Runoff and Floodwater Farming – Examples from MENA and American SW

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To better understand the options for runoff agriculture, below is a review of some of the imaginative and effective techniques developed for use of runoff and floodwaters in the MENA region and the American Southwest (SW). Experimentation and experience over more than 5,000 years led to remarkable systems that enabled people to live well even in some of the most arid environments. These systems can be built and maintained by local people using available tools.

Two major goals are to hold the water back so it doesn’t run off and to concentrate the water so that even the most arid areas people have enough water to drink and sufficient water to grow a crop. As climate change increases the severity of droughts and floods these techniques may be rediscovered and rebuilt. They will also prove useful in new areas.

Floodwater farming is still practiced in arid and semi-arid lands. Studies in the Middle East, Africa, the American SW, Mexico and many other areas have reconsidered the history and value of runoff farming. Here are a few highlights.

Middle East and North Africa (MENA)

Yemen

The farmers of Yemen have used a wide range of water capture strategies, including extensive terraces to capture runoff and flood water.[i] Floodwater (spate, sayl) irrigation was once common in Yemen.[ii] and involved flooding agricultural plots surrounded by field ridges (bunds, soum). These field bunds are typically 50-60 cm high. Many areas of farm land are also served by diversion canals. The irrigation of most of the agricultural lands in Yemen’s southern and eastern governorates still depends on runoff and floodwater.[iii] Using technologies like those at Ma’rib the neighboring kingdoms of Ma’in, Qatabān, Awsan and Hadramawt captured floodwater runoff from Yemen’s highlands.[iv]

Syria

Syria also relied on runoff and floodwater irrigation. Studies at Hayt al-Suad and Jubabat al-Juruf yielded wheat, barley and other domesticated crops dated to the late 4th to mid-third millennium BCE. This would likely be some of the regions first agricultural terraces.[v] The ancient floodwater harvesting system in Resafa, Syria consisted of extensive embankments, a dam and cisterns to provide water for farming and for a city with no perennial water sources.[vi]

Jordan

The runoff and floodwater systems around Petra, Jordan have been studied in some detail.[vii] Much of the water captured by these systems would have been for people and animals. The amount needed for a family of six with donkeys, camels, sheep or goats would be about 18 m3 year.[viii] For the city of 20,000 people the annual demand might be as high as 90,000 m3. Runoff farming on flatter areas and hill slopes grew food for local use and export. Slopes were terraced or had contour rock/ridge lines. These rock line/ridges were either level or sloped to direct water to cisterns, tanks or fields.

Negev

The Nabatean agricultural systems in the Negev were erected in several phases beginning in the 3rd millennium BCE, and were used and re-built until the Early Islamic Period (7th-11th centuries CE).[ix] The main construction elements in runoff desert agriculture were the floodwater retaining terrace dams that controlled water flow on the hill slopes and in the wadis. Thousands of ancient terraces in the Negev desert show that agriculture was based on the capture and use of runoff and floodwater.[x]

floodwater farming in Nabatea

Comprehensive studies of floodwater farms in the Negev highlighted how well these systems worked. The most striking features are the multiple sets of wadi terrace dams.[xi] These were typically spaced from 12-15 meters apart. The heights were set to capture enough water to fully recharge the soil. These irrigation farms developed complex designs with flood bypass and diversion channels.

To increase water capture the farmers deliberately cleared the stones off some of the slopes, smoothed the surface, and exposed finer soil to facilitate the formation of a self-sealing crust that would increase runoff to farm fields. Typical farm units of 0.5-5 hectares were associated with 10-150 hectares of sloping watershed.[xii] The ratio of run-off-contributing catchment to runoff-receiving crop land varied from 20:1 to 30:1. Each plot would receive enough water to produce a crop most years.

The American Southwest (SW)

Anasazi

The Anasazi culture of the SW developed from about 100 CE to 1400 CE. They had highly refined rain water capture management systems with check dams,[xiii] reservoirs,[xiv] cisterns, and canals with diverters. Research showed that the Morefield Reservoir at Mesa Verde persisted across centuries.[xv],[xvi] Detailed soil analysis revealed that its ancient engineers operated it for 350 years and survived 14 major forest fires and 21 periods of high water flow. The community had to work diligently to harvest this water. Runoff included a high sediment load and dams required frequently dredging to maintain adequate capacity.

Tohono O’Odham

In the Tohono O’Odham (formerly known as Papago) territory of southern Arizona the flood run-off of the mountain areas is gathered in streams with well-defined channels that spread out in sheet flow on reaching the undissected alluvial fans. The place where this spreading occurs is called by the ak-chin or arroyo mouth.[xvii] With these ak-chin fields farmers harvested both rainwater and nutrients to grow corn, squash, beans, and melons. Some of the garden terraces at Paaqavi (Bacavi) have been in use since, approximately 1200 CE.[xviii]

Navajo

Similar practices were used by other tribes, including the Navajo.[xix] Formerly, as many as ten fields were continuous in one ephemeral watercourse.[xx] A local community of men shared the responsibility of keeping the watercourse and associated ditches clean and free from brush. They also repaired damage to the water control structures.

The method of planting instead of plowing furrows reduced erosion. Each seed spot was opened with a stick. Cultivars were highly developed to emerge from deep burial. This assured a strong root system capable of resisting drought and to survive some surface washing by subsequent flood flow. By collecting water off mesquite dominated watersheds and allowing nitrogen-rich mulch to flow down into the fields they harvested nutrients as well.[xxi] When Gary Nabhan worked with the last generation of flood-water farmers they were part of a 4,000 year unbroken chain. Soil fertility in their fields was equal to modern Corn Belt corn fields that are treated annually with nitrogen fertilizers.

Hohokam

The Hohokam people lived around the rivers of southwest Arizona (300 BCE–1450 CE). They were gone[xxii] by the time the Spanish arrived about 1600 CE, but the remains of their irrigation systems are still visible.[xxiii] The Hohokam villages were remarkably stable and some were continuously occupied for 1,500 years or more. Their irrigation systems included water collection, main and distribution canals and field laterals. They built more than 483 kilometers of major canals and over 1,126 km of distribution canals. Unfortunately the dynamic nature of these rivers has erased the diversion dams, barrages, headgates, and intake portions of canals. We can’t say how frequently these structures were destroyed or required repair as a result of larger floods.[xxiv]

Zuni

The waffle gardens of the Zuni people are a combination of ridge and strip collectors that look much like a waffle. The ridges are packed smooth and serve as walkways and water runoff areas. The soil berms surround each square planting area. The depressions catch and hold water close to the plant’s roots. Grid gardens are similar, with larger square or rectangular grids bordered with rocks. These stones may have been the base for mud walls as early explorers saw them in the Zuni gardens. Larger versions of grid gardens have been used in the Southwest and also for dryland farming throughout the world.

Rainwater harvesting has been developed and practiced in Mexico since before the Spanish conquest. The Mayan and Aztec cultures captured and distributed rainwater using channels for both drinking and irrigating their crops during the dry season.[xxv] The acequia culture also developed in Mexico.[xxvi]

Lessons for the Future

The ancient masters of runoff and flood agriculture can provide lessons for farmers today. Increases in atmospheric heat retaining gasses are expected to produce an increase in mean global surface temperatures of between 1.5°C and 4.5°C. Warmer temperatures with climate change will increase evaporation, reducing surface water and drying out soils and vegetation.

The Southwestern US has already seen a decrease in annual precipitation since the beginning of the 20th century, and that trend is expected to continue. The Middle East has also experienced growing droughts and heat. Between July 2020 and June 2023, climate change made the drought more intense — mainly due to high temperatures that dried out the soil.[xxvii]

Changes in the amount and distribution (or seasonality) of precipitation have also been predicted, but models are less capable of predicting future changes in seasonal or annual precipitation. We have known that dry places will become drier and available soil moisture in summer may decrease by 15 to 20 percent for decades, but have made little progress in reducing the risk.[xxviii] Expanded water capture and storage before and during drought years is essential. Climate change will also challenge farmers with altered timing of water availability. Warmer winter temperatures are causing less precipitation to fall as snow in many areas, so runoff or flood irrigation will peak sooner and have less water in the late spring and summer.

Climate change with increased drought, reduced stream flow, and the breakdown of infrastructure may make traditional floodwater farming a necessity in some areas. Overdraft of groundwater, failure of electrical grids, lack of diesel fuel, and other problems with industrial irrigation may also make water harvesting for drinking water more important. These changes will also challenge rainwater farmers. Water harvesting doesn’t work if there is no rain. More severe storms will harm dams, canals, and diverters. Hail, intense dust storms (haboobs), and high winds can damage plants. Erosion can remove topsoil and deplete soil nutrients.

The other lesson we can learn from these runoff farmers is the importance of community and cooperation. Keeping runoff and floodwater systems functioning took timely and significant work to repair damage and remove sediment. Working together is essential. A shovel of dirt in the right place, at the right time, might avert a disaster.

Note: The first part of the article is available at this link.

References

[i] Varisco, D. M. 1991. The future of terrace farming in Yemen: A development dilemma. Agriculture and Human Values. 8(1–2):166–172.

[ii] Varisco, D. M. 1996. Water sources and traditional irrigation in Yemen. New Arabian Studies 3:238-257.

[iii]Baquhaizel, S. A., Saeed, I. A. and bin Ghouth, M. S. 1996. Documentary study on models of traditional irrigation systems & methods of water harvesting in Hadramout & Shabwah governorates. Environmental Protection Council.

[iv] Brunner, U. 1997. Geography and human settlements in ancient southern Arabia. Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy. 8(2):190–202.

[v] Harrower, M. J. and Nathan, S. 2018. Ancient water management in southern Arabia: Creativity, resilience and sustainability in Yemen and Oman. In Sulas, F. and Pikirayi, I. eds. Water and Society from Ancient Times to the Present : Resilience, Decline, and Revival. Taylor and Francis.

