Energy Efficiency in Residential Sector in Saudi Arabia

The energy demand in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has increased steadily with an average annual increase close to 5% since 2010[1]. Such rise is driven mainly by the economic prosperity of the region, the rapid industrial development of the Kingdom, and the population growth. However, the per capita energy consumption of KSA is almost three times higher than the world average[2], explained by the presence of energy-intensive industries, harsh climate conditions, and a high energy demanding lifestyle encouraged by historical low energy prices.

saudi-arabia-environment

Link between Economic Growth and Energy Consumption

Although the link between economic growth and energy consumption is universally evident; when the growth in energy consumption is higher that the economic growth of a country, it suggests an inefficient usage of resources. This situation is widely prevalent in all Middle East nations, including Saudi Arabia.

The annual GDP growth of KSA averaged 2% during the past five years[3]. For a country which sources its energy from oil and gas, and those too happen to be the main products for exports, such inefficiency translates in less product available for trading and therefore a reduction on monetary benefits.

Energy Consumption by Building Sector

Electricity is one form of energy, perhaps the easiest form available for the building sector. The Saudi Energy Efficiency Center estimates that more than half of the electricity available in the KSA is used by the residential sector[4] (see also Figure below). About 143,000 GWh of electricity where consumed in 2017 by the residential sector, 70% out of it was used for cooling.

The building sector becomes even more relevant when looking at the role of construction within the Saudi Vision of 2030. The Saudi plan attempts to drive the demand for construction projects in the country in order to move away from oil profits, with housing as the most significant area of expenditure under the plan.

Average electricity consumption per sector in Saudi Arabia

The current scenario of the residential sector in Saudi Arabia is one of very high and continuously increasing energy demand. Inexpensive electricity charges limited the motivation for the users to invest in energy efficient features in new buildings or improvements of old ones.

Moreover, the lack of enforcement of building regulations and the availability of poor energy performing materials is reflected in the inefficient designs (i.e more than 60% of the residential buildings in the KSA are not thermally insulated). It is therefore imperative for the KSA to adopt a strategy to reduce the excessive use of energy in residential buildings.

Significance of Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency is the most cost-effective mean to reduce the energy intensity of an economy. An appropriated implementation of energy efficient practices can save millions to the government and private sector in generation, operation and maintenance cost. Savings in energy translate directly in reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, supports the global efforts towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, and reduces the risk of an economy vulnerable to oil price fluctuations.

Moreover, as the residential electricity consumption is strongly dependent on seasonal and daily temperature profiles; without energy saving measures the country will require additional capital investments to increase the generation capacity to be able to supply the maximum demand at peak times.

Benefits of Energy Efficiency

A study conducted by the KAPSARC[6] has found that energy efficiency programs for the existing residential building stock of the KSA can reduce 27% of the electricity consumption, which translates into 10,000 GWh/year and 7.6 million tons of carbon emissions avoided.

Additional benefits include the saving of up to 28 billion USD in capital expenditure for new power generation capacity, an avoided energy consumption equivalent to 17 USD Billion/year, resources which then will be available for trading. It is expected that the rise in the electricity bills introduced in January 2018[7] will make many energy efficiency and retrofit projects more attractive to investors and users.

References

  1. World Energy Balances 2018. Total final consumption by Source – Saudi Arabia – Available at https://webstore.iea.org/world-energy-balances-2018
  2. The World Bank. 2014. Energy use (kg of oil equivalent per capita)
  3. The World Bank. Annual GDP Growth – Available at: https://data.worldbank.org/country/saudi-arabia
  4. King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center. Energy data portal. Available at https://datasource.kapsarc.org
  5. King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC). 2016. Evaluating Building Energy Efficiency Investment Options for Saudi Arabia
  6. From 5 Halalas for <= 2000 kwh/month to 18 Halalas for <=6000 kwh/month. Sourced from https://goo.gl/fDdduS

 

4 Must-Have Eco-friendly Tools for Every Home and Office

We’re finally gaining awareness and are trying to make conscious decisions when it comes to purchasing and using eco-friendly products. There are plenty of eco-friendly tools that we can find out there, so being cautious about what you invest in is no longer a problem. You can now find many tools that are purely made out of materials that are not unhealthy for the environment. Here are some must-have environmentally-friendly tools for homes and offices:

1. Lawn Trimmer

Maintaining your garden and taking care of it is something to be admired, but if you’re using a lawn trimmer that uses a harmful blend of oil and gas then that’s just defeating the entire purpose of maintaining a garden in the first place.

Why use a harmful lawn trimmer that releases more pollutants into the air when you could be using an eco-friendly lawn trimmer that uses propane fuel? Not only are these green lawn trimmers are environmentally friendly, but they are also much easier to handle!

2. Green Chain Saw

Much like gas-powered lawn trimmer, there are plenty of chain saws that use the same harmful mixture and again release pollutants into the air; however, luckily there are much better alternatives to this.

Rechargeable chainsaws are now available; they are much easier to use than gas-powered chain saws and are not as loud and noisy. There are interchangeable nickel-cadmium batteries and an 18-volt lithium-ion battery chainsaws

Electric chain saws are another green alternative compared to gas-powered chainsaws; you can use them indoors without worrying about fumes. Similar to rechargeable chainsaws, electric chain saws too are easy to use, light in weight, and are not annoyingly loud.

3. Grabber Tools

Grabber tools are one of the most practical tools you can find in anyone’s house; nothing is out of your reach anymore, and you don’t need to move your heavy ladder from a place to another. However, grabber tools too can be harmful to the environment if they are made out of plastic. Which is why most of the best grabber tools are made out of non-harmful and eco-friendly materials.

They are excellent for picking up binders that are way out of reach in your office, or maybe a book that’s a little too far for you.

4. Green Printers

We heavily depend on paper in the academic and the business world; there have been trials in the past where business owners only depended on their e-notes instead of using papers, but that wasn’t really practical.

Eliminating the use of paper altogether is a bit unrealistic and inconvenient since there will there are many incidents where we will find ourselves needing to use paper, which is why there is a line of green printers that are known to be the best eco-friendly printers and have earned the ‘Energy Star’.

A Green Conscience

It is vital in this time of life to be fully aware of our choices as consumers because what we use on a daily basis affects the environment one way or another. There might be plenty of inconvenient sacrifices on the way, but there will also be convenient alternatives that we might reside to since they are healthier.

It is understandable that not all of us can switch to a free waste or a plastic-free life; however, we can switch to healthier alternatives for the time being as baby steps until we reach a free waste and a free plastic life.

