Author Archives: Salman Zafar

About Salman Zafar

Salman Zafar is the Founder of EcoMENA, and an international consultant, advisor, ecopreneur and journalist with expertise in waste management, waste-to-energy, renewable energy, environment protection and sustainable development. His geographical areas of focus include Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe. Salman has successfully accomplished a wide range of projects in the areas of biomass energy, biogas, waste-to-energy, recycling and waste management. He has participated in numerous conferences and workshops as chairman, session chair, keynote speaker and panelist. Salman is the Editor-in-Chief of EcoMENA, and is a professional environmental writer with more than 300 popular articles to his credit. He is proactively engaged in creating mass awareness on renewable energy, waste management and environmental sustainability in different parts of the world. Salman Zafar can be reached at salman@ecomena.org or salman@bioenergyconsult.com

Polluted by Noise: When Silence is an Oasis

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The roar of a car engine coming to life. Howling dogs and screeching cats. Airplanes are flying above. Karaoke blasting through the air at the worst possible time; in the middle of the night. The hustle and bustle of construction throughout the day. These are all relatively familiar, everyday sounds and occurrences. But do you know that they all constitute noise pollution? Maybe you’re wondering if noise pollution is even a real thing, and we’d like you to know that it most definitely is. It’s an invisible danger that is always present, all around us. There’s a reason informative websites … Continue reading →

5 Reasons Why You Should Keep A Tarantula As A Pet

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Most people either decide to get a cat or dog as a pet. Some even want to get a bird such as a parrot or a cockatiel or get an aquarium for keeping fish as pets. These are the most common pet choices. However, some people go beyond the norm and look for exotic animals to keep as pets. They get the most unexpected animal as pets, and when you learn about them, they will leave you in awe. These exotic pets can be amazing ones such as peacocks, vultures, monkeys, paradise birds, while others are deadly like tigers, wolves, … Continue reading →

How to Live Off Grid in a Tiny House: A Beginner’s Guide

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As people are becoming more focused on alternative living, the tiny house movement is becoming increasingly popular. It offers a few different experiences all rolled into one tiny package. For those looking to live debt free, it provides that. Others are looking to live in an environmentally friendly way and that is certainly the case with living off grid. And others just want to accumulate less stuff and more memories and since your house is tiny there is no way to not do that. Whatever the reason for looking for ways to start living the tiny house life, there is … Continue reading →

التنميه المستدامه في العالم العربي

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التنميه المستدامه هي قالب  للنمو باستخدام المصادر بهدف تلبية حاجة الانسان والحفاظ على البيئه ليس في الوقت الحاضر فقط  بل مع الاحتفاظ بحق الاجيال  القادمه.  العالم العربي يواجه تحديات رئيسيه لتطبيق التنمية المستدامة  لتحقيق اهدافها على المستوى  الاجتماعي، الاقتصادي والبيئي.ففي طقس شديد الجفاف و نادر المياه  و مع الاستخدام المفرط للطاقه والتلوث الناتج عن صناعه النفط والغاز الطبيعي  فيواجه العالم العربي تحدي من نوع خاص. هناك اربع ركائز للتنمية المستدامه وهي  المجتمع، الاقتصاد، البيئه والمؤسسات المحلية. المجتمع توفير الطاقه له تاثير مباشر على درجة الفقر، فرص العمل ، التعليم ، الانتقال الديمقراطي ، التلوث الداخلي والصحه العامة مرتبطة بالعمر والنوع … Continue reading →

خواص الأبنية الخضراء

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المبني الأخضر هو المبنى الذي يراعي الاعتبارات البيئية في كل مرحلة من مراحل البناء، وهي التصميم، التنفيذ، التشغيل والصيانة، والاعتبارات الرئيسية التي تراعى هي تصميم الفراغات وكفاءة الطاقة والمياه، وكفاءة استخدام الموارد، وجودة البيئة الداخلية للمبنى، وأثر المبنى ككل على البيئة.الفرق الرئيسي بين المباني الخضراء والمباني التقليدية هو مفهوم التكامل، حيث يقوم فريق متعدد التخصصات من المتخصصين في البناء بالعمل معا منذ مرحلة ما قبل التصميم الي مرحلة ما بعد السكن لتحسين خواص الاستدامة البيئية للمبنى وتحسين الأداء والتوفير في التكاليف. المباني الخضراء توفر العديد من المزايا للعديد من الجهات المعنية بصناعة البناء، بما في ذلك سكان المباني والمجتمع ككل.المباني … Continue reading →