[vi] Beckers, B. and Schütt, B. 2013. The elaborate floodwater harvesting system of ancient Resafa in Syria: Construction and reliability. Journal of Arid Environments. 96:31-47.

[vii] Ortloff, C. 2005. The water supply and distribution system of the Nabataean city of Petra (Jordan), 300 BC-AD 300. Cambridge Archaeological Journal. 15:93-109.

[viii] Evenari  p150

[ix] Ashkenazi, E., Avni, Y. and Avni, G. 2012. A Comprehensive characterization of ancient desert agricultural systems in the Negev Highlands of Israel. Journal of Arid Environments. 86:55-64.

[x] Evenari, M. 2019 [1981]. Twenty-five years of research of runoff desert agriculture in the MidEast. In Berkofsky, L., Faiman, D. and Gale, J. eds. Settling the Desert. Gordon Breach Science Publisher, NY.

[xi] Evenari et al. p 97.

[xii] Hillel, D. 2: Negev: land, water, and civilization in a desert environment. United Nations University website.

[xiii] Rohn, A. H. 1963. Prehistoric soil and water conservation on Chapin Mesa, Southwestern Colorado. American Antiquity. 28(4):441-455.

[xiv] Earles, T. E. 2005. Mesa Verde Reservoirs: ten years of paleohydrology. Water Resources IMPACT 7(3):9–15.

[xv] Wright, K. R. 2003. Water for the Anasazi: How the ancients of Mesa Verde engineered Public Works. Public Works Historical Society No. 22, June.

[xvi] Wright, K. R. 2024. A summary of 25 years of research on water supplies of the Ancestral Pueblo People. Water. 16, 2462. https://doi.org/10.3390/w16172462

[xvii] Nabhan, G. P. 1986. Papago Indian desert agriculture and water control in the Sonoran Desert, 1697–1934. Applied Geography 6:43–59.

[xviii] Agriculture.  https://www8.nau.edu/hcpo-p/AgricFactYth.pdf

[xix] Bryan, K. 1929. Flood-water farming. Geographical Review, 19(3):444–456.

[xx] Nabhan, G. P. 1983. Papago Fields: Arid Lands Ethnobotany and Agricultural Ecology. PhD Thesis. University of Arizona.

[xxi] Stone, T. 2016. Desert Sage: An Interview with Gary Nabhan. Boyce Thompson Arboretum Magazine, July.

[xxii] Some anthropologists think the culture did not die or move, and the descendants are the Tohono O’odham and Akimel O’odham. This is what the O’odham believe.

[xxiii] Caseldine, C. R. 2025. A reevaluation of Hohokam irrigation systems in the Lower Salt River Valley, Arizona. KIVA. January. 1–24.

[xxiv] Woodson, M. K. 2015. The impact of flooding on Hohokam canal irrigation agriculture. pp. 180-216 in Ingram, S. E. and Hunt, R. C. eds. Traditional Arid Lands Agriculture: Understanding the Past for the Future. The University of Arizona Press, Tucson

[xxv] Gleason, J. A., Sánchez, Y. C. and, Flores, C. C. 2020. Mexican rainwater harvesting movement in recent years. In International Rainwater Catchment Systems Experiences: Towards water security. IWA. DOI 10.2166/9781789060584_0073.

[xxvi] Sheridan, T. E. 1996. La gente es muy perra: conflict and cooperation over irrigation water in Cucurpe, Sonora, Mexico. pp. 33–52 In Mabry, J. ed. Canals and Communities: Small-Scale Irrigation Systems. University of Arizona Press.

[xxvii] Tandon, A. 2023. Climate change: Intensity of ongoing drought in Syria, Iraq and Iran ‘not rare’ anymore. Carbon Brief. November 8.

[xxviii] Mitchell, J. F. B., Manabe, S., Meleshko, V., and Tokioka, T. 1990. Equilibrium climate change and its implications for the future. In Houghton, J. T., Jenkins, G. J., Ephraums, J. J. eds. Climate change: The IPCC scientific assessment. Cambridge University Press. pp. 131-172.

What is a Solar Power Bank?

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The introduction of solar power bank has been among the top energy storage solutions in recent years. Thanks to it, people no longer have to experience the horror of running out of power at a critical point or worry about their devices going off at an impromptu moment. Read on to find out what a solar power bank is and why you should consider getting one.

What is a Solar Power Bank?

A solar power bank is an energy storage device that obtains energy from the sun and uses it to charge/power various electronic gadgets, like phones, tablets, laptops, torches, bulbs, televisions, etc.

solar-power-bank

They are usually portable enough to be carried about for use when the need arises, but some are big and so need to be stationed at a spot. Solar power banks come in various capacities (usually between 1000 – 50,000 mAh) and have designs to suit individual preferences.

The major feature of the solar power bank that makes it unique is that as long as there is sunlight, even just a little bit, your solar power bank will draw power. The power stored during the presence of daylight is then saved for use later. Some small solar power banks allow you to charge the power bank with both the sun or regular electricity.

Charging Capacity of Solar Power Bank

Most portable solar power banks can’t be used for high-power and long-hours charging. Notably, the portability of power banks is one of the reasons why people received it so well. That is understandable, because most prefer something they can carry around. This is why the large-sized solar power banks are stationed permanently or temporarily at a specified location.

You can use the large-sided solar power bank in your home alongside regular electricity. And well, if your solar power bank is of super high capacity, you can even consider going off-grid. That way, you wouldn’t have to pay for electricity bills.

Those that live in rural areas with no electricity can easily install a large solar panel in their home and get power as long as their solar power device stores energy from the sun. If you only need to charge small devices like your phone, small power banks are your go-to.

They are portable enough to fit into your small bag, purse or even trouser pocket. This means that you can easily reach out for them in cases when you are low on power.

Although very small solar power banks hold less energy, they would still adequately charge one or more of your devices full. The capacity of the solar power bank also depends on the brand, individual model and quality of the product you go for. Popular brands like Enviroinc are renowned for their solar power banks quality and durability.

Charging Duration of Solar Power Banks

There are different factors that determine the charging duration of a solar power bank. First, the capacity of the solar power bank will influence the charging rate. Usually, a 1000 mAH solar power bank will charge faster than a 10,000 mAH power bank.

This is starting to change though because most brands now make high capacity solar power banks that charge just as fast.

The weather can also affect your solar power bank’s charging duration. Your power bank would charge faster on a sunny day than a cloudy or rainy day. On cloudy or rainy days, your solar power bank will charge slower than usual due to the invisibility of the sun.

Finally, the brand and model of the solar power bank you buy can affect its charging rate. Some brands’ product are more efficient and technologically advanced than others, which reflects on the charging rate. This is why solar power bank A and B of two different brands would charge at different rates.

Why Solar Power Banks?

1. Environmentally Friendly

The earth is already battling so many environmental hazards and global warming is the most glaring issue today. By using solar power, you will be conserving energy, thereby reducing the strain on mother earth.

solar-powered-powerbank

This is because solar energy is pollution-free; it is clean, renewable energy. Its use doesn’t promote the emission of greenhouse gases, unlike regular electricity; instead, you are only tapping sunlight.

2. Standby Power

Almost everyone has experienced that situation of being out of power at a dire moment. It might be when you are getting a vital info from your classmate or your phone might turn off at that moment when you’re about to order an Uber or pizza. Sadly, you might be far away from a charging point, or you might not even have electricity at your location.

You might be away at a rural retreat without any sign of electricity. Getting a solar power bank will help you stay connected.

3. Saves You Money in the Long Run

If you have a lot of electronic gadgets, the chances are that you normally pay high electricity bills. Well, that can changes when you go for a solar power bank. Since you will not be using the regular electricity as much, your utility bill will reduce; after all, you are not paying for sunlight.

Conclusion

The solar power bank is an innovative device that you will find highly beneficial as long as you buy one of high quality. Solar power banks are affordable, environment friendly, cost-saving and a reliable source of power supply for your gadgets. Most importantly, it helps you stay connected anytime, anywhere and on the go!

How Minimalism and Sustainability Go Hand in Hand

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A topic that has been gathering momentum as of late. The idea of sustainability is rapidly becoming a popular trend and the reduction in fossil fuel usage is testament to that fact. However, sustainability is not just found in the energy sector. Sustainability has become a trend in all aspects of life. So much so that it has become a lifestyle for some. Minimalism has rapidly become a popular way of life as well, providing great benefits to those living according to it. To start, it is important to define these terms and how they can relate to one another.

Minimalism is a lifestyle that helps people question what things add value to their lives. By clearing the clutter from life’s path, we can all make room for the most important aspects of life: health, relationships, passion, growth, and contribution. There are many flavors of minimalism: a 20-year-old single guy’s minimalist lifestyle looks different from a 45-year-old mother’s minimalist lifestyle. Even though everyone embraces minimalism differently, each path leads to the same place: a life with more time, more money, and more freedom to live a more meaningful life.

Sustainability, in a nutshell, is focused on meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. The concept of sustainability is composed of three pillars: economic, environmental, and social – also informally known as profits, planet, and people.

Minimalist isn’t boring

A person who is minimalist will search for ways to trim down the things they own and the tasks they need to do. This is done with the intention to find even more time for the things they love. People who are minimalist have fewer things to worry about and fewer roadblocks in life. The lack of time is overcome by being intentional about tasks they execute. Chasing only money is cured by buying only essential products and being mindful of their spending. They’re mostly happy because they know who they are and they know what they should focus on. This is an important point to make here because a lot of people will argue that minimalism is boring.

However, minimalism can look elegant and be efficient as well. Negative space in a room makes it feel more open and having the right accent perfectly underpins the efficiency and style of a minimalist life. Going online and finding some examples is a great way to gather some ideas. By being focused on what’s important, minimalists would select key pieces of furniture, like seating arrangements which make for a great way to add style to what some consider to be a “boring” lifestyle.

