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

Why You Should Consider Sustainable Merchandise For Your Next Corporate Event

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Imagine your company’s next corporate event. You’re shaking hands, exchanging ideas – and gifts. But what if those gifts did more than just break the ice? What if they stood for something bigger? Sustainability isn’t a buzzword anymore; it’s a business imperative. Companies weaving eco-friendly practices into their fabric are not only benefiting our planet but also scoring big with consumers and stakeholders who value environmental responsibility. Now, let’s dive into why embracing sustainable merchandise is more than a mere nod to current trends – it’s an investment in your brand’s future and the world we share. Let’s have a … Continue reading →

All You Need to Know About Renewable Energy in Jordan

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Renewable energy systems have been used in Jordan since early 1970s. Infact, Jordan has been a pioneer in renewable energy promotion in the Middle East with its first wind power pilot project in Al-Ibrahemiya as early as 1988. In the recent past, Jordan has witnessed a surge in initiatives to generate power from renewable resources with financial and technical backing from the government, international agencies and foreign donors. However, renewable energy in Jordan remains largely untapped due to high cost associated with non-conventional energy resources and relatively cheap availability of oil and natural gas. Wind energy is feasible mainly in … Continue reading →

The Significance of Domestic Water Conservation

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The Middle East region is plagued by water scarcity and water management issues. Despite heavy investment in the water sector, water management remains a serious economic and environmental issue throughout the region. Overconsumption of water is a serious issue as per capita use of water in most of the Middle Eastern countries is several times more water than the global average. For example, on an average each UAE and Saudi Arabian resident consume 550 liters and 250 liters of water per day respectively. On the other hand, per capita water consumption in United Kingdom and Germany is 150 liters and … Continue reading →

4 Options To Control Pigeons in A Large Area

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Getting rid of pigeons from roofs, balconies, and industrial areas is one of the most frequently asked questions by people who have pigeon problems. Pigeons are frequently fed through leftovers and trash, but some pigeon lovers nourish the pigeons with good daily feed. It causes more damage than good for the birds because the pigeons start to congregate in huge figures, which leads to different difficulties for residents of the area. As a result, some people use fatal and non-humane methods for getting rid of pigeons. Pigeons cause annoyance and health hazards. In large cities, easily accessible food and water, … Continue reading →

Hazardous Wastes in UAE

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The United Arab Emirates signed the Basel Convention* in November 1992 and established a legislation called ‘Regulation for Handling Hazardous Materials, Hazardous Wastes and Medical Waste (Law 24 of 1999)’. Article 12 of the law states ‘Transportation and disposal of locally produced hazardous waste through land borders, marine environment limit and air space shall be controlled in accordance with the rules, procedure and controls mentioned and specified in Basel Agreement and in coordination with Federal Environmental Agency’. UAE is not yet a signatory to Basel BAN amendments of Sep 1995 thus there is no mention of the Basel BAN amendments in … Continue reading →

Water Scarcity in MENA

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The MENA region is the most water scarce region of the world. The region is home to 6.3 percent of world’s population but has access to measly 1.4 percent of the world’s renewable fresh water. The average water availability per person in other geographical regions is about 7,000 m3/year, whereas water availability is merely 1,200 m3/person/year in the MENA region. The region has the highest per capita rates of freshwater extraction in the world (804 m3/year) and currently exploits over 75 percent of its renewable water resources. Due to burgeoning population and rapid economic growth, the per capita water availability … Continue reading →

الاستدامة البيئية في الإسلام

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إن المعتقدات، التقاليد والقيم الإسلامية وفرت حلول فعالة وشاملة لمواجهة العديد من التحديات البيئية الحالية التي تواجه الجنس البشري. لقد أكد الإسلام على أهمية المحافظة على البيئة وحماية الموارد الطبيعية. ووفقا لتعاليم الشريعة الإسلامية, فإن العناصر الأساسية للطبيعة – الأرض، الماء، النار، الغابات والضوء- تعود ملكيتها إلى جميع الكائنات الحية وليس فقط للجنس البشري. إن القرآن الكريم والسنة النبوية الشريفة يعتبران نبراسا في تعزيز مفهوم التنمية المستدامة في الدول الإسلامية، وكذلك في جميع أنحاء العالم. أمر الله سبحانه وتعالى البشر بتجنب إلحاق الأذى وهدر الموارد الطبيعية والذي من شأنه تدمير وتدهور البيئة. إن الله سبحانه وتعالى ميز الجنس البشري باستغلال … Continue reading →

6 Tools And Products For Your Industrial Business

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Commercial businesses sell tangible goods such as airplanes, vehicles, roofing materials, and more. Their price usually depends on their quality. Industrial businesses work differently. Instead of selling the final product, an industrial business supplies other companies with the goods necessary for production, such as raw materials, manufacturing parts, etc. What makes a commercial business unique is their take on innovation, but when it comes to industrial businesses, the company that supplies the highest-quality materials at the fastest rate will stand out while others are left behind. Unfortunately, production isn’t a joke, and it’s difficult to improve your current production efficiency … Continue reading →

مقدمة في عملية التسميد

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إن عملية التسميد هي  عبارة عن تفاعل معقد بين النفايات والكائنات الحية الدقيقة المتواجدة داخلها . الكائنات الدقيقة التي تنفذ هذه العملية تنقسم إلى ثلاث مجموعات: البكتيريا والفطريات، والفطريات الشعاعية . الفطريات الشعاعية هي شكل من أشكال البكتيريا مثل الفطريات التي تفتت المواد العضوية .المرحلة الأولى من النشاط البيولوجي هو استهلاك السكريات المتوفرة بسهولة عن طريق البكتيريا، مما يسبب ارتفاعا سريعا في درجات الحرارة . تليها  المرحلة الثانية التي تسبب فيها  البكتيريا والفطريات الشعاعية  انهيار السليلوز . المرحلة الأخيرة هي المرحلة  المعنية بإنهيار اليغنينس “lignins” الصلبة من قبل الفطريات . الحلول الوسط لهذه العملية تتخلص  بالتسميد بكلفة منخفضة دون التهوية … Continue reading →

Top Eco-Friendly Roofing Options for Your House

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Costs, performance, and design take priority when homeowners embark on a construction project. While these factors are important, it’s important to consider other underlying factors which are important as well. Sustainability is fast gaining traction in the construction industry due to unending advantages to the house owner and the environment. Below are top eco-friendly roofing solutions for your house: 1. Green Roof No, a green roof isn’t about the color of the roof. Instead, it’s about the vegetation and plants on it. Interesting, huh? Well, apart from the beauty it bestows upon the property it’s installed, another advantage is heat … Continue reading →

The Importance of Environmental Education for Children

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Environmental issues are one of the major problems of today’s world. We’re living in an era where the Earth is jeopardized on different levels, and the efforts we’re putting in to change that don’t seem to be enough. We’re struggling with preserving our planet, and we need to address that issue over and over again. In addition, we need to be more active and involved in changing our behaviors in order to be environmentally conscious. Many people seem to forget that everything starts with an individual. You don’t have to be part of an environmental movement or organization in order … Continue reading →

How to Make Hunting Better for the Environment

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Being environmentally-conscious and adopting an eco-friendly lifestyle is definitely a growing trend that is rapidly spreading across various layers of our society. A lot of the modern hunters are people who embrace an eco-friendly way of living just as much as they are interested in hunting. Therefore, it’s important to understand whether hunting can be eco-friendly and what steps need to be taken. The question of environmentally-conscious hunting is complex. On the one hand, it is about improving current regulations and making certain changes that will have a positive impact on nature and the future of our planet. On the … Continue reading →