النحل والنظام البيئي

كرَّم الله تعالى حشرة النحل في كتابه العزيز حيث خصص سورة فيه عرفت بإسم سورة النحل (16،  مكِّيَّة، 128 آية ) ويقول فيها: “وَأَوْحَى رَبُّكَ إِلَى النَّحْلِ أَنِ اتَّخِذِي مِنَ الْجِبَالِ بُيُوتًا وَمِنَ الشَّجَرِ وَمِمَّا يَعْرِشُونَ (68) ثُمَّ كُلِي مِنْ كُلِّ الثَّمَرَاتِ فَاسْلُكِي سُبُلَ رَبِّكِ ذُلُلا يَخْرُجُ مِنْ بُطُونِهَا شَرَابٌ مُخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَانُهُ فِيهِ شِفَاءٌ لِلنَّاسِ إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لآيَةً لِقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ“(69) .

وعن ابن مسعود رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: “عليكم بالشفاءين العسل والقرآن“.. رواه إبن ماجه في سننه وإبن مردويه والحاكم وصححه والبيهقي في شعب الإيمان .

ويعتبر النحل (مفردها نحلة) من الحشرات المجنًحة من الفصيلة النحلية يتراوح أحجامها بين (2 ملم – 39 ملم) تقريباً،ووظيفتها إنتاج العسل، وشمع النحل، والتلقيح. كما يعرف منها ما يقارب 20.000 نوعاً، وتنتشر في جميع قارات العالم عدا القطب الجنوبي. يتغذى النحل على الرحيق وحبوب الطلع التي يجمعها من الأزهار، والذي يستخدم غذاءاً لليرقات بشكل أساسي. ومن المعروف أن كثيراً من أنواع من النحل تعيش في مجتمعات تعاونية ضخمة تتكون من أفراد يزيد عددها في الخلية الواحدة على الخمسة والثلاثين ألفاً من العاملات وبضع مئات من الذكور ترأسهم جميعها ملكة واحدة في طائفة أو خلية واحدة. ذلك النوع من النحل تنتج أجيالاً متعددة سنوياً وهذا يعني أن النحل الذي ينتج أجيالاً متعددة كل عام يحتاج لموارد غذائية (حبوب اللقاح والرحيق) في معظم موسم النمو لإنتاج.

ونسبة كبيرة من أنواع النحل تعيش بإنعزالية وذات سلوكيات مختلفة. أما نحل العسل فهو من أهم وأشهر أنواع النحل، حيث يستفيد الإنسان من العسل الذي يصنعه بكميات قابلة للإستهلاك والتغذية كما يساهم في تلقيح الأزهار وبذلك يكون من أكثر الحشرات نفعاً، ويعد أفضل أنواع النحل بالنسبة للمربين هو سلالة (Apis mellifera) أو نحل العسل الأوروبي ويتميز بغزارة الإنتاج وأشدهم عداوة هو النحل الجبلي والنحل اليمني، أفضل أنواع العسل في العالم هو السدر الصافي.والإعجاز في النحل يكون في السلوك العجيب له في تتبع مصدر الرحيق كما أن الملكة تعطي الذكور من بويضات غير مخصبة لبيان قدرة الله على خلق ما يشاء وكيف يشاء وتفيد لسعات النحل في شفاء بعض الأمراض أما أهمية النحل فتكمن في قيامها بالعديد من الخدمات منها جمع الرحيق وتحويله إلى عسل، جمع حبوب اللقاح وصناعة خبز النحل منها، زيادة تخصيب النباتات الزهرية حشرية التلقيح، إنتاج غذاء الملكات، إنتاج علك النحل.

تعد خلية النحل نظاماً بيئياً كاملاً، تتكون من ملكة وذكور وعاملات، تتفاعل مع الكائنات غير الحية المحيطة بها بحيث يؤدي ذلك إلى بقاء الخلية.وللنحل دور كبير في عملية تلقيح المحاصيل الزراعية لما له من تأثير كبير ومباشر خاصة في مجال التنوع الحيوي وحماية النباتات البرية  ، مما يساعد في إدارة الموارد للمحافظة على الزراعة المستدامة في ظل التغيرات المناخية الحالية وما يرافقها من إنتشار آفات مختلفة يمكن أن تؤثر على هذا التنوع في النظام البيئي ومنها النحل والتي تؤثر سلباً على القطاع الزراعي سواء المحاصيل المنتجة أو الأشجار الحرجية أو المراعي وقد كان هناك إنخفاض كبير في الملقحات الأصلية ويرجع ذلك جزئياً إلى فقدان النظام البيئي المتوازن، الأنواع المدخلة، واستخدام المبيدات، وإزالة الغابات، والتنمية الحضرية مما يقلل الموارد المتاحة لغذاء النحل.

وبالتالي فإن المحافظة على النحل أمر في غاية الأهمية وأن هناك حاجة إلى توازن بين التنوع البيولوجي للبيئات الطبيعية ونظام الزراعة المستدامة .فيجب العمل من قبل مربي النحل والخبراء والمتخصصين على نشر التجارب والأبحاث وعقد المؤتمرات والندوات لبيان أهمية دور النحل في النظام البيئي وآلية المحافظة عليه وتسليط الضوء على قطاع يعتبر رافد اقتصادي في تحسين مساهمته في الدخل الوطني لتنوع القيمة الاقتصادية له. ويقع على كاهل العاملين في القطاع بيان أهمية النحل في المزارع العضوية والتقليدية وتوفر التنوع البيئي الطبيعي الذي ينعكس إيجاباً على دور النحل خاصة في موسم توفر الغطاء النباتي الأخضر الذي يستمر (3-4) أشهر من كل عام والتي تؤثر في وجود أنواع عديدة من النباتات والحيوانات على قيد الحياة.

ويقدر أن 80% من النباتات المزهرة تعتمد في الغالب على تلقيح الحشرات، وتشير التقديرات إلى أن نصف الملقحات من النباتات الاستوائية هي النحل وأن كفائته ترجع إلى أعداده الكبيرة، واللياقة البدنية، والسلوك ، ويجد طعامه في الزهور ويمكن أن يكون الرحيق أو حبوب اللقاح.أما عسل النحل-البرية والداجنة، فأداؤه نحو 80 % من عمليات التلقيح في جميع أنحاء العالم حيث أن مستعمرة النحل الواحدة يمكن لها تلقيح 300 مليون الزهور كل يوم.

سبعون من أفضل 100 من المحاصيل التي تدخل في غذاء الإنسان وتزود نحو 90 % من العالم بالتغذية يتم تلقيحها بواسطة النحل.علماً ان قطاع النحل يواجه عدداً من المشاكل والمعوقات  من أهمها ما يلي: قلة الخبرة في العمليات الزراعية الخاصة لصغار المنتجين ،انتشار الآفات المختلفة التي تصيب النحل ،استعمال الميكنة الحديثة ،نقص الأيدي العاملة المدربة وارتفاع أجورها إن وجدت،ضعف وقصور الخدمات الإرشادية والوقائية من قبل النحالين  والجهات ذات العلاقة .أما المشكلات  التي تواجه التسويق فتتمثل بعدم توافر المعلومات التسويقية، ارتفاع تكاليف النقل ،غياب دور التسويق التعاوني ،موسمية الإنتاج بينما الاستهلاك على مدار العام مما يؤدي إلى زيادة التكاليف التسويقية (التخزين) ،المنافسة الكبيرة، إرتفاع تكاليف النقل والشحن عند التصدير.