Sustainability is the only way forward

In an ideally sustainable world, 3 main conditions would exist. 

  1. Ecological integrity would be maintained, all of the earth’s environmental systems are kept in balance while natural resources within them are consumed by humans at a rate where they are able to replenish themselves.
  2. Human commodities across the globe are able to maintain their independence and have access to the resources that they require, financial and other, to meet their needs. Economic systems are intact and activities are available to everyone, such as secure sources of livelihood.
  3. Universal human rights and basic necessities are attainable by all people, who have access to enough resources in order to keep their families and communities healthy and secure. Healthy Communities, have just leaders who ensure personal, labour, and cultural rights are respected and all people are protected from discrimination.

These 3 conditions must exist for a truly sustainable world to exist. Although it is an ideal at the moment, humanity is approaching critical times in evolutionary history. Critical decisions must be made to preserve life as we know it. Every step towards attaining those 3 goals is a step forward and that is where minimalism comes into play.

How the two mesh

Sustainability and minimalism mesh for a number of reasons. For one they share common resolutions to differing issues. Such that Minimalism seeks to reduce clutter in one’s life, and does so by minimizing the consumption of luxury goods. The ecological pillar of sustainability would state that everyone should reduce the number of consumed goods all together in an effort to reduce the consumption of natural resources as a whole. Both minimalism and sustainability result in reduced consumption of goods for different reasons.

Having both concepts overlap just reinforces their validity. The economic pillar of sustainability would allow everyone on earth to ideally have enough money to comfortably support and protect ourselves and our families, which minimalism seeks to do by focusing on the important things instead of materialism.

Family, Goals, and Personal Achievements are what matter to the minimalist lifestyle. These eliminate wasteful spending and allow minimalists to spend money where it matters. The last pillar of sustainability is the social pillar. Sustainable social communities are communities that have just leaders that are able to ensure all rights are respected and everyone can live fairly without discrimination.

Again minimalists provide a huge focus on morality and making important connections with people that matter and their community. Without distractions, minimalists are focused and to the point about their goals and intentions and do their utmost to provide for those they care.

In our modern world there is plenty that needs to be addressed. As humanity moves forward we must find the right path to take that will help maintain the integrity of our planet for ourselves and for our future generations.

Adopting lifestyles such as minimalism and sustainability is the right path that will lead us in the direction of positive change. The pillars of sustainability, combined with the efficiency of minimalism, is a force that will likely instill great change in society. The more individuals contribute to the positive growth of our planet as a whole, the more we can share this beautiful world with one another.

Hopefully, we keep moving in the correct direction and remember what is important to us; Our world, our community, and our family.

The Importance of an Environmentally-Friendly Hajj

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Despite the spiritual perfection of the rites of the Hajj pilgrimage, there are some deep issues with its practical implementation. In a journey where one is meant to recalibrate one’s consciousness of the one true Creator, it seems paradoxical that such an excursion should lead to environmental harm (or destruction). Why is it then that I walk the street of the Haram (sacred land) and find them littered with boxes of chicken and rice, strewn on the curb in front of beggars who offer to pray for you in exchange of spare change?

A Deluge of Waste

In 7:31, the Holy Qur’an says,

“O children of Adam! … eat and drink: but waste not by excess, for Allah loves not the wasters.”

The Quran has so many verses extolling the environment and natural wonders. Yet ironically, the pinnacle of a Muslim’s spiritual journey, known as Hajj, has become plastered with waste, something which Saudi Arabia has become somewhat notorious for. Much of this also comes from the luxurious European and American tents who really should be bringing with them better codes of conduct as they belong to the so-called developed world.

green-hajj

What about the millions of plastic bottles, essential for hydrating Hajj pilgrims, but surely ending up polluting landfills and oceans, destroying countless habitats in Makkah, Madina and surrounding areas? Surely a country with the financial arsenal that Saudi boasts could arrange for sophisticated recycling facilities at least.

In fact, the current sovereign has shown glimpses of visionary marvel, with an expansion project of the Sacred Mosque that will increase its capacity from 1 million worshippers to 3 million – this is happening AMIDST mass congregations every day! I suppose one might argue that throwing $11 billion at a problem is prone to producing miraculous engineering feats. Challenge accepted, I say, let’s green up the Hajj!

For a Mosque buzzing day and night all year around, it is disappointing to see the thousands of fans, bulbs, chandeliers and air conditioners in use practically all the time. Anyone who has even stepped foot in this region could probably point to a pretty abundant source of power – the SUN! That majestic ball of gas has chosen the Gulf as its lover to whom it imparts more magnificent rays than anywhere else.

Yet in a country where oil is cheaper than water, whose got time for solar panels? If the sun’s energy were to be harnessed for the Mecca Metro, surely the smog filled air, congestion, and indefinite waiting times could be avoided in addition to the tons of carbon reduced each year!

Time to Act, now!

With the threat of Climate Change intensifying with every passing day, the need for countries to reduce their carbon footprints is becoming imperative. The role of faith groups in opposing environmental degradation cannot be understated, as the Papal Encyclical and Islamic Declaration has demonstrated in the recent past.

Organisations, like ARC, have come together to produce a Green Guide for Hajj in various languages. We have seen more campaigns mobilizing faith communities on this issue by groups like Islamic Relief, MADE, Christian Aid, and CAFOD.

hajj-carbon-footprint

A vast majority of Hajj pilgrims are not aware of the innate nature of environmentalism within Islam.

Strong Message of Environmental Leadership

By ensuring scrupulous sustainability along every step of the most sacred journey in a Muslim’s life, we are not simply reducing its carbon footprint – we are sending a strong message of leadership to 1.6 billion Muslims that environmental stewardship is an essential aspect of our faith.

The ripple effect an environmentally-friendly Hajj could have on people’s personal lives could change the way the entire Muslim community views the issue.

The pilgrims annually retrace the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him); the same man who forbade the excessive use of water even at a riverbank, prohibited the cutting of trees in the sacred lands, and commanded environmental custodianship as a strong tenet of the faith.

It is about time that the Saudi government (and the entire Muslim Ummah) takes a stronger stand towards externalizing the inner spirituality of the Hajj by making it a journey of environmental care, contemplation and benefit.

تحقيق التوازن بين الحفاظ على البيئة والنمو الحضري: دروس من محمية الريم في قطر

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محمية الريم الطبيعية في قطر هي منطقة محمية ومأهولة تقع في الجزء الشمالي الغربي من البلاد. يمكن الوصول إليها بسهولة من الطرق الرئيسية، وهي تبعد أقل من 50 ميلًا عن الدوحة، مما يجعلها وجهة جذابة لمن يرغبون في الاستمتاع بجمال الطبيعة دون الحاجة إلى تنظيم رِحْلات كبرى. يحمل هذا المشروع العديد من الدروس المهمة للأشخاص المهتمين بالبيئة.

يمكن أن يساعد فهم المراحل المختلفة للمشروع في تحديد ما يجب مراعاته عند قياس النجاح وتحديد الأولويات.

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التعاون أساس النجاح

تم إنشاء محمية الريم رسميًا في عام 2005. ونظرًا لأن الأرض تمتد عبر ثلاث سلطات قضائية، كان التعاون بين عدة جهات أمرًا ضروريًا في جميع المراحل. وفي عام 2007، صن صنفتها اليونيسكو محمية محيط حيوي، وكانت آنذاك المنطقة المحمية الوحيدة في قطر. ونظرًا لأن هذا المشروع حوالي 10% من إجمالي مساحة قطر، فإنه يتطلب تعاونًا كبيرًا ومستمرًا.

يجب على المهنيين العاملين في مجال الاستدامة، وشركات التطوير، والجهات التجارية الأخرى أن يحققوا أهداف الحفظ من خلال العمل بما يخدم مصلحة الحيوانات المهددة بالانقراض والمهددة بالخطر. يمكنهم ذلك من خلال تحديد ضوابط للأنشطة المسموح بها. فعلى سبيل المثال، يمكن للناس زيارة المحمية لممارسة الصيد بالصقور، ولكن يُسمح بذلك فقط خلال فترة محددة ولفئة محددة من الصيادين المرخصين.سواء كان الزائر سائحًا أو مشغلًا سياحيًا، يجب على الجميع احترام الأرض والالتزام بالقوا

المفروضة. وبعد عقد من تصنيف اليونسكو لمحمية الريم، تعاونت المنظمة مع السلطات الحكومية لتنفيذ برنامج توعوي بيئي. تضمنت المرحلة الأولى من المبادرة المكونة من جزئين تنظيم جولات تعليمية مجانية للعامة. أما المرحلة الثانية فقد مكنت طلاب المدارس من زيارة المحمية والمشاركة في أنشطة علمية. كما تم تنظيم مسابقة لتشجيع الناس على تحضير وجبات غداء تحتوي على أقل قدر ممكن من البلاستيك.

تُعد هذه الجهود المتاحة والموجهة ضرورية لمساعدة الناس على فهم كيفية الاستمتاع بالمحمية الطبيعية وحمايتها من خلال تصرفات مدروسة وحب للاستكشاف. وعلى الرغم من أهمية العمل المهني في المناطق المحمية، إلا أن الجميع يمكنهم المساهمة.

المخططون بحاجة لفهم دقيق للتضاريس

يجب على المعنيين بالمحميات الطبيعية أو المشاريع المماثلة دراسة أفضل الطرق للحفاظ على الأرض بما يدعم النباتات والحيوانات الحالية والمستقبلية، مع مراعاة متى يجب التدخل بالوسائل البشرية ومتى يُفضل ترك الأمور للطبيعة.

