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

5 Common Types of Mental Disorders

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Mental disorders are on the upswing around the world and many people feel stigmatized and isolated due to lack of awareness and understanding about this important health issue. To simplify, a mental disorder is the disturbance in an individual’s thinking, feeling, or behavior which causes distress in social, work, or family life and prevents you from living a normal life. Like other physical health issues, mental disorders also need specialized treatment through therapeutic techniques and/or medication. It is essential to know the common types of mental disorders as different kinds of mental illness have different impact of the individual, besides variation … Continue reading →

لماذا السيارات الصديقة للبيئة مهمة؟

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يعد قطاع النقل أكبر مصدر لانبعاثات غازات الدفيئة في العديد من البلدان، يرجع السبب الأكبر إلى السيارة التقليدية، حيث تمثل المركبات أكثر من نصف الانبعاثات من قطاع النقل. السيارة النموذجية ينبعث منها غاز ثاني أكسيد الكربون والعديد من المواد الكيميائية الضارة الأخرى التي تضر بالبيئة وصحة الإنسان. وهذا يجعل من قيادة السيارة المناسبة ضرورة ملحّة الآن أكثر من أي وقت مضى. تعد قيادة سيارة صديقة للبيئة وسيلة رائعة لمساعدة صحة الإنسان والبيئة. حيث تطلق السيارات الخضراء مواد كيميائية أقل ضرراً في الهواء، حيث أنه تنبعث منها مركبات كربونية منخفضة عند التشغيل. الفقرة التالة تساعد في معرفة الأسباب المختلفة التي تجعل السيارات الصديقة … Continue reading →

Waste Management in Jeddah

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Jeddah, a major commercial hub in the Middle East, is the second largest city in Saudi Arabia. Solid waste management is a big problem in Jeddah as the city’s population is increasing at a rapid pace and has now touched 3.5 million. More than 5,000 tons of solid waste is produced every day and Jeddah municipal authorities are finding it increasingly hard to cope with the problem of urban waste. The management of solid waste in Jeddah begins with collection of wastes from bins scattered across residential and commercial areas. Wastes is collected and sent to transfer stations from where it … Continue reading →

3 Practical Ways to Reduce Heat from the Outside Sun

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Air conditioning is used today to battle extreme heat, it is indeed a marvelous creation. Even if you have air conditioning, blasting it at full capacity 24/7 is going to cost you a lot and may even not achieve the desired results. People throughout the ages used to battle heat in many innovative ways; Romans used their architecture, aqueducts circulating cold water through the buildings; an emperor used his influence to move a mountain of snow in his garden, he used donkey trains to transport all this snow. You don’t need to move mountains or build aqueducts in your home. … Continue reading →

3 Financial Benefits of Running a Green Operation

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While it’s true that the first goal of going green with a business should be to make a positive impact on the environment, we would be lying to ourselves if we didn’t admit that there’s a major financial component to it. Many people will simply refuse to buy from a company that’s environmentally irresponsible. On the other hand, being eco-friendly can never be a bad thing. This is why all businesses should consider going green if they want to increase their bottom line. Here are some of the main financial benefits of running a green operation. 1. Lower Utility Costs … Continue reading →

5 Top Benefits of Virtual Physiotherapy

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Physiotherapy is an essential part of life for many people but the COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult for them to find a physiotherapist clinic close to their homes. Some of the clinics are only seeing the urgent cases while other have closed their clinics either due to lockdown restrictions or the fear of spread of coronavirus. Virtual therapy has proven to be just as effective as an in-person physiotherapy session, thus becoming a blessing in disguise for millions of people suffering from chronic pain. During a digital therapy session, the therapist addresses the patient’s symptoms remotely through a video … Continue reading →

Industrial Odor Control Management: 4 Effective Techniques

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Industrial odors significantly impact communities, necessitating thoughtful environmental management. In sectors like manufacturing, food processing, and waste management, facilities must mitigate smells that affect quality of life and raise health and environmental concerns. To address odor issues, industries employ varying complementary techniques balancing productivity and environmental responsibility. Overall, effectively confronting unwanted smells requires understanding how traditional and innovative solutions support communities situated near industrial plants. Each strategy plays an important role in minimizing odors’ nuisance and threats, enabling industries to operate responsibly alongside their neighbors. Effective Techniques For Industrial Odor Control The core of industrial odor management lies in the … Continue reading →

Ecotourism Industry in the Middle East

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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 →

Air Conditioning Repair: Important Signs to Watch For

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There are plenty of homeowners out there who make the decision to purchase an AC unit for their home, without necessarily understanding how best to care for the unit. After all, it is often as simple as turning it on and letting the AC unit get the job done. While there is generally no trouble with letting a brand new unit cool the air around your home, there is always a chance that something might go wrong. If you do not understand the warning signs, you might end up paying much more than you normally would for repairs to your … Continue reading →

Bridging the Gap: Empowering Farmers with Accessible Patented Technologies

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Mixing cutting-edge technology with good old dirt-under-the-fingernails farming is one of the perfect ways to grow not just plants but the whole industry. We’re talking about bridging the big old gap between high-flying patented tech and the everyday heroes who feed us—our farmers. So, it is only natural for farm enthusiasts to look out for methods to sprinkle some innovation across those fields like it’s fertilizer for progress. The good news is that there are some super cool ways to implement tech upgrades in farming, and here are some of them. Sharing the Tech Wealth with Open Source Imagine if … Continue reading →

Environmental Best Practices in the Cement Industry

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Worldwide, cement production  has almost tripled during the last 15 years, mainly on account of high population growth rate, rapid urbanization, increasing industrialization and large-scale infrastructural development. The growth of cement industry in MENA is marked by factors that are directly connected with sustainability, energy efficiency and raw material supply. Although the factors differ from country to country and cannot be generalized, there are major concerns regarding shortage of raw materials, GHG emissions, dependence on fossil fuels and lack of investment in technological innovations. For the cement sector, key points for an environment-friendly industry are use of alternative raw materials … Continue reading →

Building a Plastic Bottle Village From Rubbish

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This is an inspiring true story that demonstrates a solution to the rubbish problem, especially discarded plastic bottles, plaguing our planet! We hope it will encourage and inspire other visionaries to take similar actions around the world! Robert Bezeau moved to the tropical paradise of Bocas del Toro, Panama, after he grew tired of the cold weather in his home country of Canada. He loved Panama, but at the same time, he was dismayed by the rubbish removal left behind by more than 100,000 tourists visiting the area every year. While he walked the beaches, he began collecting discarded plastic … Continue reading →