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

Cleantech Investment by AfDB

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The African Development Bank, through its public and private sector departments, is currently implementing several clean energy projects and programs to address these priorities particularly in the energy and forestry sectors. The Bank's energy portfolio currently stands at about USD2 billion. The AfDB provides two lending windows. The first is a public window, with mostly concessional funds available to governments. The second is a private window, which offers debt and equity on commercial terms.  The World Bank Group and the African Development Bank are in the process of applying to the Clean Technology Fund (CTF) Trust Fund Committee for use … Continue reading →

Environmental Impacts of Car Accidents

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Car accidents are increasing all over the world. Although many people may not be aware of it, accidents can have a large negative impact on the environment. Car accidents affect people’s health and finances as well as the structure of the roads. Cars have long been known to have an environmental impact as a result of their emissions and the gas they use, which affects the planet negatively. The recent findings now prove that even in cases of accidents, cars can still negatively impact the planet in different ways whether  directly or indirectly. Gas Leaks One of the main reasons … Continue reading →

#InspireMENA – Storytelling on Sustainable Development in MENA

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Over 350 million people live in MENA and share Arabic as a common language. To date, there is very little literature in Arabic about sustainable development in general and specifically on the United Nation’s new global goals and the associated agencies and initiatives. More than half of that population is below 25 and is currently going through a lot in terms of political, economic, and social change. Despite all of this, those young people are innovating and making positive change in their communities. It is of utmost importance to support such impact with credible information, more visibility for success stories, … Continue reading →

Top Ways to Achieve Zero Waste at Your Home

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Zero waste is a movement that has been vastly popularized by millennials. It is essentially a culture of not leaving anything behind. With the condition that our planet is in right now, in terms of trash, it makes a lot of sense. People are becoming more conscious of their footprint and it’s a great thing. Although a lot of people know about it, not many actually commit. I could never stop using tissues, I’m allergic to pollen! I love snacks too much, this is impossible. Someone else will take care of the planet, I don’t have to do it. People … Continue reading →

Why Colleges Should Go for Online Education to Save the Environment

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Climate change has been established as an actual, factual event that is changing everyone’s lives, and not for the better. Polar caps are melting, the temperature of the entire Earth is rising, and our oceans are filling with garbage. People across the world are responding in different ways, including reusing products and recycling others, but what about colleges and universities? What can they do to help the environment? There are several ways that colleges can make a positive impact on the environment, but one of the best ways is to move towards online education. Here’s why: It Reduces Electrical Use … Continue reading →

Climate Change Impacts in Kuwait

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Kuwait is facing a wide range of climate change challenges including sea level rise, water scarcity, desertification and loss of diversity. Kuwait is characterized by high temperature, high humidity and arid lands resulting in seriously degraded soil and land damage in addition to salt intrusion in the aquifers affecting the small scale agricultural lands thus enhancing the food security threat in the region. Since 1975, Kuwait has experienced 1.50C to 20C increase in temperature, which is significantly higher than the global average. In recent years, there has been a sharp change in rainfall pattern in Kuwait which may be attributed to … Continue reading →

Merits of Anaerobic Digestion of Wastes

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Anaerobic digestion is the natural biological process which stabilizes organic waste in the absence of air and transforms it into biofertilizer and biogas. It is a reliable technology for the treatment of wet, organic waste.  Organic waste from various sources is biochemically degraded in highly controlled, oxygen-free conditions circumstances resulting in the production of biogas which can be used to produce both electricity and heat. Almost any organic material can be processed with anaerobic digestion. Anaerobic digestion is particularly suited to wet organic material and is commonly used for effluent and sewage treatment.  This includes biodegradable waste materials such as … Continue reading →

How To Trade Sustainable Instruments Online

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Many people assume that sustainability and online trading doesn’t go well together, but where are here to prove the opposite. In fact, we would argue that online trading is the best type of financial investment for people that encourage sustainability and in this post, we’ll explain why that is. What is Online Trading? In this guide, we refer to online trading as trading done using online brokers, also known as CFD trading. These brokers provide traders access to trading platforms where you can trade everything from stocks and commodities to cryptocurrencies and forex. Now, unlike a traditional stockbroker, for example, … Continue reading →

Best Green Ways to Increase Your Property’s Value

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Increasing a property’s value is something that everyone hopes to accomplish during their lifetime. The place in which one owns is usually the biggest asset of a person’s life. Therefore, one should treat it dearly by taking steps to improve its condition over the years. Over the past decade, there has been a huge drive towards achieving sustainability in all facets of our lives. Simply put to be sustainable or “green” means to satisfy your present needs in a way that does not compromise the needs or resources of future generations. More importantly to put this into the context of … Continue reading →

Introduction to Biorefinery

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A biorefinery is a facility that integrates biomass conversion processes and equipment to produce fuels, power, and value-added chemicals from biomass. Biorefinery is analogous to today’s petroleum refinery, which produces multiple fuels and products from petroleum. By producing several products, a biorefinery takes advantage of the various components in biomass and their intermediates, therefore maximizing the value derived from the biomass feedstock. A biorefinery could, for example, produce one or several low-volume, but high-value, chemical products and a low-value, but high-volume liquid transportation fuel such as biodiesel or bioethanol. At the same time, it can generate electricity and process heat, … Continue reading →

Recycling of Plastics

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  Disposal of plastic waste has emerged as an important environmental challenge in the Middle East where plastics make up as much as one-tenth of the solid waste stream. In affluent GCC nations, plastic waste composition in municipal solid waste is around 12 – 16 percent. Plastic waste in the region is continuously increasing due to increasing use of plastics in daily life. The Middle East is responsible for about 8 percent of the global plastic production. Plastic waste is a source of greenhouse gas emissions and ecological damage. Majority of the items found on beaches across the region contain … Continue reading →

6 Top Green Ways for Tidying Your Home

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Home cleaning is a routine that you should perform regularly so that you can always live in a comfortable environment. However, some methods used for cleaning homes can negatively impact the environment in different ways. To prevent this, you can consider green cleaning methods. As such, you can double-check the 6 green ways for tidying your home below: DIY cleaning products Homemade cleaning products with natural ingredients such as lemon juice, white vinegar, baking soda, and olive oil are perfect for cleaning your home since they do not negatively impact the environment. These products are safe, and you can also … Continue reading →