تمتد محمية الريم على مساحة تزيد عن 445 ميلاً مربعًا، وتتميز بتضاريس متنوعة حسب الموقع. فعلى سبيل المثال، تحتوي شبه جزيرة زكريت على مرتفعات أكثر انحدارًا مقارنةً بالمناطق الأخرى، كما توجد مناطق ساحلية تحتوي على طين مالح ومستنقعات. وفي المناطق الداخلية، توجد سهول صخرية ومرتفعات متنوعة.

بالإضافة إلى ذلك، تم تسوية بعض المناطق المسطحة في المحمية لجعلها صالحة للزراعة. وتدعم هذه الأنشطة الاقتصادية المهمة سلسلة الغذاء، حيث يُزرع فيها التمر، والحبوب، والخضروات، والفواكه. وتستخدم الحيوانات مثل الماعز والجِمال بعض الأراضي كمراعي. سواء كانت هذه الحيوانات أليفة أو برية، فإن الجهات المختصة تتحكم في التفاصيل. فعلى سبيل المثال، لا يُسمح للجمال بالرعي إلا داخل حظائر.

وقد تتطلب العوامل الطبيعية مثل الطقس، أو الأنشطة البشرية، أو تحركات الحيوانات، حلولاً مبتكرة مثل استخدام “مسامير التربة” لتعزيز استقرار الأرض وزيادة تماسكها. يتم إدخال هذه الأدوات في ثقوب محفورة مسبقًا لتوزيع وزن التربة وتخفيف الضغط على المناطق غير المستقرة.

إن تنوع تضاريس المحمية يُعلم المهتمين بالتنوع البيولوجي وحفظ البيئة أهمية فحص العوامل البيئية بعناية ودمجها في اتخاذ القرارات المستقبلية.

الجهات المسؤولة يجب أن تدير النمو بعناية

شهدت قطر نموًا اقتصاديًا لعدة أسباب، وقد تستمر هذه العوامل في دعم النمو في السنوات القادمة. فعلى سبيل المثال، استثمرت الدولة في البنية التحتية للغاز الطبيعي المُسال ودعمت العديد من المشاريع التي تسمح بتصدير هذا المورد. كما استضافت قطر بطولة كأس العالم لكرة القدم عام 2022، ما أسفر عن إنشاء صندوق إرث بملايين الدولارات لتعزيز التنمية المستدامة.

وأكد إنشاء محمية الريم التزام البلاد بحماية الحياة البرية والأراضي الطبيعية. ومع ذلك، يجب على الجهات المختصة الحفاظ على هذا الزخم من خلال استكشاف طرق عملية لتحقيق النمو الذكي. ويساعد التنفيذ الناجح المخططين الحضريين وغيرهم من أصحاب المصلحة على تحقيق الكفاءة الاقتصادية مع الحفاظ على الأهداف البيئية.

wildlife protection in islam

Climate change and human intervention is threatening many wildlife species in the Middle East

وتقدم الولايات المتحدة العديد من الأمثلة التي يمكن الاستفادة منها. ففي مدينة غونزاليس بولاية لويزيانا، ركزت السلطات على كهربة شبكة النقل من خلال تنظيم ورشة عمل لتعزيز مشاركة المجتمع وأصحاب المصلحة بهدف تقليل البصمة الكربونية للمدينة. كما كشفت المدينة عن خطة لتعزيز المرونة المناخية تهدف إلى تقليص الانبعاثات بنسبة 50% بحلول عام 2050. يوضح هذا المثال كيف يمكن للأطراف المعنية السماح بالنمو المتوقع مع تقليل الآثار السلبية.

وقد تتم بعض أنشطة إدارة النمو على نطاق أصغر، مثل التواصل مع أصحاب المشاريع القريبة من محمية الريم. فمثلاً، إذا خطط مستثمر لافتتاح فندق بالقرب من حدود المحمية، فقد يجذب ذلك المزيد من الزوار الراغبين في استكشاف المنطقة، وهو أمر إيجابي طالما التزموا بالسلوك المسؤول. ويمكن لموظفي قطاع الضيافة أن يكونوا مؤثرين في تعزيز القيم البيئية. وبالمثل، يجب إجراء حوارات مع المزارعين الراغبين في توسيع مناطقهم الزراعية.

الوعي والاستباقية يعززان الاستدامة

من المحتمل أن تبدو الدروس المستخلصة من محمية الريم مألوفة لأولئك الذين شاركوا في مشاريع بيئية محلية تطلبت التعاون بين أطراف متعددة. ويرجع ذلك إلى أن هذه الدروس تنطبق أيضًا على المشاريع الأصغر التي تهدف إلى حماية الكوكب وتشجيع الناس على القيام بدورهم.

ويجب على صانعي القرار أن يكونوا على دراية بالتشابك بين النظم البيئية المحلية، وكيف تؤثر الأنشطة البشرية عليها. وكما أظهرت الأمثلة أعلاه، فإن حماية الحياة البرية المهددة لا تعني بالضرورة منع الناس من الاقتراب من موائلها. يمكن للبشر أن يعيشوا بتناغم مع الحيوانات. ومع ذلك، قد يتطلب الأمر وضع سياسات صارمة وتحديثها بانتظام لتحقيق توازن واقعي ومفيد للطرفين.

ترجمة: عبدالله فيصل السلامة

طالب وطموح يسعى لتحقيق التميز في مسيرته الأكاديمية والمهنية. يتقن اللغتين العربية والإنجليزية. يتميز بشغفه الدائم لاكتساب المعرفة وتطوير مهاراته في مختلف المجالات.

Note: The original English version of the article is available at this link.

Runoff and Floodwater Farming in the MENA and SW North America

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When it rains some water enters the soil, the rest runs off. As it gathers strength it becomes the floodwater that runs through valleys, streets, arroyos and wadis after a rain storm. Sparse vegetation, little soil development, soil crusts, and low infiltration/absorption contribute to fast peaking flows in arid regions[1]. Storms lead to floods that may continue for minutes, hours or days depending on the rainfall. Flood depths of 5-10 meters may occur in extreme events. Residents in arid and semi-arid lands have developed a wide range of strategies to hold and capture critically needed water. In many cases floodwater has been the primary source of drinking water for people and livestock, water to irrigate trees and crops, and to replenish groundwater.

Floodwater also carries organic materials and fine sediment that can be captured to improve soil fertility, soil tilth and structure. Tohono O’odham families in the American SW sought out places where moist, nitrogen rich litter had accumulated beneath mesquite trees and would dig up the top soil and spread it on farm fields[2]. Nitrogen fixation may take place at 5-8 meters depth so these deep roots can provide little competition for shallow-rooted crop plants grown nearby[3]. Floodwaters in these desert ecosystems can carry large amounts of rodent dung, leaves from nitrogen fixing trees and shrubs, litter, and twigs. Enough material may come to floodwater irrigated fields in these floods to add an inch of rich soil and organic matter a year. Over hundreds of years the deposits grow quite deep. Studies suggest sediment deposits up to 30 m or more deep in the Marib area resulted from irrigation[4].

Floodwater can be destructive when flows are so big they overwhelm the infrastructure, damage homes and farms, and put people at risk. The ancient city of Petra was hit by a massive flood in the 4th or 5th century[5]. This was a rare, catastrophic event[6]. Water rushing down wadis would have created a fast moving 5-8 meter deep flood rushing down the main street. It would have left boulders, heaps of gravel and pebbles and a road covered with 2 to 5 meters of sediment. Capturing more water higher up in the landscape with rock lines, terraces, dams and cisterns reduces the risk from floods, but would not prevent these mega floods.

Water retention

The first goal is capturing and holding water so it can sink into the soil or fill a pond or cistern. Techniques range from a simple line of rocks on the contour to complex sets of dams in the wadis sized to capture just enough water to maximize soil water holding capacity in irrigated fields[7, 8, 9].

The oldest versions of run-off farming probably consisted of water spreading and/or small rock or brush check dams to slow and collect run-off. Small rock dams are found throughout the SW. One or two rainfall events with runoff can be sufficient to grow a crop. In areas with very limited rainfall the people of the SW would plant seed only when the soil was wetted[10]. Much work was done while the floods were in progress. An everyday sight during showers was the irrigators at work with hoes or sticks, or even with their hands[11]. Cultivars were selected that allowed for deep burial of the seeds, up to 15 cm or more. This provides soil moisture for a longer period of root growth and enables the crop to withstand another surface flow flooding event.

Terraces retain runoff and transform slopes into flat areas that are easier to plant and harvest[12]. Most people are familiar with the terraced rice paddies of Asia, but equally impressive terraces for agroforestry, grains and crops can be found in the MENA countries and American SW. The trees and shrubs on terraces provide food, fodder, fuel and wood while helping to stabilize the terraces and, in many cases, providing a source of income. They help conserve soil and protect it from runoff and erosion. Agricultural terraces require regular maintenance and if it lapses, it can lead to the collapse of retaining walls accompanied by increased soil erosion.

anasazi runoff farming

Microcatchments of various kinds are also effective. These can be crescent shaped, rectangular, or square. Some have ridges on all four sides. Microcatchments have been used for millennia in the Midles East, Africa, and the Americas. Microcatchments are built at low gradients[13, 14, 15].The area inside the microcatchment is steeper with flow leading to the lowest spot. About 10% of the rain that falls on the catchment may flow. The desired area can be calculated with an understanding of the crop, the weather, and the soil. In the Negev the catchments were 17-30 times the planted plot[16]. This could give an augmented rainfall equivalent to 300-500 mm with just 100 mm of precipitation. This is enough to grow most crops.

Soil pits (zai) are smaller but can be effective. Pitting improves water infiltration and retention, reduces evaporation, and increases surface storage and the time available for infiltration to occur. Pits capture rainfall directly and get a minor boost from runoff. Zai can collect up to 25% or more run-off[17]. Not as much as water as the microcatchments, but still of value. They increase surface water storage and water capture, allowing water to seep deeper into the soil. In one study moisture penetration reached 61 cm on pitted soil but only 12.7 cm on unpitted soil[18].