وللمحافظة على النحل والتنوع الحيوي في ظل التغيرات المناخية والثقافات المحوسبة الحالية التي تكمن بانشاء حدائق خاصة تحتوي على مجموعات كبيرة من النباتات المزهرة يدعمها جهات الاختصاص من زراعة وبيئة وهيئات ومنظمات دولية ، تشجيع المواطنين على زراعة الازهار في مساحات مفتوحة خارج المباني في الاراضي الزراعية التي تم اسخدامها لغير ذلك وزراعة أشجار مزهرة لها القدرة على جذب النحل مثل أشجار الزيزفون والكينا والاكاسيا وغيرها من خلال برامج ارشادية توعوية مرئية ومسموعة ومكتوبة للوصول لاكبر شريحة ممكنة من المجتمع واستخدام طلاب المدارس المسابقات واشراكهم في الانشطة الخاصة بالنحل والنحالين وانتاج العسل وغيره وتبني برامج تنافس بينهم وعمل نوادي متخصصة لذلك  ,اما المناهج المدرسية فهي باب اخر للتطوير بالافكار البناءة لرفد القطاع بالثقافة السليمة ،والمشاريع الزراعية لتنفيذ أفكار وممارسات صديقة للبيئة ويجب العمل على تجهيز مختبرات جديدة او تطوير مختبرات متوفرة لغايات الحد من انتشار الامراض الفطرية والبكتيرية والفيروسية واعتمادها للتدريب

كل ما سبق ينعكس ايجابا على  عوائد اقتصادية واجتماعية منها الحد من جيوب الفقر بزيادة وعي المعنيين في زيادة الدخل وإيجاد فرص عمل لتربية النحل وانتاج العسل وباقي المنتجات ،زيادة الدخل الوطني ورفد خزينة الدولة بالعملات الصعبة ،توفير وفتح الأبواب التسويقية المحلية والعالمية ومساعدة المزارع في زيادة دخله ،يتوقع زيادة دخول المعنيين من ذوي الدخل المحدودة  نتيجة تحسين الإنتاجية كماً ونوعاً للمنتج النهائي

Everything You Should Know About E-Waste Recycling Process

E-waste has been on a dramatic rise after the introduction of smartphones, tablets, headphones, virtual reality gear and other consumable electronic devices. With that in mind, e-waste recycling is now more important than ever before.

What is e-waste recycling?

E-waste is the process of recycling electronic products at or near the end of their “useful life.” These electronic products include computers, televisions, VCRs, stereos, copiers, fax machines, smartphones, tables and many more common Android and Apple electronic products. Many of these products can be reused, refurbished, or recycled.

ewaste-mobiles

Moving forward, I believe that e-waste will also be needed for emerging renewable energy technologies including solar panels, battery energy storage, solar monitoring systems and much more.

Why E-Waste is so Important?

E-waste will be a critical component to saving our environment since most of our consumable electronics are comprised of precious metals, materials, chemicals and more. That is why most of our electronics cost so much initially. As these processes for procuring these materials become more efficient, the cost for these items decreases.

But that’s not enough… When the cost decreases it means supply is high and demand remains high. Thus, these consumables are being consumed at a faster rate.

And, to ensure we properly save the environment, basic waste management steps including recycling, reuse and refurbishing becomes much more important.

All consumables now have a shelf-life. For instance, solar panels have a 30 to 40 year lifespan. At the end of a solar panel lifespan, it’s important that we breakdown the precious metals or refurbish the metals to reuse the technology.

How Does E-Waste Recycling Works?

E-waste recycling can be a bit of a challenge due to the components of the discarded electronics. Like I mentioned above, these electronics are highly complex and usually comprise of glass, precious metals, chemicals and more.

The e-waste recycling process usually relies on a number of different processes to ensure safe, reliable recycling of these consumables. The basic steps in e-waste recycling program includes collection, transportation, sorting, shredding, separation and material processing. Let us have a look at each of these steps:

1. Collection and Transportation

Transportation requires a long process. First, you have to find collection bins to collect the required materials. These bins are usually scattered across cities making it very hard to collect in an efficient process. Secondly, you will need to haul the fully collected materials to the facility for the actual recycling process.

2. Sorting

The next step is to ensure that each compiled electronic waste material is sorted into the specific technology. This is an important step because not all electronic waste is created equal. With e-waste, you have materials that have varying components. Do you think a TV has the same recycling process as an iPhone? It doesn’t. How about vintages of technologies? The recycling needs for an iPhone 4 might be a lot different than an iPhone X. Sorting is critical to building an efficient e-waste process.

3. Shredding

Next step is to shred all of the material down into tiny bits so you can prepare for further separation. When you can shred everything down, you can then see how the materials are comprised. You will see the small 100mm pieces of metal or e-waste that you can separate out for the actual recycling process.

4. Separation

Finally, usually a powerful overhead magnet will take the shredded material and separate out the variations of precious metals. Electronics have a lot of metal in different variations like steel, copper, aluminum, circuits, etc. Therefore, the process of separating it out is important to ensure you are creating a product recycling output.

ewaste-UAE

The most advanced momentum regarding e-waste in the GCC can be found in the UAE.

After separation, the recycling facility will begin the process of melting down the material and developing it in a form that allows the material to be used down the road. Getting your electronics in the right hands is very important as the decomposing of these metals simply won’t happen for many years if they are put in a landfill.

Bottom Line

E-waste recycling is extremely important for consumers to be aware of. You should definitely consider the outcomes of your electronics if they are not properly recycled. Take time in considering where the best place to recycle your electronics may be. Contact your local recycling facilities to see if they offer electronics disposals.

Start recycling electronics now. We don’t have much time to spare in developing environmentally friendly habits. Don’t let these precious materials end up in a landfill.

Are you ready to start recycling your e-waste? Let us know in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you.