Environmental Risks of Improper Drug Disposal

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With more people leaning on prescription medication to fix their diseases and ailments, it becomes an issue when they don’t know how to properly dispose of it. During 2015-2016, it was proven that just under half of the population of America had used prescription drugs in the past 30 days. Many people tend to just forget about their prescription medication which leaves it available for children to find accidentally. However, others will casually throw away their drugs or flush them. The result of this can have an awful impact on the environment. This is why we must understand how to … Continue reading →

موارد الطاقة الحيوية في منطقة الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا

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اقتضى الارتفاع الملحوظ الذي شهدته أسعار النفط في الماضي القريب، والاضطرابات التي نجمت عنه في سوق الطاقة، من العديد من بلدان منطقة الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا لاسيما غير المنتجة للنفط منها، البحث عن مصادر جديدة للطاقة لأسباب اقتصادية وبيئية معاً. ومن جهة أخرى، باتت الطاقة المتجددة تحظى باهتمام عالمي متزايد، نظراً لدورها في الحد من التغيرات المناخية، ودفع عجلة التنمية المستدامة في البلدان النامية، وتعزيز أمن وتوفير الطاقة. وتضم قائمة البلدان المنتجة للمخلفات العضوية في الشرق الأوسط وأفريقيا، كلاً من السودان، ومصر، والجزائر، واليمن، والعراق، وسوريا، والأردن، حيث اعتادت المناطق الريفية في هذه المنطقة استخدام الطاقة الحيوية بشكل واسع في … Continue reading →

5 Student Projects To Protect The Environment From Air Pollution

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Pollution is a ubiquitous problem in the present-day world, and it is rising continuously all around the globe. Amongst all other kinds of pollution, such as water, land, and sound, air pollution has a profound impact on every living organism present on the earth. We inhale many toxins and pollutants along with oxygen while breathing, which can cause severe health problems and can even lead to an untimely death. Developing countries face more pollution-related health problems as compared to developed countries. However, students alongside scientists are working hard to protect our home planet from air contamination and its hazardous effects. … Continue reading →

Why You Should Switch From a Plastic to a Bamboo Toothbrush?

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Brushing your teeth has become a part of daily life, but this means we don’t really think about the effects traditional toothbrushes have on the planet. The problem is, this has led us to rely on plastic toothbrushes. And as you’re about to see… … traditional brushes are causing health and environmental problems. Let’s take a look: The Problem With Plastic Toothbrushes Unless you’ve had your head under a rock for the past ten years, then it’s probably apparent that plastic is causing great harm to the environment. And this is only made worse with plastic toothbrushes. Here’s the thing: … Continue reading →

Why You Should Give Eco-Friendly Gifts To Your Mom?

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Giving eco-friendly gifts to your mom is the most rewarding gift you can give her. Why? By gifting these types of gifts to your mom, you’ll make her feel like she’s appreciated. Fortunately, there are many ways to present sustainable gifts. First, you could just go online and browse through different online stores, then you’ll come across some amazing deals for eco-friendly gifts in just minutes. Second, go to the local craft store as they usually have some great offers for you. Last, but not least, consider giving eco-friendly gifts to your mom with the help of an expert craft … Continue reading →

Renewable Energy in Algeria

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Algeria plays a key role in world energy markets as a leading producer and exporter of natural gas and liquefied natural gas. Algeria’s energy mix in 2010 was almost exclusively based on fossil fuels, especially natural gas (93%). However, Algeria has enormous renewable energy potential, mainly solar, which the government is trying to harness by launching an ambitious Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Program. “Everywhere there is someone or something trying to make a difference. In this case, Algeria is playing an important role in producing and exporting natural gas and liquefied natural gas. But, sometimes it’s just about understanding … Continue reading →

Can Diamond Production Have An Ethical, Environmentally Sound Future?

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Diamonds continue to capture the imaginations of people the world over, and the MENA in particular has a storied relationship with the precious stone. Indeed, OEC statistics show that Dubai ranks highest out of many MENA countries importing high levels of diamonds, with imports generating a net spend of US$10.2bn. Diamonds do, of course, have an ethically and morally dubious past. Whether due to the conflicts they have help to generate, or through their huge environmental impact, they remain a luxury both for their qualities and for their impacts. Whether they have a place in the modern socially and environmentally conscious world … Continue reading →