Systems that collect runoff in larger catchments such as hillsides with long slopes may be called macro-catchments[19]. The larger open reservoirs of MENA may be called hafirs, tabias and limans. In arid Tunisia, the tabia system is a traditional macro-catchment with a runoff area that occupies two-thirds of the slope and is traditionally used for grazing; with one to five cropped plots within U-shaped soil banks arranged in a cascade in the third downstream area.

These run-on areas accumulate and store the occasional runoff. In Southern Sudan, hafirs provide water to livestock, agriculture, humans and, to some extent, wildlife[20.21]. Small field plots were leveled and terraced to ensure the efficient distribution of water as well as the conservation of both water and soil[22]. Research with various fruit and fodder trees in the Negev has shown that during and after a rainfall event significant amounts of soil moisture in the topsoil between tree rows on terrace fields were not fully utilized and could be used for an intercrop.

In Northern Kenya runoff capture irrigation made it possible to double crop[23]. Normally, local Turkana farmers won’t risk a second crop during the short rains in August/September. But with rainwater capture the second crops were more reliable and could be further improved with mulching and tree pruning. A variant of these are the hillside conduit systems found in the Negev[24]. There ridges and channels run down slope collecting water to augment wadi flow to crop fields.

Water for people and animals can be stored in cisterns. A remarkable variety and number of cisterns in Petra were filled by runoff from rocks acting as the catchment. Small grooves or ridges would direct water into a sediment basin and then into the cistern. Rainwater can also be captured and stored in bigger cisterns or ponds. The most impressive cisterns are those designed to capture floodwater during flash floods. The Nahal Zin cistern is filled only after the flow in the arroyo is 1.5 meters deep[25]. The full cistern can hold 1,400 cubic meters of water. A large cistern in Resafa, Syria was filled with floods from a wadi west of the city to a full capacity of 18,000 cubic meters. These floodwater filled cisterns would need to have sediment removed periodically.

Dams used by ancient communities were typically small and used to hold water for drinking and animals. For example, the transhumant pastoralists of the Sheeb region in Eritrea build small water diversion structures[26]. Larger systems of wadi bed floodwater harvesting involved a series of stepped dams built across wadi beds. These shallow ponds would partially or completely fill with flood water and recharge the soil moisture so a crop could be grown. A flood event we monitored in the SW desert recharged the soil moisture to 7 meters and it remained high for months. Permanent and temporary dams of various kinds were used to divert water from wadis onto adjacent fields[27.28]. This could be small scale or large.

The Maʾrib Dam in Yemen, the largest, was built around two thousand years ago to regulate the waters of the Wadi Sadd[29]. It was about 550 meters long built of fine stone-and-masonry construction, with sluice gates to control the flow of water. It irrigated more than 1,600 hectares and was used and repaired for hundreds of years. A Sabaean inscription from 449 CE records acquisition of, “14,000 camels, 200,000 sheep (seems high), 217,000 pounds of flour as well as 630 camel loads of beverages” to supply the needs of workers mobilized to repair the Ma’rib dam.

To better understand the options for runoff agriculture some of the imaginative and effective techniques developed to use runoff and flood water in the Mediterranean and North Africa (MENA) and the American Southwest (SW) are described in Part 2.

References

1. Shanan, L. 2000. Runoff, erosion, and the sustainability of ancient irrigation systems in the Central Negev Desert. IAHS 261. 75–106 pp.

2. Nabhan, G. P. 1982. The Desert Smells Like Rain: A Naturalist in Papago Indian Country. North Point Press.

3. Virginia, R. A., Jenkins, M. B. and Jarrell, W. M. 1986. Depth of root symbiont occurrence in soil. Biology and Fertility of Soils. 2:127-130.

4. Brunner, U. 1997. Geography and human settlements in Ancient Southern Arabia. Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy. 8(2):190-202.

5. Paradise, T. 2012. The Great Flood of Petra: evidence for a 4th-5thAD Century catastrophic flood. Annual of the Jordan Department of Antiquities 56(1):143-158.

6. One of my field research sites in the Mojave Desert of the SW was hit with 30 cm of rain in 4 hours. The flash flood from this 1,000 year event was epic.

7. Beckers, B., Berking, J. and Schütt, B. 2013. Ancient water harvesting methods in the drylands of the Mediterranean and Western Asia. eTopoi. Journal of Ancient Studies. Volume 2 (2012/2013), pp. 145–164.

8. Bainbridge, D. A. 2007. A Guide for Desert and Dryland Restoration. Island Press.

9. Bainbridge, D. A. 2024. Go Big! The Challenge of Large Scale Restoration of the Badiya. EcoMENA July 18.

10. Nabhan, G. P. 1997. Cultural adaptations to the desert’s bounty. Sonorensis. 17(1).

11. Gregory, H. E. 1916. The Navajo country: A geographic and hydrographic reconnaissance of parts of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. US Geological Survey. Water-Supply Paper 380. pp. 104-105.

12. Bainbridge, D. A. 2002 [1986]. Self-reliant Agriculture for Arid Lands. Sierra Nature Prints. https://works.bepress.com/david_a_bainbridge/16/

13. Shanan, L. and Tadmor, N. 1979. Microcatchment system for arid zone development. Hebrew University.

14. Edwards, F., Bainbridge, D. A., Zink, T. and Allen, M. F. 2000. Rainfall catchments improve survival of container transplants at Mojave Desert site. Restoration Ecology. 18(2):100-103.

15. Oweis, T. nd. Planning and design of micro-catchment system. CGIAR. https://mel.cgiar.org/ reporting/download/hash/1407b174dc2d34cbeb51c927a96081fd see also In Arabic. Micro- catchment rainwater harvesting: planning, design and implementation: Training Manual May 2022. ESCWA Publication: E/ESCWA/CL1.CCS/2021/MANUAL.3. ESCWA is one of five regional commissions under the jurisdiction of the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

16. Evenari, M., Shanan, L. and Tadmor, N. 1982 [1971]. The Negev: The Challenge of a Desert. Harvard University Press. page 104.

17. Malesu, M. M., Sang, J., Oduor, A., Odhiambo, O. and Nyabenge, M. 2006. Rainwater Harvesting Innovations in Response to Water Scarcity: The Lare Experience. World Agroforestry Centre.

18. Slayback, R. D. and Cable, D. R. 1970. Larger pits aid reseeding of semi-desert rangeland. Journal of Range Management. 23(5):333-335.

19. Beckers, B., Berking, J. and Schütt, B. 2013. Ancient water harvesting methods in the drylands of the Mediterranean and Western Asia. eTopoi. Journal for Ancient Studies. Volume 2 (2012/2013), pp. 145–164

20. Nasri,S. Albergel, J, Cudennec, C. and Berndtsson, R. 2004. Hydrological processes in macrocatchment water harvesting in the arid region of Tunisia: the traditional system of tabias/ Hydrological Sciences Journal. 49(2):261-272.

21. Public Water Corporation. 2009.Technical Guidelines for the Construction and Management of Improved Hafirs. A Manual for Field Staff and Practitioners. April. MIWRGONU/MWRIGoss. UNICEF.

22. Hillel, D. 1996. Chapter 2. Negev: land, water, and civilization in a desert environment. United Nations University website. The UNU Global Environmental Forum V on Freshwater Resources in Arid Lands13 June.

23. Lehmann Lab. Section of Soil and Crop Sciences. Cornell University web page. https:// lehmannlab.cals.cornell.edu/research/agroforestry/

24. Evenari et al. p103.

25. Evenari et al. p163.

26. Harrower, M. J. 2006. Environmental versus Social Parameters, Landscape, and the Origins of Irrigation in the Southwest, Arabia (Yemen). PhD Thesis. The Graduate School of The Ohio State University.

27. Bainbridge, D. A. 2007. A Guide for Desert and Dryland Restoration. Island Press.

28. Bainbridge, D. A. 2025. Acequias for More Sustainable Irrigation: Rediscover an Ancient Technology. EcoMENA. March 8.

29. Brunner, U. and Haefner, H. 1986. The successful floodwater farming system of the Sabaeans, Yemen Arab Republic. Applied Geography. 6(1):77-86.

Recycling and Artwork: An Environmental Approach to Art

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Art and recycling goes hand-in-hand. Eco-artists are, nowadays, transforming old, recycled and reused object into amazing pieces of contemporary art. The trend started gaining prominence in 1980s when museums and galleries in the Western world opened their doors for such innovation and creativity.

recycled art cycles

In recent years, many artists in the Middle East has started expressing their support for recycling and sustainability through artworks where they merge traditional tone with contemporary themes creating attractive installation art that express local cultural heritage in the larger public interests. Artists are expressing their emotions and ideas through a wide range of recyclables glass, beverage cans, plastics, PET bottles etc.

Installation Art and Recycling

This type of art is termed as Installation Art which is 3-dimensional work using common raw and natural materials to create an object with different messages directed to the viewers and the public audiences. Installation art can be expressed at any type of form like objects, videos, sound or even through the Internet. Interestingly, installation art is also considered a part of Renaissance where people can discover classical cultural movements like Surrealism and Futurism.

Many artists search for inspirations that surround them while others express their feelings in the artwork. Artists use recycled or reused objects to make attractive pieces of contemporary art and literally turn everyday trash into creative treasures. Some create compositions from recycled plastic bags or themed works for art galleries, while others create entire theme parks with trash, and even furniture from recycled materials. For example, if an artist has a penchant for collecting beverage cans, he/she might be interested in creating a replica of a famous building or monument.