5 Things You Can Learn From Being An Eco-volunteer

There’s a saying that goes “If you’re good at something, never do it for free.” And yet, in such a materialistic world, you’ll be amazed to find out that the things that make you grow the most are anything but money. They are the experiences you build, the new opportunities you try out, the memories you make, the life you live, the change you make in the world. One of such life-changing experiences is eco-volunteering. Here are 5 awesome things you can learn from being an eco-volunteer:

being an eco volunteer

1. How to Boost Your Skills

Any volunteering job in general can help you get to know yourself better, and hugely boost your personal, interpersonal, and even professional skills. When you sign up for a volunteering program, you’re also signing up for a boost in the following skills:

a. Leadership

Volunteering offers you the opportunity to be put in situations that you have to face, and find a solution for, on your own. It instills in you a sense of responsibility, of ownership, and brings out the leader in you. There are countless of leaders who, before their volunteering experience, had used to say “but I just can’t lead people, I wasn’t born a leader!”. Little did they know, and volunteering helped them see how leadership can be gained when faced with the needed stimulus.

b. Confidence

When you take on various tasks and realize you’re able to carry on projects you never thought you would, and deal with situations you’ve never faced before, you realize that there’s much more to your potential than you thought possible. You walk around with more confidence, and you know that there’s nothing you can’t do if you put your mind into it.

c. Interpersonal Skills

If you’re thinking that you’re an introvert and you don’t do well with people, that is going to change once you volunteer for something you’re passionate about. Volunteering helps you spread your network, and get to know others who share your passion. We’re talking about a lifetime of precious real connections you’re going to make.

d. Gain Professional Experience

Volunteering in a field you want to pursue a further career in is a great way to start that career. You’ll get insight into the work environment and build a good understanding of the work’s nature all before diving right into it.

e. Time and Self Management

Especially if you’re travelling abroad to volunteer, you’ll be miles away from your comfort zone. You’ll start to learn how to take care of yourself, by yourself. You’ll learn how to manage your time better to fit in your volunteering with everything else you’re doing in your life. That is because you believe in the cause, you’ve chosen to do that without any external obligations, and you’ll find a way to do it no matter what.

2. Learn Stories

Everyone has a story… and it isn’t narrowed to humans only. Eco-volunteering takes you into a world beyond humans, you start to realize that everything in nature has their own story. You’ll build a better understanding of the planet we live on, and realize how much we owe it. There’s no bigger experience you can learn from, for there are secrets of nature that will only reveal themselves to those who seek.

earth-day-climate-literacy

Environmental education is the foundation for progress.

3. Help Those Trying To Do Good For The Planet

There are way too many options you can try when you’re seeking an eco-volunteering program. You can sign up for a local river cleanup, work with an environmental advocacy organization, or workout environmentally-friendly solutions for waste management and underground drainage. You can also volunteer to help out in an urban farm, helping out the farm owners at the same time.

4. Paying It Forward

Volunteering isn’t limited to those who want to learn something new, it’s also a great way for those who want to pay forward their knowledge and expertise to those seeking it. You can volunteer to become a trekking guide, or teach others more about the secrets of the environment and how to preserve it better. Empowering others with the knowledge and expertise you’ve built throughout the years is one of the noblest things you can do.

5. How to Make a Difference

What is your legacy? Many people are afraid to leave this world, scared of leaving nothing good enough behind to be remembered by. Some seek fame, others seek success and money. The wiser ones though, they search for ways to leave this world a better place. What other way to do that, than to literally leave the planet a better place?

Life-Changing Experience of Eco-Volunteering

One of the amazing traits that almost all volunteers have is their passion. Their passion to learn something new, their passion to grow, their passion to make a difference, and their passion to take on the whole world.

Whether you want to learn a new skill, give back to your community, arrange a sustainable beach picnic or learn more about the planet you’re living on and how to preserve it, you’ll find it all and more on your eco-volunteering experience. It’s a life-changing experience that will just have you coming back for more!

Asbestos Waste Management in the MENA Countries

Each year countries from the Middle East and North Africa import large amount of asbestos for use in the construction industry. As per the last known statistics, the Middle East and Africa accounted for 20% of world demand for the material. Iran and the United Arab Emirates are among the biggest consumers of the material. Infact, the entire Middle East has been steadily increasing their asbestos imports, except for Egypt and Saudi Arabia, which are the only two countries that have placed bans on asbestos but with questionable effectiveness. Iran alone has been reported to order 30,000 tons of asbestos each year.

asbestos waste management

Fallouts from Wars and Revolutions

Asbestos is at its most dangerous when exposed to people who are not protected with masks and other clothing. In times past, such considerations were not thought about. At the moment, most people think of asbestos exposure as part of the construction industry. This means demolition, refurbishment and construction are the prime times that people can be exposed to the fibres.

In the Middle East and North Africa, however, turbulent times have increased the danger of exposure for people across the region. Since 2003, there has been the Iraq War, revolutions in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia, plus the civil war in Syria. Not to mention a raft of conflicts in Lebanon, Palestine and Israel. The upshot of this is that a building hit by an explosive, which contains asbestos, is likely to put the material in the local atmosphere, further endangering the lives of nearby.

Asbestos Waste Management

In many countries around the world companies, institutions and organizations have a legal responsibility to manage their waste. They are banned from using substances that are deemed hazardous to the general public. This includes a blanket ban on the use of asbestos. Where discovered it must be removed and dealt with by trained individuals wearing protective clothing. In the Middle East and North Africa, it is vitally important for there to be the development of anti-asbestos policies at government and business levels to further protect the citizens of those countries.

Not a single Middle East country has ratified International Labour Organization Law Number 162, which was instituted at the 1986 Asbestos Convention. The ILO No. 162 outlines health and safety procedures related to asbestos, including regulations for employers put forth in an effort to protect the safety of all workers. Asbestos waste management in the MENA region needs to take in several distinct action phases. Education and legislation are the first two important steps followed by actual waste management of asbestos.

Largely speaking, the MENA region has little or no framework systems in place to deal with this kind of problem. Each year more than 100,000 people die worldwide due to asbestos-related diseases and keeping in view the continuous use of asbestos use in the region, it is necessary to devise a strong strategy for phasing out of asbestos from the construction industry.

The Way Forward

Many may argue that there is still a philosophical hurdle to overcome. This is why education must go in tandem with legislation. Although asbestos is banned officially in many Middle East nations, very few countries have adopted legislation to deal with asbestos and there is evidence of its continued use in several MENA countries.

asbestos use in construction industry

Whether as part of official pronouncements or in the papers, on the TVs or in schools, it is vitally important that bans are backed up with information so the general public understand why asbestos should not only be banned, but removed. It is important that other countries consider banning the material and promoting awareness of it too.

Governments have the resources to open up pathways for local or international companies to begin an asbestos removal programme. In many places education will be required to help companies become prepared for these acts. Industrial asbestos removal begins with a management survey to identify what asbestos materials are in a building and where. This is followed up by a refurbishment and pre-demolition survey to best see how to remove the asbestos and replace it with better materials. These come in tandem with risk assessments and fully detailed plans.

Asbestos management cannot be completed without such a survey. This may prove to be the most difficult part of implementing widespread asbestos waste management in the MENA countries. Doing so will be expensive and time consuming, but the alternative is unthinkable – to rip out the asbestos without taking human safety into account. First, therefore, the infrastructure and training needs to be put into place to begin the long work of removing asbestos from the MENA region.

