An Ecological Model for Wadi Arabah

The Wadi Arabah region is an extremely arid valley in Jordan characterized by hot climate, meager annual rainfall, high evaporation rate and limited water resources. The arid desert creates several challenges to extracting and managing water in this region thus hampering the development of agricultural, domestic, and industrial sectors in the valley. The casual attitude towards water management in the region highlights the need for additional consideration to the hydrological and geographical realities of the area. Agriculture accounts for the largest water consumption, especially in summer. In arid land with high evaporation rates, negative agricultural practices may lead to reduced … Continue reading

الفكر البيئي

قبل ان يعي الإنسان ضرورة حماية الموارد الطبيعية، ويدرك أهمية صونها للحفاظ على بقائه، تركت الظروف الطبيعية أثرها على الإنسان، وحفزته في التفكر والتأمل في واقع الظروف البيئية، وبدأ الانسان في مرحلة ما عرف بالعصر البدائي، يمعن التفكير في توفير متطلبات البقاء، وأدرك في سياق ذلك أهمية الموارد في تأمين إستمراية بقائه، ما يتحتم عليه ضرورة العمل على صون الموارد الطبيعية، وإعتبارها ثروة معيشية وحياتية، وإبتكار الوسائل التي تحكم علاقة الجماعات البشرية التي كانت تعيش ضمن محيط بيئي واحد، ومنطقة جغرافية محددة التي تقطنها تلك الجماعات، في تنظيم عملية إستغلال الموارد لضمان بقائها، هنا بدأت البوادر الأولية في تكون مرتكزات … Continue reading

Hima: Integration of Religion and Conservation

Revisiting the earliest days of rural, pastoral- and agriculture-based societies offers thought-provoking answers to solve today’s crises. At the highest levels of international concern, Islam’s formalized system of “Hima,” or Nature Conservation, is receiving optimistic attention. One of the reasons why Hima is an interesting solution for today’s conservation needs is because it developed under a similar set of crises. Relatively speaking, the ratio of human population to accessible natural resources in the days of Moses was just as dire as today’s challenges. It is possible to recognize the development of Hima by following the early days of Prophet Moses, … Continue reading

All You Need to Know About Ocean Acidification and its Impacts

The relentless rise in the percentage of atmospheric carbon dioxide since the Industrial Revolution is a well-known fact. Carbon dioxide is considered as one of the key players among the greenhouse gases that has contributed the most towards global warming, the current hot topic among environmentalists, scientists and even politicians. Another key issue is increasing being discussed nowadays is Ocean Acidification. Ocean acidification is an ongoing change in the chemistry of the ocean caused primarily by the ocean’s absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. What is Ocean Acidification Around 1/4th of the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere via … Continue reading

Islam and Environmental Protection: A Fresh Perspective

There is an inseparable relation between the environment and our soul. It will be great if Muslims in particular and the wider world in general learn from the Holy Scriptures, like the Holy Qur’an and Hadith, to try to wage an eco-friendly jihad (noble effort) to promote environmental balance and stability. This will be the true jihad to please God and ensure easy entry to heaven, in the existing world, not to speak of the hereafter. Thus, we can taste the bliss of heaven on this planet before we chance upon the eternal paradise. Quran and Environmentalism The Holy Qur’an … Continue reading

6 Ways Natural Disasters Can Affect Businesses

Natural disasters are catastrophic events that result from processes that occur without human intervention. These adverse events include avalanches, landslides, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. Floods, tsunamis, blizzards, and wildfires belong to this category as well. It is worth noting that the occurrence and intensity of natural disasters vary from country to country. Natural disasters have a significant impact on the economy and the businesses in more ways than one. Read on to know more about the impact of natural disasters on businesses: 1. Supply Chain Disruptions Efficient and reliable supply chains are critical to the success of a company. For … Continue reading

Cape Three Forks – A Biodiversity Haven on Morocco’s Mediterranean Coast

It goes without saying that the Mediterranean basin is one of the most diverse areas on our planet. But it is threatened by overexploitation, habitat loss and the impacts of climate change. Morocco’s Mediterranean coast is an important home to several endangered species. Morocco’s Mediterranean coast appears in the form of four large cavities of varying dimensions. Following the Saidia beach in the east, there is the first groove, which is about 80 km long, starts at the head of water, followed by the “Ras Wark” outcrop – Cape Three Forks. It extends towards the sea. In this part, there … Continue reading

مقدمة لمحاكاة الطبيعة

البشر أذكياء ، ولكن دون قصد ، خلقنا مشاكل استدامة هائلة للأجيال القادمة. ولحسن الحظ ، فإن الحلول لهذه التحديات العالمية تحيط بنا من كل جانب. التقليد الحيوي هو نهج للابتكار يسعى إلى إيجاد حلول مستدامة للتحديات البشرية من خلال محاكاة أنماط واستراتيجيات الطبيعة التي تم اختبارها عبر الأزمنة. الهدف هو إنشاء منتجات وعمليات وسياسات – طرق جديدة للحياة – تتكيف بشكل جيد مع الحياة على الأرض على المدى الطويل. الفكرة الأساسية هي أن الطبيعة قد حلت بالفعل العديد من المشاكل التي نواجهها. الحيوانات والنباتات والميكروبات هي بمثابة مهندسين بارعين. بعد مليارات السنين من البحث والتطوير ، والفشل المتمثل في … Continue reading

Miswaak – The Natural Toothbrush Tree of Arabia

Miswaak is an organic toothbrush which is readily available, inexpensive, easy-to-use and inherently natural. It is can be easily adopted by Muslims as well as people from other faiths as an attractive green alternative to the modern toothbrush for maintaining oral hygiene. Miswaak or Siwak is the Arabic common name for twigs of Aarak trees (botanical name Salvadora persica). The use of the Miswaak can be traced back to the pre-Islamic times; hence, the influence of Islam on the usage and spread of Miswaak in the world is significant. Muslim Miswaak users have taken it as a device that should be … Continue reading

Ecotourism Industry in the Middle East

Ecotourism is one of the fastest growing segments in the global tourism industry and the Middle East is no exception. The ecotourism industry, catalyzed by advancements in transportation and information technology, has brought hitherto unknown geographical landscapes into public limelight, thus bringing tourists to pristine natural locations across the Middle East. Middle East has also been witnessing growing popularity of ecotourism among native and expatriate populations. Some of the Middle East nations popular with ecotourists include Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Egypt, Oman and Tunisia. Due to its sunny climate, unique landscape, distinct culture and rich history, the region offers wealth of … Continue reading

Protecting Iraq’s Southern Marshlands

In mid-January 2021, Iraqi President Barham Salih approved the country’s decision to join the Paris Climate agreement. Iraq signed on to the international climate accords in 2016 but has spent the past few years negotiating its ratification through its parliament. The Paris Climate agreement encourages signatory countries to cut their carbon emissions and invest in the sustainable energy sector. Such a move might prove difficult for Iraq, a country in which oil provides 90% of government revenue and amounts to 99% of national exports. Despite these challenges, Iraq has now committed to modernizing and decarbonizing its energy sector for its … Continue reading

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

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