Bristol’s whales sculpture is made of willow and 70000 plastic bottles

Artists can collect recyclable materials through public donations, collaboration with businesses or direct collection from solid waste stream. This innovative approach not only creates environmental awareness but also help in finding a good use for unwanted materials. For example, giant bottles made of recycled plastic bottles are tipped over on the grass at an art installation in North Evanston, Illinois. Approximately 6,000 small, clear plastic bottles were used to construct the five 16-foot bottles on display.

Mrs. Salwa Nabhan, a graphic design faculty at Sharjah Higher Colleges of Technology, stresses the importance of using art and recycling in our daily life. She says, “Installation Art is good for the environment because it takes everyday objects and transforms it into a valuable artwork. This is because using raw or new materials can be expensive and people are limited with what they can buy”. The Sharjah Higher Colleges of Technology Media students have already worked on such background creating 2D artworks by using recycled items like fabric leftovers, wood and paper to create collage of things.

Conclusion

Around the world, eco artists are turning recyclables into creative pieces of art and thereby contributing to the Green Movement taking place in different spheres of life. Artists are finding innovative ways to show their concern for the environment and thus encouraging the masses to reuse, reduce and recycle for a better future. With waste disposal posing a serious environmental challenge in the Middle East, it is expected such initiatives will also spur governments to take concrete actions to ease the situation.

Recommended Resource: Types of Art to Celebrate Nature

Eco-Friendly Ways of Fixing Damaged Roof

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If you run a small business, saving on your energy costs is among the best methods to keep the bottom line of your company as low as possible. Your roof is typically responsible for around 30% of the energy loss of your home or company. With time, this leads to an increase in your heating costs, energy bills, and the general comfort of your premises. New eco-friendly roofing elements can assist you to significantly improve the energy efficiency of your home or business premises while protecting the building from the roofing elements. That will mean less downtime due to water damage and leak repairs and more savings for the business.

If you are thinking of changing or fixing your damaged roof then check this article to speed up your fixing progress. Here are some eco-friendly roofing options you can consider:

Use recyclable and recycled materials

The easiest method to reduce the footprint of your building and help prevent waste from accumulating in the landfills is to use some recycled roofing materials. Therefore, when you are looking for a replacement of your commercial roof, you can consider looking for roofing materials made from some old roofing scrap. Metal panels, clay tiles, and asphalt shingles are all excellent options and can be made from old roof materials.

Once you settle for this roofing option, you will get similar quality protection just like installing a new roof while keeping the usable materials from the landfill as well. If you can’t get recycled or reclaimed roofing materials that suit the needs of your business, look for some roofing elements that can be recycled when you are done with them. Wood shakes, rubber, shingles, and clay tiles can all be changed into new items when they are no longer fit for your roof.

Examine your insulation

Commercial roofing, such as residential roofs requires a good insulation layer to keep the outside temperatures from affecting the temperatures inside. If there isn’t enough insulation at the top level of your premise, the outdoor weather can leave the building feeling unbearably cold or unseasonably warm. Again, inadequate insulation can also put your structure at risk for water damage and leaks.

If you are considering replacing your roof, ensure that your insulation levels are examined. If the insulation is not enough in the attic space, then more can be inserted before your new roof gets installed. You will notice an instant improvement in the energy efficiency of your building, making your structure more eco-friendly in the long run.

Switch to metal roofing materials

One of the best eco-friendly roofing available is metal. Metal roofing is pretty durable, has low maintenance needs, and you can recycle them when you want to replace the entire system. According to statistics, the average metal roofing can last for approximately 60 years with routine maintenance and care, and you will spend less cash on roofing replacements and also contribute less waste to your landfill with time.

Moreover, you can paint the material in almost any color, which makes it easy to adjust to the property appearance regulations or building code of any area, and most of all, you will save a lot of money on roof repairs for the lifespan of your roof.

Prepare the roofing for solar panels

If you are thinking of making your business premises more eco-friendly, then you should consider solar panels. However, they can be challenging to install on your premises. When you are replacing a damaged roof or installing a new one, make the most of your new roofing materials and allow the roofing contractors to prepare the surface for the installation of the solar energy system.

qatar-solar-program

With the right preparation, solar panels can be installed on almost all types of materials. Even if the old roofing materials of your building cannot support the panels’ weight, new plastic shingles or other eco-roofing materials will do the task. However, before you start working with your roofing company, ensure that you get an energy audit that will help you determine the number of panels your business will need. It’s possible that installing even a couple of solar panels will assist you in offsetting your energy costs every month.

Paint your roof white

Conventionally, commercial roofs are usually dark flat or black roofing systems. Whereas this is a great option for melting ice and snow in the winter, it can make your structure less energy efficient. The black roofing materials typically absorbs heat from the sun, and the heat radiates across the upper floors and the attic of your premises. The more heat that is absorbed, the more your air conditioning system will have to work to ensure your building is comfortable during summer and spring or throughout the year, depending on the location of your business.

Moreover, the accumulation of heat can typically cause the materials supporting your roof to warp. Rather than dealing with the nuisance of these issues, you should consider changing your roof into a pretty cool roof. For a commercial property, your roofing company will be able to utilize a protective white coating designed to effectively reflect the heat while serving as a protective wall against hail, water, snow, and many other natural hazards as well.

Select a company with relevant experience

The best eco-friendly roofing materials are the ones that typically last for a long time. When fixing a damaged roof or replacing it, the whole roof should be removed and also thrown away. That’s because trying to install some new roofing materials on the old one often leads to more damage and extensive repairs in the long run. If your roof is fixed poorly, it’s more likely that your building will require extensive roofing repairs or even a complete replacement earlier than it should. Every replacement or repair means more materials which will eventually increase the carbon footprint of your business.

Moreover, since most traditional roofing materials utilize chemicals during the manufacturing process, you might unintentionally contribute to damage to the local ecosystems and pollution. By working with an experienced roof waterproofing and leakage repair services, you will reduce any risks of installation errors and also premature repairs. That will save you lots of money and also keep more materials from going to the dump.

Most homeowners and businesses have to replace or repair their roof at some point. If you would like roofing materials that will outlast the conventional roofs and made from eco-friendly materials, you can consider the options outlined above. Most of them are typically immune to hail, snow, and ice. Green roofing materials are varied and many, ranging from recycled-metal roofs to recycled-plastic shingles or to reclaimed wood or sustainable harvested roofs or lindab guttering. The best roofing selection for your home or business depends on the structure of your local building codes, your home, and price considerations.

Waste Management Implications of 3D Printing

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The rapid deployment of 3D printing is one of the most exciting developments since the appearance of the smart phone. This is technology with some serious potential to change how and where goods are manufactured, transforming supply chains. The New Scientist has gone so far as to herald 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, as ushering in a second industrial revolution. But is anyone thinking about how what this new development means for the waste sector?

Whilst the technology is already being put to some dubious uses, the ability to manufacture pretty much anything wherever and whenever it’s needed is certainly appealing. Interest isn’t confined to those frustrated inventors whose imaginations have been constrained by the tools they can fit in the garden shed; there’s likely to be take-up from businesses, householders – and even space agencies, apparently.

3D-Printer

What is 3D Printing

By building up layer upon layer of material, a 3D printer can produce objects to any pattern, up to the maximum size it can handle. However, the applications to which these objects can be put to may be limited by the physical properties of the materials that will inputted in to 3D printers – the equivalent of the ink in the printers we’re all familiar with. Clearly, you can’t print a toaster if your 3D printer only uses plastic – but an oven knob, or even a wind-powered robot with dozens of moving parts, is no problem.

A quick scan helpfully outlines the different methods 3D printers are able to deploy, which I’ve summarised here. Each appears to require its own TLA (Three Letter Acronym). Perhaps in the future terms such as Stereolithography (SLA), Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) and PolyJet photopolymer will become as ubiquitous as DVD and VHS have been in the past. Each of these techniques is compatible with a selection of materials, primarily plastics – but some are able to use metals, ceramics or even play-dough.

Environmental Implications of 3D Printing

Moving significant amounts of manufacturing away from factories (predominately in Asia) to our own door steps will no doubt have profound impacts on the balance of goods and services across the globe. The economic and social implications of the technology have the potential to be significant– as do the environmental implications.

There is potential for greenhouse gas emissions savings from reduced shipping – not just cutting the number of products that make the long journey across the seas from China, but also reducing road freight. Fewer trucks on the motorways could be one of the unexpected effects 3D printing. But what are the waste management issues associated with mass deployment such technologies. And if we are future gazing, is their deployment consistent with the ‘zero waste economy’ envisaged by governments across the Middle East?

For those who haven’t yet thought too hard about what the technology is; think of it like the ‘replicator’ devices as featured in Star Trek. The replicator was a machine capable of creating objects by voice command, from what appeared to be thin air. 3D printing is only a shade less magical.

Waste Management Perspectives

3D printing is something of a double-edged sword when it comes to waste. It creates new recycling problems, but has considerable potential to help prevent waste. It could even be an outlet for recycled plastics. The opportunity for DIY repairs, especially to everyday items that we might otherwise decide were uneconomic to fix, appears enormous.

But with the higher profile that waste management has these days, I feel that we ought to be making 3D printing the first technology to be designed with recycling in mind. The waste management industry is a service industry; and typically it has had to adapt retrospectively to technology changes that it has not been able to influence. After more than a decade, we’re still catching up with the introduction of plastic milk bottles in lieu of glass. But this reactive approach clearly isn’t the best way to achieve a zero waste economy.

3D printing offers numerous challenges and opportunities to the waste management industry. As we, as a society, become more aware of material security, I’d suggest that the best approach would be for the waste management industry to engage positively with the designers and manufacturers of the 3D printing devices, trying to identify opportunities to ensure that the circular economy doesn’t become an afterthought.

The most appealing possibility would be if the machines could recycle waste polymers themselves, and re-use them as feedstock. Could we see a scenario where the machines become the recycling facility, thus greatly reducing the need for even the print medium to be transported? Bringing the nascent 3D printing industry together with experts in waste management could help to make this new technology contribute to rather than challenge our ambitions for a zero waste economy.