Reusing Textbooks Can Repurpose Knowledge for Needy Students

For every academic term or semester, thousands of new textbooks are being printed, bought and used. On the other hand, almost the same number of textbooks and course material are being discarded after its use and find its way to the garbage bins ultimately landing at the landfill site where they are being buried, compacted and disposed occupying precious land area. Usually these textbooks are not being reused or recycled generating huge quantities of paper waste.

In many of the private schools, the textbooks have to be bought in every term due to change in edition or minor revisions putting an extra burden on parents to buy the new books that cannot be used for their other children in coming years. Due to rise in standard of living, it is not a common sight that the textbooks are being donated, exchanged, re-used or utilized by other family members. Such practices are yielding more generation of paper waste.

textbooks recycling

A Novel Initiative in Bahrain

The recent initiative taken by Bahrain’s Ministry of Education is laudable whereby the textbooks have to be returned by the students after completion of the academic year and will be reused for the incoming students. Reuse of textbooks will conserve resources, finances and will generate less paper waste besides educating the children to reuse and recycle and taking care of the environment.

Some private initiatives have also being launched to support needy students by providing free textbooks to them to be collected from students and parents. It is expected that around 1,000 of these book sets will be distributed to students, while those deemed unusable will be recycled as part of a dual program being operated by the organization in Bahrain.

In addition to books, poor students will also get free stationery including notebooks, pens, pencils, erasers, rulers and sharpeners. There is a greater need that text books are shared and re-utilized while establishing a culture of environmental responsibility. Though such practices are being done at individual level, it needs to be done at community and at school level.

Textbook collection boxes are to be kept and maintained at school level by the school authorities or by the parent-teachers association or any NGO. In addition, students should be made responsible towards protecting the environmental resources.

The Way Forward

In almost all developed countries, there are book banks and libraries from where the textbooks can be purchased both used and unused one and can be returned or resold after use. Many online shops are available which deliver the books at nominal cost. In addition, many charity, community and non-governmental organizations set up textbooks bins, booths and boxes for such purpose of books collection and re-utilization. In line with the Government initiative, all private schools and vocational institutions should also initiate the textbook re-utilization and recycling programs.

textbooks-reuse

Reuse of textbooks will not only help in environmental conservation but also help in education of children in less-privileged countries.

The local charities and area committees can also include textbook collection/ donation program within their scope, which then needs to be publicized by the local media enabling students and their parents to generously donate these books for further re-use within the country or can be exported out to other poor neighboring countries where cost of books prohibit the children to go to school. Such habits and awareness of conserving environmental resources will go a long way in inculcating environmental related habits in our younger generation who will take charge of this planet in near future.

An Environmental Message

We need to understand that it takes around three tons of trees to make one ton of paper which also utilize huge quantity of water per ton than any other product in the world. Paper making also produces high levels of air and water pollution which can be avoided. Each ton of recycled paper can save 17 trees and 7,000 gallons of water. It takes one tree to make 25 books.

By recycling our books, we are giving that tree a new purpose and reducing deforestation. It is suggested that schools should hold semi-annual book sales to clear out old inventory. Special bins/ containers for these books are to be made and appropriately placed in schools. We need to clear our shelves, and get unused books back into circulation.

We need to understand that recycling is a responsibility of today for a better tomorrow.

Desertification in MENA – Causes and Solutions

Desertification is a worldwide phenomenon afflicting countries all over the world. The desert is making a comeback in the Middle East, with fertile lands turning into barren wastes. According to United Nation’s Development Program’s 2009 Arab Human Development Report, desertification is threatening around one-fifth of the MENA region. China is experiencing desertification at an alarming rate – as much as 1,300 square miles each year. Sub-Saharan Africa is drying up, as are regions of Turkey that were once rich agricultural lands.

desertification in mena

During the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, the world’s leaders adopted the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and agreed on the desertification definition as “Land degradation in arid, semi-arid and sub-humid areas resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities”. This definition is now widely regarded to be most authoritative definition of desertification.

Dry areas are home to 2.5 billion people, cover more than 40% of the world’s land surface and have to sustain on less than 8% of the world’s renewable water resources. These areas are further challenged by extreme temperatures, frequent drought, land degradation and desertification. When fragile land in arid regions is overexploited by the demands of an expanding population, it loses its productive capacity. Every year 12 million hectares of land are lost to desertification, and the rate is increasing at an alarming pace.

Desertification in MENA

Most of the territories of the MENA region fall within the boundaries of arid lands. Infact, degradation of drylands, affects some 70 percent of land in the Arab region, according to the Arab Centre for the Study of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD). Around 48.6 per cent of the land area in the Mashreq, 28.6 per cent in the Nile Valley and the Horn of Africa, 16.5 per cent in North Africa and 9 per cent in the Arabian Peninsula is endangered on account of desertification. Among MENA countries, the countries facing the greatest dangers are Libya, Egypt and Jordan. In the Arabian Peninsula, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE are the most affected countries.

Environmental stress associated with desertification is a dynamic process with various levels of intensity. The major input factors that act as key drivers for regional environmental change include recurrent drought, land degradation, natural resources depletion, variable population growth, increased temperature, decline in precipitation, scarcity of water for potable consumption and irrigation, progressive soil erosions and salinization etc.

The important repercussions of desertification for the MENA region are poverty, food insecurity, forced displacement, migration and disruption of social and political institutions. Continuing land degradation has severe environmental, economic and social implications that could negatively affect the socio-economic and political stability of the region.

Regional Initiatives

Most of the MENA countries have ratified UNCCD convention, and are revising earlier plans or preparing new national strategies, action plans, and integrated financing strategies to combat desertification. The action plans involve long-term integrated strategies for improved productivity of land coupled with rehabilitation, conservation and sustainable management of land and water resources, at national as well as community level.

ways to combat desertification

Moreover, the Arab countries have established science institutions, such as Arab Centre for the Study of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ASCAD) and International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), which are capable of addressing conservation and development of natural resources in arid lands. The Council of Arab Ministers of Environment has prioritized the issues of drylands with the establishment of a workforce of experts to set frameworks of regional programs of collaborative actions.

The Way Forward

The actual efforts and resources devoted to combating desertification are less than that required to the tackle the growing problem. Mobilization of national and regional inputs is an urgent need of the hour. Active participation of all stakeholders, implementation of modern techniques and more research initiatives are required to mitigate land degradation.

Organized and concerted efforts are required at global, regional and national levels to help populations most affected by desertification. Raising awareness among both local communities and decision-makers is crucial in the fight against desertification. While UNCCD is an agreement between developed and developing countries to ensure global action to combat desertification, it also includes specific national commitments for concrete action.

Most actions dealing with desertification, particularly in the MENA region, are monitoring exercises concerned with evaluating the damage and/ loss attributable to desertification. Despite the fact that most MENA countries have appropriate technologies to combat desertification, there is stark neglect in use of such technologies due to lack of awareness and mismanagement of natural resources, water in particular.

