Author Archives: Salman Zafar

About Salman Zafar

Salman Zafar is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of EcoMENA. He is a consultant, ecopreneur and journalist with expertise across in waste management, renewable energy, environment protection and sustainable development. 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. He is proactively engaged in creating mass awareness on renewable energy, waste management and environmental sustainability across the globe Salman Zafar can be reached at salman@ecomena.org

الطاقه المتجددة بالمغرب العربي

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المغرب، كونها أكبر مستورد للطاقة في شمال أفريقيا، تبذل جهودا مركزة للحد من اعتمادها على الوقود الأحفوري المستورد. وتعتبر الطاقة المتجددة  مصدر موثوق في بلد مثل المغرب العربي التي لديها الاعتماد الكامل تقريبا على شركات الطاقة المستوردة.والمغرب تنفق سنويا  أكثر من 3 مليارات دولار على واردات الوقود والكهرباء في حين انها تشهد نمو الطلب على الطاقة بمعدل 6.5 في المئة سنويا. وفقا لتقرير الوزارة المغربية للطاقة والتعدين، الطاقة الإجمالية المركبة للطاقة المتجددة (باستثناء الطاقة المائية) ما يقرب من 300ميجا وات في عام 2011. وقد حققت الحكومة المغربية بالفعل هدفها المتمثل في توفير حوالي 8٪ من إجمالي الطاقة الأولية من مصادر … Continue reading →

The International Road Safety Report: Road Tolls by Country

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We compare the number of road fatalities per 100,000 population between the USA and other English Speaking Countries – the UK, NZ, Canada, Australia and Ireland USA road fatalities are 11.78 people per 100,000 population – highest of English-speaking countries New Zealand is second highest, with a rate of 6.01 deaths per 100,000 people Canada is third behind the USA and NZ with 4.59 road fatalities per 100,000 population Australia is fourth highest in terms of road fatalities with a rate of 4.26 Ireland’s road fatality rate per 100,000 is 2.96 UK has lowest fatalities per 100,000 population, of 2.26 … Continue reading →

Green SMEs in Middle East: Obstacles and Challenges

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With ‘green’ being the buzzword across all industries, greening of the business sector and development of green skills has assumed greater importance all over the world, and Middle East is no exception. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in eco-design, green architecture, renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainability are spearheading the transition to green economy across a wide range of industries. Green SME sector in the Middle East has been growing steadily, albeit at a slower pace than anticipated. Regulations One of the major obstacles in the progress of green SMEs in the Middle East the has been poorly-designed regulation. According … Continue reading →

Green Finance in the Middle East

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Green finance is among the most important enablers that would boost innovation and increase the adoption of green solutions and practices across different industrial sectors. Green finance, which has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years, provides public well-being and social equity while reducing environmental risks and improving ecological integrity. Middle East is making good progress towards green growth and low-carbon economy. “The latest regional trends highlight the need for green financing mechanisms to support transition to green economy”, said Ruba Al-Zu’bi, a well-known sustainability expert. “While green may be the obvious feasible and sustainable approach, access to finance makes … Continue reading →

8 Best Sedan Car Rentals in Dubai

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Sedan (saloon) cars are one of the most common models of cars that are offered by rental companies. Different car makers like Toyota, Honda, Kia, Chevrolet, Mazda, Renault etc, all have popular sedan cars that are roaming the streets of Dubai. If you don’t have an idea of what a sedan car is or looks like, then here is a simple explanation. A sedan car simply has four doors and a trunk. It is also easily recognized by its fixed B pillar between the front and the rear windows. Have you ever wondered or thought about which sedan you would … Continue reading →

Islamic Perspectives on Overpopulation, Overconsumption and Climate Change

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Overpopulation – and incipient overconsumption – are the twin products of the capitalist system. Consumerism is characterized by the desire for material goods. It is the dominant ideology of our times and holds responsibility for the Climate Crisis. This is as consumerism is intimately linked with anthropocentrism, environmental destruction and global inequality Moreover, Islam can provide a thoroughgoing critique of the prevailing socio-economic system.  As such, it is necessary to develop a strong Islamic platform in order to work towards economic justice and sustainability. Overpopulation can be better understood through analysis of overconsumption and resource depletion. The scale of the … Continue reading →

Earth Day 2017: Environmental and Climate Literacy

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The campaign theme for Earth Day 2017 is Environmental & Climate Literacy, and conservationists, researchers and educators will be using this Earth Day to increase awareness about climate change and environmental issues. Earth Day has now grown into a global environmental tradition making it the largest civic observance in the world and is widely celebrated event in which over one billion people from over 190 countries will participate by taking suitable actions for saving our mother Earth. Significance of Climate Literacy “Education is the foundation for progress,” Earth Day Network said on their website. “We need to build a global citizenry … Continue reading →

Energy Efficiency Perspectives for UAE

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With Abu Dhabi alone on track to generate more than 10,000 megawatts of electricity for the first time, discussion about improving energy efficiency in the United Arab Emirates is taking on a more critical tone. Daytime energy use in the hot summer months is still experiencing rampant year-on-year growth, with peak demand this year growing by 12 per cent. Lying at the heart of these consumption levels is the need for air conditioning, which accounts for about half of total electricity demand. Business and Government Action At the commercial level, considerable steps are being taken to reduce the Emirate’s carbon … Continue reading →

Solar Energy Prospects in Tunisia

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Tunisia is an energy-dependent country with modest oil and gas reserves. Around 97 percent of the total energy is produced by natural gas and oil, while renewables contribute merely 3% of the energy mix. The installed electricity capacity at the end of 2015 was 5,695 MW which is expected to sharply increase to 7,500 MW by 2021 to meet the rising power demands of the industrial and domestic sectors. Needless to say, Tunisia is building additional conventional power plants and developing its solar and wind capacities to sustain economic development. Wind Energy in Tunisia Wind power represents the main source of renewable energy in … Continue reading →

Tips for Balancing Study in College and Other Areas of Life

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While attending college can be exciting, it can also be difficult especially when it begins to take almost all your time and leave you with less time for yourself, family, friends, and activities you love to do. It can be challenging to balance academics with other areas of your life, such as work, social obligations, family responsibilities, and personal hobbies. But with the right attitude, knowing and applying the right techniques, it’s possible to keep a healthy balance and succeed in all areas of life in college. We’ll look at some strategies for this balance in college in this article, … Continue reading →

Waste-to-Energy Pathways

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Waste-to-energy is the use of modern combustion and biological technologies to recover energy from urban wastes. The conversion of waste material to energy can proceed along three major pathways – thermochemical, biochemical and physicochemical. Thermochemical conversion, characterized by higher temperature and conversion rates, is best suited for lower moisture feedstock and is generally less selective for products. On the other hand, biochemical technologies are more suitable for wet wastes which are rich in organic matter. 1. Thermochemical Conversion of Waste The three principal methods of thermochemical conversion of MSW are combustion (in excess air), gasification (in reduced air), and pyrolysis (in … Continue reading →

The Pandemic is Shifting Public Attention Towards Sustainable Living

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Since the COVID-19 disease outbreak, it hasn’t been particularly easy to track down good news, especially on a global level. Due to huge decreases in travel, however, emissions dropped drastically and gave Mother Nature a long overdue chance to catch her breath. For the most part, globally speaking, the pandemic has also been a catalyst for people and communities working together in the fight against COVID-19. Parts of this increase in working together involve more sustainable practices in a world full of factory shutdowns and increased difficulties in getting food. This sustainability silver lining is widespread, and here are some … Continue reading →