Note: The article is being republished with the kind permission of our collaborative partner Isonomia. The original article can be viewed at http://www.isonomia.co.uk/?p=2512

The Spiritual Benefits of Ramadan Fasting

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Our environment is more than trees, water, land, and air. It is a sense of peace, an understanding of our place in our society. It sustains our satisfaction in life and our interest in caring for the life around us. Recognizing the sustaining forces that make up our environment sometimes requires a time of deep introspection.

Few practices in the human repertoire can guide us to deep introspection like the profound practice of fasting in the holy month of Ramadan. For one full month in every year, fasting is required for Muslims all over the world. The day-long fasting process in Ramadan has the ability to modify behaviors and shape life patterns in ways that improve our entire environment. Focusing on an empty stomach inspires incredibly rich perception of the internal forces sustaining us and our environment.

spiritual benefits of ramadan fasting

Fasting as Defined in Islam

“Fasting” is defined in Islam as abstaining from foods, drinks, sexual intercourse, gossip, arguments, physical violence, and all toxic or addicting substances, from before the break of dawn until sunset, every day during the entire month of Ramadan. Islam follows a lunar calendar, with the result that Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic year, revolves around the solar calendar, every year arriving 11 days earlier than the previous year.

My first year of fasting was in the shortest days of winter. Now, fifteen years later, Ramadan has arrived in the longest days of summer. As the lunar months keep rotating around the year, so Muslims all over the world face some months of relatively easier fasting, and some months of strenuous striving to keep their fast.

“Fasting is one half of patience.” — The Prophet Muhammad

Unless converting to Islam at a later age, Muslims begin fasting at the age of puberty. Patience is the first test, arriving with the self-pitying pains of self-deprivation. We learn to endure them patiently, handling hunger because we have no other choice. The early recognition of this cycle by an adolescent Muslim is priceless, an internal guidance system that ideally recycles beneficially every year for a lifetime. With the arrival of Ramadan comes a compelling shift towards equality and social compassion.

We learn on the first day what it feels like to be hungry, but as the days go by, we learn what it really means to live without food. A little self-deprivation inspires great compassion in us for the truly hungry people of the world.

Disintegrating the Barrier between Rich and Poor

The social barrier between rich and poor disintegrates when the rich are suffering hunger pains no different from their poorer neighbors. For an entire month the fasting Muslim is reduced to two meals a day. Perhaps the food on the table will be different for each, but the experience is equally trying.

The dark hour before dawn is not exceptionally conducive to preparing and eating big meals. Likewise, traversing a long hot day with an empty stomach and thick, sticky tongue leaves us breaking our fast with more thirst than hunger. Three cups of cold water and a couple of dates suddenly become amazingly satisfying.

green ramadan

Fasting clearly encourages us to feed the hungry and help the poor, especially in the month of Ramadan, when even if the person, due to medical or other reasons, is unable to fast, the substitute for fasting is to feed a poor person for each day of fasting missed:

“…And upon those who are able (to fast, but only with hardship), a ransom (as substitute) of feeding a poor person (each day). And whoever volunteers extra — it is better for him. But to fast is best for you, if you only knew.” [Quran 2:184]

God Loves to Strengthen the Weak

Hungry people lose pride fast when they find themselves weak. But God loves to strengthen us when we turn to Him for help. When we find ourselves coping better with the weakness of hunger, we truly feel the loving mercy of God. In these ways, fasting restores the relationship between us and God, strengthening our sense of gratitude. Fasting guides us to authenticity by pulling the rug out from under our false pride and hypocrisies. We used to say we cared about poor, hungry people, but now, after fasting a few long, hot days, we really mean it!

Fasting teaches us moral discipline. We could easily sneak a drink or a bite of something when no one is watching. But the striving for blessings available to us in Ramadan comes from the sincere desire to please God. We feel His nearness so strongly when we are weak with hunger, it is as though a higher state of consciousness is strengthening us, instead of food. God says:

“He abandons his (sexual) desire, food and drink for Me.”
“Fasting is for Me, and I will reward for it accordingly.” [-Allah, as quoted by the Prophet Muhammad (SAW)]

Fasting Recalibrates Our Conscience

With this daily perception of God’s nearness, the balance between right and wrong recalibrates our conscience. Right decisions become easier, even when it means we may have to suffer hardship or inconvenience. Our personalities and characters adapt to this stronger sense of right and wrong. This is the best time for personal correction. The courage that comes with overcoming hardship often inspires us to break bad habits that we were unable to deal with previously.

Ramadan is a time of correcting bad behaviors, because fasting for us means abstaining from them as well as food. Abstaining from food is useless if we do not also reduce bad behaviors.

“If a person does not keep away from falsehood and false conduct, Allah has no need of his fast.”[-The Prophet Muhammad (SAW)]

“Fast and you shall attain good health.” — The Prophet Muhammad (SAW)

Good health is not just physical, although the physical benefits of fasting are well documented. Giving the digestive system a rest has a purgative effect on the body, cleansing our system of toxins. After sleeping, we wake refreshed, undertaking our work with renewed ability, and the digestive system benefits in this same manner.

While Muslims don’t fast specifically for dietary benefit, our spiritual benefit is improved with healthy brain functions as a result of caloric restriction to maintain good physical health. Fasting adds so much healthful benefit, it is difficult to underestimate all the advantages.

Fasting Institutes a New Economy

Suddenly we see how much food we never really needed. Needs become clearly separated from wants, and shines a whole new light on our food budget. Restaurants aren’t typically open in the dark hour before dawn either, so cooking at home becomes more regular in Ramadan.

Sleep typically becomes disrupted, and we find ourselves pushing strongly on our self-discipline to get things done at strange hours of the night or day. Days become more constructive when the hours aren’t being gobbled up by food-centered activities. Whole new ways of life suddenly manifest themselves in the month-long practice of fasting.

iftar-dubai-mosque

Iftar gatherings at mosques are also responsible for wastage of huge amount of food

Time sets new patterns during Ramadan, too. Before the first note of the sunset call to prayer, everyone in the house suddenly materializes at the dinner table. Work schedules, ball games, music lessons, all activities suddenly become subservient to the time of sunset. Entire families find themselves enjoying dinner together for an entire month. When the sun goes down on a house full of Muslims breaking their fast, big families really shine with delight and gratitude.

God’s Favorite Instrument of Peace is the Family

Of course, closer interaction with family members and neighbors can sometimes be stressful. This is another blessing of Ramadan, preparing us for difficulties so that when they occur we have the means to avoid them. The family is God’s favorite instrument of peace. If we didn’t learn to get along with our family members, perhaps there would be no peace on earth anywhere.

Screaming for food works for infants, but it doesn’t go over well at the dinner table, so bad behaviors get curbed among loving family members starting from a fairly young age. Ramadan reinforces this sense of family diplomacy, annually requiring fasters to maintain good manners, even in the face of stressful conditions:

“If someone tries to pick a quarrel with a Muslim who is fasting, he is to control himself and reply, ‘I am fasting’.”[-The Prophet Muhammad (SAW)]

Ramadan’s Reflection in the Pool of Our Earthly Environment

Family, friends, and neighbors all commonly increase their interactions, sharing in the spirit of bonding that Ramadan inspires. Community bonds are strengthened in this great time of sharing. From the first reflection of the new moon in the sparkling pool of our earthly environment, ripples extend from the soul of each person fasting in Ramadan.

From the well of our deep personal introspection, good behaviors bubble up to the surface and ripple outward, overlapping with the gentle ripples of others. Our livelihoods, our neighborhoods, in fact our entire environment, benefits from this beautiful practice, because peace and goodwill achieve a higher meaning and strive for higher goals when sustained by the spiritual discipline of annual fasting.

Balancing Conservation with Urban Growth: Lessons from Qatar’s Al Reem Biosphere Reserve

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Qatar’s Al Reem Biosphere Reserve is a protected, inhabited area in the country’s northwestern region. It’s accessible from major roadways and less than 50 miles from Doha, making it an attractive destination for people who want to enjoy nature’s beauty without planning major excursions. This project has many lessons to teach eco-minded individuals.

Understanding the various project phases can inform you of what to consider when measuring success and outlining priorities.

biosphere reserve qatar

Collaboration is Key for Success

Planners officially established the Al Reem Biosphere Reserve in 2005. Since the land encompasses three jurisdictions, collaboration between multiple parties was essential during all phases. UNESCO designated it as a biosphere in 2007, and it was the only such protected area in Qatar then. Since this project comprises approximately 10% of Qatar’s total land area, it requires significant and ongoing cooperation.

Sustainability professionals, development companies and other commercial entities must meet conservation goals by operating in the best interests of endangered and threatened animals. They can do so by setting parameters for permitted activities. Although people can visit the Biosphere Reserve for falconry, it is only an option during a specific period and for a limited number of licensed hunters.

Whether someone is a visitor or tour operator, people must respect the land while abiding by stipulated rules. A decade after UNESCO officials gave Al Reem its designation, officials from that organization collaborated with government authorities to offer an environmental awareness program.

One phase of the two-part initiative encouraged the public to go on free educational tours. The other enabled schoolchildren to travel to the Reserve for scientific activities. A competition also resulted in people winning awards for packing lunches with the least amount of plastic.

These accessible, themed efforts are crucial for helping people understand how to enjoy and protect the Biosphere Reserve with conscious actions and an enthusiasm for learning. Although professionals perform essential work in safeguarded areas such as this one, everyone can contribute.

Planners Need a Detailed Understanding of the Topography

Those involved in nature reserves or similar projects must evaluate the most effective ways to preserve the land for existing and future plants, flowers and animals while carefully considering when to take a hands-off approach versus installing human-made innovations to provide resilience against natural occurrences.