Jatropha-Plantation-Deseart

Jatropha Plantation in Thar Desert (India)

There have been great efforts by regional governments and international organizations to tackle the menace of desertification; however the situation is worsening with each passing year. Combating desertification is an integral part of sustainable development in the MENA region, which can be achieved by ensuring participation of civil society, implementation of modern water management techniques and use of traditional knowledge.

Additionally, decision makers, governments, researchers, and stakeholder should focus on synergies between the three Rio conventions (Climate Change, Biodiversity and UNCCD), and integration on sector levels e.g., water, energy and food security, and explore relationship between development sectors and natural resources. Government agencies, along with non-governmental bodies, can play a pivotal role in developing national and regional programs and implementing field projects.

CO2-Caused Ocean Acidification – Causes and Consequences

“The CO2 problem” has traditionally been understood as the fact that excessive CO2 produces global warming. But near the end of the 20th century, scientists started talking about a second CO2 problem, “ocean acidification”. Ocean acidification results from the fact that about 30 percent of our CO2 emissions have been absorbed by the ocean. This absorption keeps down the warming of the atmosphere that would otherwise be produced by these emissions. Ocean acidification involves the ocean’s pH, changes in which make the water become either more alkaline or more acidic.

Tests have shown that “for more than 600,000 years the ocean had a pH of approximately 8.2.” But since the industrial revolution, the ocean’s pH has dropped by 0.1 unit. That may not sound like much, “but pH is a logarithmic scale, so the decline in fact represents a whopping 30 percent increase in acidity.” Moreover, the IPCC has said that if business as usual continues, the pH may drop down to 7.8, which “would correspond to a 150 percent increase in acidity since pre-industrial times.”

CO2 induced ocean acidification

Why is acidification destructive?

When carbon dioxide is combined with water, it produces carbonic acid – which is the ingredient that, besides giving soft drinks their fizz, also eats out limestone caves. Its relevance here is that it does this to animals with chalky skeletons – that is, ones that calcify – “which make up more than a third of the planet’s marine life.” Elevating the percentage of carbonic acid will make it increasingly difficult for calcifying organisms to make their skeletons – organisms such as plankton, corals, sea butterflies, molluscs, crabs, clams, mussels, oysters, and snails.

Most of us are, of course, especially interested in the ones we like to eat. More important for the cycle of life, however, are two tiny organisms, corals and plankton, which are at the base of the marine food web.

Phytoplankton

There are two basic types of plankton: phytoplankton, which are microscopic plants, and zooplankton, which are microscopic animals. The most basic type is phytoplankton, because they are capable of photosynthesis and are thereby the food for zooplankton (which in turn provide food for bigger animals). Besides providing about half of the biosphere’s oxygen, phytoplankton also account for about half of the total organic matter on Earth, so they provide “the basic currency for everything going on in the ocean.” We do not, of course, feast directly on phytoplankton, but they “ultimately support all of our fishes.”

Therefore, a reduction in the ocean’s phytoplankton is extremely serious: A major study in 2010 has already indicated that there has been an astounding reduction: 40 percent since the 1950s. “A 40 percent decline,” said Worm (one of the study’s coauthors), “would represent a massive change to the global biosphere.” Indeed, he said, he could not think of a biological change that would be bigger. Referring to this 2010 study, Joe Romm said: “Scientists may have found the most devastating impact yet of human-caused global warming.” Explaining the importance of the study, its lead author, Daniel Boyce, said that “a decline of phytoplankton affects everything up the food chain.”

acidification of water bodies

In 2013, additional studies suggested that phytoplankton are very sensitive to warmer water. In one study, scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported on the normal spring surge of phytoplankton, which provides food for various types of fish when they are producing offspring. In the spring of 2013, the North Atlantic’s water temperatures were “among the warmest on record” and the springtime plankton blooms of northern New England were well below normal, “leading to the lowest levels ever seen for the tiny organisms.”

Corals

Corals form coral reefs, which have been called the “rainforests of the sea,” because they play host to much of the oceans’ life. Already threatened by bleaching, which is caused by global warming, they are now further threatened by global warming’s evil twin. Corals form their skeletons by means of calcium carbonate in the sea water. As the water becomes more acidic, it is harder for the corals to calcify. In the past 30 years, calcification rates of corals on the Great Barrier Reef have declined by 40 percent. “There’s not much debate,” said Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg of the University of Queensland, “about how [the decline] happens: put more CO2 into the air above and it dissolves into the oceans.“

This decline has not only occurred off Australia. A 2013 study of coral reefs in the Caribbean found that many of them “have either stopped growing or are on the threshold of starting to erode,” due to difficulty in accumulating sufficient calcium carbonate. The amount of new carbonate being added to the reefs was found to be far below historical rates, in some cases 70 percent lower.

And yet the accumulation of carbonate is necessary for the reef to grow vertically, which is essential, given the rising sea level; coral reefs need to be close enough to the surface for sunlight to reach them. The leader of the study said: “Our estimates of current rates of reef growth in the Caribbean are extremely alarming.”

A World without Seafood

Acidification, which threatens both phytoplankton and corals, has speeded up. Professor Timothy Wootten of the University of Chicago reported in 2008 that the pH level was “going down 10 to 20 times faster than the previous models predicted.” The more it goes down, the more difficult it will be for organisms such as corals and phytoplankton to calcify. CO2 in the atmosphere is now at about 400 parts per million. If it reaches roughly 500 ppm, according to Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, “you put calcification out of business in the oceans.”

If and when this occurs, phytoplankton and corals will die, and their death will mean that crabs, clams, oysters, and scallops will disappear. And they are already disappearing, faster every year. In the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia, the waters have become so acidic that the once-thriving shellfish industry there is on life support.” In 2014, scallop growers in a location near Vancouver, B.C., reported that 10 million scallops over the past two years had died, with the mortality rate hitting between 95 to 100 percent.

The disappearance of the phytoplankton will also lead to the death of sardines, which are just above them in the food chain. And “the sardine population from California to Canada is vanishing,” resulting in starving sea lion and seal pups, and brown pelicans are showing signs of starvation, not raising any chicks in the past four years. Eventually, the disappearance of phytoplankton and corals will mean that all fish will go, as emphasized by a film subtitled Imagine a World without Fish. “Continued rise in the acidity of the oceans,” the script forewarns, “will cause most of the world’s fisheries to experience a total bottom-up collapse.”

what is ocean acidification

A world without fish and other kinds of seafood is hard to imagine. It would be even harder for the planet’s people to live without seafood: Besides being the world’s largest source of protein, with over 2.6 billion people depending on it as their primary source of protein, the ocean also serves as the primary source of food for 3.5 billion people.

How would we survive if three and a half-billion people can no longer rely upon what has always been their primary source of food? “Global warming is incredibly serious,” said Hoegh-Guldberg, “but ocean acidification could be even more so.”

