The biggest contributors to this volume are highly developed nations, with the top three places of this inglorious ranking going to Norway, Switzerland and Iceland. In Norway, each inhabitant produces a massive 28.3 kg of e-waste every year. Not far behind the top ten of this ranking lie GCC member states, with both Kuwait and UAE producing each 17.2 kg e-waste per capita per year. Saudi Arabia with its many … Continue reading →

Dake Rechsand’s ‘Magic Sand’ Aims to End UAE’s Food and Water Deficit Within 5 Years

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Addressing the UAE and larger MENA regions’ sustainability challenges of water conservation, green cover and food security, Dake Rechsands’ breakthrough sand technology can harvest and store rainwater to create a new water source for the region as well as transform deserts into lush tropical forests and organic farms. Dake Rechsand, a collaboration between South Africa’s Dake Group and the Rechsand Technology Group from Beijing, today announced the launch of their revolutionary ‘magic sand’ technology and its affiliated sand-made product range in the Middle East region. The joint venture is the result of their mission to take these innovative technologies to … Continue reading →

تحلل نفايات الإطارات

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يتم تجاهل عشرات الملايين من الإطارات في منطقة الشرق الأوسط كل عام . إن التخلص من نفايات الإطارات  مهمة صعبة لأن الإطارات لها عمر طويل وغير القابلة للتحلل . الطريقة التقليدية في إدارة نفايات الإطارات هي تخزينها أو إغراقها أو طمرها  غير القانوني، وكلها حلول قصيرة الأجل .الإطارات المخزونة توفر  أرضا خصبة مثالية لتكاثر البعوض، والحشرات والثعابين . بعض الحرائق المفاجئة او العرضية في مكبات الإطارات في إثارة إصدار الغازات السامة منها لأشهر . على سبيل المثال، شب حريق هائل  في الجهراء موقع تفريغ في الكويت في ابريل 2012 حيث تم تخزين أكثر من 5 ملايين من نفايات الإطارات . … Continue reading →

Recycling Prospects in Saudi Arabia

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Recycling conserves resources, reduces landfill use, and saves energy. It diminishes pollution, cuts greenhouse gas emissions, and fosters economic growth by creating jobs in the recycling sector. Technological advances in recycling methods are encouraged, promoting environmental stewardship and awareness. It’s a critical component of sustainable waste management and helps protect natural ecosystems. The concept of waste recycling has been getting increasing attention in Saudi Arabia in recent years. The country produces around 15 million tons of municipal solid waste each year with an average daily rate of 1.4 kg per person. This rate is projected to double (30 million tons … Continue reading →

The Unending Benefits of Recycling

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Recycling is the process in which used or abandoned materials from our everyday waste is converted into new products. Items that can be recycled include; glass, paper, plastics and various metals.  The process of recycling involves waste segregation after collection, processing the recyclable waste and finally manufacturing products from the waste thus processed. Why Do We Need Recycling? Manufacturing products involves obtaining raw materials from various sources. Raw materials may be from forests or mines. They are then transported to the place of manufacture usually by land or sea, which is an energy consuming process. Procurement of raw materials and their … Continue reading →

Green Building Rating Systems in the MENA Countries

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Green buildings not only contribute towards a sustainable construction and environment but also bring lots of benefits and advantages to building owners and users. Lower development costs, lower operating costs, increased comforts, healthier indoor environment quality, and enhanced durability and less maintenance costs are hallmarks of a typical green building. A wide range of green building rating and assessment systems are used around the world, including LEED and BREEAM. Sustainability is now a top priority in MENA region and countries like Qatar and UAE have come up with their own green building rating system to incorporate socio-economic, environmental and cultural … Continue reading →