Stretching over more than 445 square miles, the Biosphere Reserve has many topographical differences depending on the area you examine. For example, the Zekreet Peninsula features steeper elevations than other parts of the land, and some coastal areas feature salty mud flats and swamps. Additionally, people can find numerous rocky plains and elevations throughout the inland sections.

Additionally, people cleared some of the flattest parts of the Reserve to make it suitable for farming. These important economic activities support the food chain, allowing agricultural professionals to grow dates, cereal grains, vegetables and fruits. Animals like goats and camels use other flatlands as grazing areas. Whether the animals are domesticated or wild, authorities control the particulars. For example, camels can only graze while in enclosures.

Weather, the activities of humans and other animals, and additional relevant factors can necessitate innovations like soil nails to enhance the ground’s stability by artificially increasing its cohesion. Inserting these accessories into predrilled holes redistributes the soil’s weight and relieves pressure on unstable areas.

The Biosphere Reserve’s varying topography teaches parties interested in biodiversity, land preservation and other relevant subjects to scrutinize specific environmental factors and incorporate them into subsequent decision-making processes.

Responsible Parties Must Manage Growth

Several factors have been drivers of Qatar’s previous economic growth and may continue to support it in the coming years. For example, the country’s leaders have invested in liquefied natural gas infrastructure and supported numerous projects that allow the product’s export. Additionally, Qatar was the FIFA World Cup host in 2022, resulting in the subsequent creation of a multimillion-dollar legacy fund to facilitate sustainable development.

The creation of the Al Reem Biosphere Reserve emphasized the country’s commitment to protecting wildlife and the land. However, authorities must capitalize on and maintain that momentum by exploring practical ways to pursue smart growth. Successful implementation allows urban planners and other stakeholders to maximize economic efficiency while continuing to uphold environmental goals.

The United States offers numerous examples of those ideals in action. For example, in Gonzales, Louisiana, authorities focused on electrifying the transportation network by holding a workshop to nurture community involvement and stakeholder engagement in efforts to minimize the city’s carbon footprint. They also revealed a climate resilience plan to halve emissions by 2050. This example shows how committed parties can allow anticipated growth while continuing to minimize negative impacts.

alreem biosphere reserve

Some growth-management activities can happen on a smaller scale, such as through engagements with parties who own businesses near the Al Reem Biosphere Reserve. Perhaps a developer plans to open a hotel on its borders. It would likely attract more visitors wanting to explore the protected area, which isn’t a bad thing if they behave responsibly. Hospitality employees could be instrumental in reinforcing the cultural norms to make that happen. Similarly, conversations should occur with agricultural professionals who want to expand their farming areas.

Awareness and Proactiveness Support Sustainability Gains

Many lessons associated with the Al Reem Biosphere Reserve likely sound familiar if you have gotten involved in local environmental projects requiring input from multiple parties. That’s because they still apply for less extensive projects that center on protecting the planet and encouraging the public to do their part.

Decision-makers must also remain aware of the interconnectedness of local ecosystems and how human-driven activities affect them. As the above examples show, protecting at-risk wildlife does not necessarily mean banning people from their habitats. Humans can live in harmony with animals. However, authorities may need to set and frequently evaluate guidelines to maintain a realistic and mutually beneficial balance.

مقال عن نبات الزعتر

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عرف القدماء قائمة واسعة من النباتات الطبية والعطرية ومنها الزعتر والتي استخدموها في علاج كثير من الامراض وتعتبر من المحاصيل غير التقليدية  التي يحتاجها الانسان أو تدخل في الممارسات الغذائية له بشكل أو بآخر ، وتستخدم هذه النباتات إما طازجة  أو مجففة  أو في إستخلاص الزيوت. فمنها موجود بشكل طبيعي ومنها ما يزرع في المزارع والحدائق المنزلية ، وقد ظهر  إهتمام عالمي واسع بزراعة الزعتر لاستخدامه أو أجزاء منه للحصول على زيوته العطرية التي تدخل في تركيب العديد من المركبات الصناعية كبديل لعدد من المستحضرات الكيماوية المنتشرة .

thyme in a garden

وفي الحضارات القديمة انتشر التداوي بالاعشاب  في الصين والهند وفيتنام والاغريق أما في العصور العربية فقد عرفت بلاد ما بين النهرين كثير من النباتات الطبية والعطرية ومنها الزعتر ونشطت حركة العلم والترجمة  لكثير من الكتب العلمية المتخصصة في هذا المجال بعد استقرار  الدولة الاسلامية ومن اهم العلماء الذي تم الترجمة لهم  جابر بن حيان وابو بكر الرازي وابن سينا وابن البيطار وغيرهم . يذكر في بعض المراجع أن المصريون القدماء استخدموا الزعتر في التحنيط. واستخدمه اليونانيون القدماء في الحمامات وأحرقوه كـبخور في معابدهم، اعتقادًا أنه مصدر الشجاعة.

وتعتبر  المملكة الاردنية الهاشمية من الدول الغنية بهذه النباتات وتحتوي اكثرمن 500 صنف من النباتات الطبية البرية تتبع 33 جنسا 99و عائلة تتوزع في جميع انحاء المملكة منها اليانسون والكراوية والقرفة والشمار والزعتر والنعناع والميرمية والخزامى الحلوة والبابونج وحصى البان والكمون ولكن بعض هذه الاصناف بدأت تنقرض بسب الزحف العمراني  والرعي الجائر والتغير المناخي.

الزعتر نبات شجيري معمّر ،يُذكر أن موطنه الأصلي حوض البحر الأبيض المتوسط وهو دائم الخضرة وأوراقه صغيرة لونها رمادي مخضر أو فضي , ويعيش من 5-6 سنوات. كثير الفروع يكسو الأرض ويصل علوه إلى حوالي 12 سم قائم والسيقان خشبية الأضلاع رمادية مغطاة بالأوبار لونها بني والأوراق صغيرة بسيطة معكوسة رمحية الشكل توجد الأزهار في نورات عنقودية أما زرقاء أو وردية ويبلغ ارتفاع النبات حوالي 50سم وتحمل ثمار كبسولية صغيرة الحجم بها بذور صغيرة عديدة, يوجد الزيت الطيار في الغدد الزيتية المنتشرة علي السطح السفلي للأوراق ، له  رائحة عطرية قوية وطعمه حار مر قليلاً. منه أهم  نوعان هما البري والفارسي

وتم استخدام الزيوت العطرية في الحضارات القديمة للعلاج من الأمراض، وكان لعلماء المسلمين الفضل في اختراع جهاز التقطير، والتوسّع في استخراج الزيوت الطبيعيّة، ومعرفة خصائصها وصفات التداوي بها، وتم نقلها في القوافل العربية مع الحرير والتوابل والسكّر. وجاءت مراكز البحث العلمي اليوم لتؤكّد أهميّة الزيوت المستخلصه منه في صناعة الدواء، ومواد التجميل، ومعاجين الأسنان، والصابون، والمواد المطهّرة، ومضادات الجراثيم ، اكتشف باحثون أميركيون ان زيت الزعتر هو من بين 6 زيوت أساسية أثبتت قدرتها على التخلص من الالتهابات،كما يعتبر الزعتر من اكثر المواد الطبية والعطرية اذا ما كان الوحيد الذي له عدة استخدامات طازجة او جافة او مصنعة او تدخل في الغذاء للانسان فهو يحتوي على مركبات الزيت الهامة ( الثيمول , الكاربكرول) .

ومن اهم ميزات نبات الزعتر احتياجاتة المائية القليلة مقارنة بمردوده العالي ، ويمكن تسويق المنتج مباشره  او تجفبفه وتصنيعه ،ولا يحتاج إلى معدات معقدة أو استثمارات مكلفة .والظروف المناخية ملائمة جدا لزراعة نبات الزعتر في كثير من الدول خاصة دول المشرق العربي (الاردن،سوريا،لبنان،العراق وفلسطين) .

وفوائده الغذائية كثيرة فهو يحتوي على كربوهيدرات والياف وانواع متخلفة من الفيتامينات (A,C,D) والمعادن مثل الحديد والكالسيوم والفسفور ،اما فوائده الطبية فيستخدم في علاج الجهاز التنفسي مثل السعال الديكي والالتهابات الشعبية والربو ومسكن للألم ومطهر ومنشطة للدورة الدموية. وينشط الوظائف المضادة للتسمم, ويسهل إفراز العرق, ويدر البول. ويحتوى على مواد مقوية للعضلات ، تمنع تصلب الشرايين، يعالج التهابات المسالك البولية والمثانة والمغص الكلوي ويخفض الكوليسترول.

أما كفاتح للشهية فيعمل على تنبيه المعدة وطرد الغازات ويساعد على الهضم وامتصاص المواد الغذائية وطرد الفطريات من المعدة والأمعاء فهو يحتوى على مادة الثيمول التي تعمل على قتل الميكروبات وتطرد الطفيليات من المعدة ،ومادة الكارفكرول المسكنة والمطهرة وطاردة للبلغم ومضادة للنزيف والاسهال. بالاضافة الى أنه مضاد للأكسدة ومنبه للذاكرة حيث يؤكد السلف السابق على أهمية تناول الزعتر كسندويش مع زيت الزيتون صباحا وقبل الذهاب إلى المدرسة للاعتقاد بأن الزعتر منبه للذاكرة ويساعد الطالب على سرعة استرجاع المعلومات المختزنة وسهولة الاستيعاب.

وللزعتر فوائد اجتماعية واقتصادية كثيرة  مصدر للدخل وتشيغل الايدي العاملة من الجنسين عدا عن فوائدة البيئة كمنظر جمالي وطارد لبعض الحشرات مثل الناموس والبعوض خاصة في المنازل فيخفف عددها ويحد من استخدام المبيدات الكيماوية الضارة بصحة الانسان وتاثيرها السلبي