Conclusion

Nevertheless, although the world’s governments have been warned about acidification for many years, already in 2010 the oceans were “acidifying 10 times faster today than 55 million years ago when a mass extinction of marine species occurred.” CO2-caused climate changes have already made the planet’s food shortage worse. Over the next three decades, climate changes will make it still worse. These shortages will be further exacerbated by the reduction of seafood because of CO2-caused ocean acidification.

Note: This excerpt has been published from Prof. David Griffin’s book Unprecedented: Can Civilization Survive the CO2 Crisis which is available at this link.

The Benefits of Green Buildings for the Middle East

The Middle East region faces a unique set of challenges in terms of sustainable buildings and cities. For example, water shortage is mitigated by costly desalination and we are faced with high water consumption which leads to a higher carbon footprint and ultimately impacts climate change.

Middle Eastern countries are at the top of the list of largest per capita ecological footprints. In 2020, Qatar has the highest per capita level of carbon dioxide emissions, at 37 metric tons per person annually. Kuwait is second with 20.83 tons, followed by Saudi Arabia with 17.97 metric tons. Therefore, integrating energy efficiency is a critical need.

green buildings in middle east

Benefits of Green Buildings for the Middle East

The benefits of green buildings for the Middle East are not only environmental, but also economic and social. Long-term operating costs are lowered via reduced energy consumption, reduced emissions, improved water conservation and management, temperature moderation, and reduced waste. Avoiding scarce natural resources, like water, opting instead to recycle, can cut down building costs by an estimated 10 percent.

With a third of the world’s energy being utilised in construction and building operation, the concept of green buildings is becoming more and more popular worldwide. An interesting development is to build using sustainable steel which can substantially lower the carbon footprint of buildings. General construction work uses excessive amounts of energy, water and raw materials and tends to generate large amounts of waste and potentially harmful atmospheric emissions. As a result, companies are facing demands to build environmentally friendly and eco-efficient buildings, while minimising their actual impact on the environment.

Green buildings do not require complex processes and costly mechanisms. Affordable green technologies include tankers to store and harvest rainwater to cut water consumption, intelligent lighting systems to cut electricity use, natural ventilation and a ground source heat pump that reduces heating and cooling costs. Energy efficiency is another cornerstone of green building. Careful window selection, building envelope air sealing, duct sealing, proper placement of air and vapour barriers, use of clean energy-powered heating/cooling systems all contribute towards an energy efficient building.

Use of renewable energy, such as solar, wind or biomass energy, to meet energy requirements can significantly reduce carbon footprints of such buildings. Other green trends that are currently being advocated include carbon neutral communities, public transport and no-car cities, self-sustaining urban planning, on-site water treatment plants, and cultural sensitivity incorporating traditional design elements.

islamic-architechture

Green Building Trends in the Middle East

The Middle East region has made great progress in the field of green buildings in recent years. Sustainable building design is gaining popularity in the Middle East with designers and construction firms finding the most eco-friendly ways to get buildings made.

Sustainability is now a top priority in the region and countries like Qatar, UAE and Lebanon have come up with their own green building rating system to incorporate socio-economic, environmental and cultural aspects in modern architecture. Qatar’s Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) is one of the world’s most comprehensive green building rating system while Abu Dhabi’s Pearl Rating System (PRS) has carved a niche of its own in global green buildings sector.

United Arab Emirates and Qatar are spearheading the sustainability trend in the region, having the highest share of green buildings in the Middle East and North Africa. There are more than 2,000 green buildings in MENA that have a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) accreditation. Of these buildings, 65 per cent (802) are located in the UAE while Qatar is ranked second on the list.

Siemens-Masdar

The number of LEED-registered buildings has increased rapidly across the region, especially in GCC, in the past few years. Some of the notable examples of green buildings in the Middle East are Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, KAUST in Saudi Arabia and Msheireb Downtown Doha in Qatar. Masdar City promises to be a model for green cities all over the world. The King Abdullah University of Science in Saudi Arabia employs many forward-reaching green features while Msheireb Downtown Doha promises to be the world’s largest sustainable community with 100 buildings using an average of a third less energy.

Bottom Line

If Middle Eastern industries embrace ‘green building’ technologies instead of conventional ones, they could significantly help in tackling environment problems in addition to long-term financial returns. Green building systems can serve as catalysts for smartly shaping urbanization, ensuring energy security, combating climate change, and opening new diplomatic and economic opportunities across all the Middle Eastern countries.

الديمقراطية في المشروع الدولي البيئي

الديمقراطية القيمة والثقافة الإنسانية التي على الرغم من تنازع الرؤى والمفاهيم حول جوهر مضامينها وتوصيفاتها وضرورة وجودها ومدى شمول توافق أنماطها مع تقاليد وقيم المجتمعات الإنسانية على اختلاف ثقافاتها وانتماءاتها العرقية والدينية، وخصوصية أنظمتها الاقتصادية والاجتماعية والسياسية، تبقى المطلب الإنساني الذي صار يؤكد ضرورة وجوده في مواجهة الأزمات والكوارث الإنسانية وزحمة التراجعات في المفاهيم القيمية للعلاقات، وما يسببه ذلك من شرعنة ثقافة الجريمة وإحاطتها بحزام من التقاليد لثقافة التخلف، والتوجه بشكل متسارع لجعل ثقافة الغاب الوسيلة التي تحكم المجتمع البشري.

environment-democracy

تلك الحقيقة نتبينها في الانزلاق المتسارع نحو ثقافة الجريمة المبنية على قشور تاريخ ومبادئ ثقافات وهمية تشبه فقاعة الصابون، لكنها أحدثت جروحاً بائنة المعالم ومؤلمة في مسير التطور الحضاري للشعوب والأمم، وتسببت في تصدع بنية وحدة التنوع الثقافي للمجتمعات. ويشكل ذلك الواقع مقدمات ساهمت في تأسيس قناعات المجتمع الدولي بضرورة تفعيل العمل الدولي المؤسس والموجّه للحرب على ظاهرة جريمة العصر المتواترة مخاطرها على الأمن الإنساني، للتمكّن من بناء المبادئ والقيم التي تعضد مقومات الحق الإنساني بمختلف تجلياته، والتي تؤسّس لبناء منظومة القيم العالمية للديمقراطية كمطلب حضاري للتنمية وتحقيق أهداف الألفية التي تبناها المجتمع الدولي.

القرارات الدولية على اختلاف توجهاتها ومحاورها ومعالجاتها للقضايا الإنسانية، أسّست لنشوء حركة تنويرية ممنهجة الرسائل والوسائل والاتجاهات والأهداف، وساهمت في تحفيز حراك المجتمع الدولي لبناء منظومة المبادئ التي يمكن أن تؤسس لفلسفة الحكمة في إدارة المجتمعات، وتشكل المقوّم الرئيس في مبادرة الجماعة الدولية في إصدار القرار رقم (A/62/7-2007) القاضي باعتماد الخامس عشر من سبتمبر يوماً عالمياً للديمقراطية.

الكاتب البحريني حسن مدن ضمن مداخلته في الندوة التي جرى تنظيمها احتفالاً باليوم العالمي للديمقراطية في «جمعية المنبر الديمقراطي التقدمي»، أشار إلى أن «الديمقراطية قيمة إنسانية مطلقة لا يمكن تجزئتها»، ويمكن القول أن ثوابت الديمقراطية تتجلى في قيمة مبادئ الحق الإنساني بمختلف تجلياتها، ويتجسد جوهرها في مبادئ إعلان الأمم المتحدة بشأن الألفية، وكذلك في المواثيق الدولية في الشأن البيئي، وذلك ما يمكن تبينه في إعلان مؤتمر الأمم المتحدة للبيئة البشرية العام 1972، الذي أكّد في المبدأ (1) على أن «للإنسان حق أساسي في الحرية والمساواة وفي ظروف عيش مناسبة في بيئة تسمح نوعيتها بالحياة في ظل الكرامة وبتحقيق الرفاه، وهو يتحمل مسئولية رسمية تتمثل في حماية البيئة والنهوض بها من أجل الجيل الحاضر والأجيال المقبلة».

media and sustainable development

الحق في توفر المعلومة والتعويض عن الأضرار البيئية مقوّم مهم في منظومة الحقوق البيئية والثقافة الديمقراطية، لذلك حرص المشرّع الدولي على النص عليها في المبدأ (10) من مبادئ وثيقة إعلان «ريو بشأن البيئة والتنمية» (1992) الذي أكّد على أنه «تعالج قضايا البيئة على أفضل وجه بمشاركة جميع المواطنين المعنيين، على المستوى المناسب، وتوفر لكل فرد فرصة مناسبة على الصعيد الوطني للوصول إلى ما في حوزة السلطات العامة من معلومات متعلقة بالبيئة، بما في ذلك المعلومات المتعلقة بالمواد والأنشطة الخطرة في المجتمع، كما تتاح لكل فرد فرصة المشاركة في عمليات صنع القرار. وتقوم الدول بتسيير وتشجيع توعية الجمهور ومشاركته عن طريق إتاحة المعلومات على نطاق واسع. وتكفل فرصة الوصول بفعالية إلى الإجراءات القضائية والإدارية، بما في ذلك التعويض وسبل الإنصاف». ويتوافق مع ذلك ما يجري النص عليه في المبدأ (43) في وثيقة مؤتمر الأمم المتحدة للتنمية المستدامة (ريو+20)، حيث يشير إلى أن المجتمع الدولي يؤكد على أن «المشاركة العامة الواسعة وتوفير فرص الوصول إلى المعلومات والإجراءات القضائية والإدارية أمران أساسيان في تعزيز التنمية المستدامة».

المجتمع الدولي أخذاً في الاعتبار الديمقراطية كمبدأ إنساني، آثر النص عليها بشكل صريح في إعلانات المواثيق الدولية حول الشأن البيئي، للتأكيد على أهمية هذا المبدأ في استراتيجية المشروع الدولي البيئي، وذلك ما يمكن تثبت واقعه في وثيقة مؤتمر القمة العالمي للتنمية المستدامة (جوهانسبرغ 2002)، حيث يجري التأكيد في المبدأ (61) على أن المجتمع الدولي «يسلم بأن الديمقراطية، وسيادة القانون، واحترام حقوق الإنسان وحرياته، وتحقيق السلم والأمن، هي جميعها أمور أساسية لتحقيق التنمية المستدامة بصورة كاملة. وهذه الأهداف، مجتمعةً، هي أهداف مترابطة على نحو لا ينفصم كما أنها تعزّز بعضها بعضاً».

كما يجري التأكيد على ضرورتها في وثيقة «ريو+20» لتجسيد الحق الإنساني للمجتمعات في توفر مقومات الحياة الكريمة وبناء مجتمع العدالة الرشيدة، حيث يجري التأكيد في المبدأ (10) على أن المجتمع الدولي يدرك بأن «الديمقراطية والحكم الرشيد وسيادة القانون، على الصعيدين الوطني والدولي، فضلاً عن إيجاد البيئة المواتية، هي أمور أساسية للتنمية المستدامة، بما في ذلك النمو الاقتصادي المطرد والشامل، والتنمية الاجتماعية وحماية البيئة والقضاء على الفقر والجوع». وتشير في المبدأ ذاته إلى أن الدول تجدّد تأكيد التزامها ببلوغ أهدافها الإنمائية المستدامة، وتؤكّد الحاجة إلى إقامة مؤسسات فعالة وشفافة ومسئولة وديمقراطية على جميع الأصعدة.

How to Claim Car Insurance Post an Accident

When you hold a comprehensive car insurance policy, you may make a claim after you have had an accident. How to claim car insurance is not a puzzle, but does involve some groundwork on your part.

How to Get Insurance Benefits

You can undergo a car insurance claim process if your car insurance plan covers costs that result due to your car being involved in an accident. If you want to get the benefits that a car insurance policy offers you, you must make a claim with your insurer immediately following the accident.

Car Insurance Claim Process

If the insurance company discovers that your claim is authentic, they will process the claim, paying for any damages to your car and to you. Making a claim involves a standard procedure, no matter which insurer you hold an insurance plan with.

Also Read: International Road Safety Report

The Car Insurance Claim Process

There are specific steps you need to follow to make a claim with your insurance company after an accident has taken place. The general steps in the insurance claim process are detailed below:

  1. Inform your insurance company immediately after the car accident has occurred. You can do this via the insurer’s website or customer service number.
  2. At the nearest police station, you must file an FIR.
  3. Make sure that you note down the details of the car, the driver, and the names of witnesses contained in the FIR.
  4. You can then file an insurance claim with your car insurance company.
  5. The car insurance company will send a surveyor to assess the damage.
  6. Get your car repaired.
  7. Along with the documents required, including the FIR, you may file the claim online.
  8. After a brief verification process, your claim will be processed.

How to claim car insurance does not involve any complicated processes. However, if you have opted for a cashless claim process, your car insurance company will settle claims directly with the garage or repair shop where you have got your car fixed. For a reimbursement claim process, you will have to submit original bills and receipts to get costs reimbursed by your insurance company.

Documentation Required for a Claim Process

During the car insurance claim process, your insurance company requires that you submit specific documentation when you make your claim. Apart from filling up a particular claim form, the following documents must be provided to your insurer:

  • Your car insurance policy
  • In case a third party is the cause of damage to your car or you, you need to file a First Information Report or FIR at the closest police station, and submit this document with your claim.
  • Your claim form, duly filled and signed.
  • Your car details, including registration certificate
  • A copy of your driving license
  • A detailed estimation of your repair work, or bills and receipts
  • In case of any physical injuries, you need to present medical documents and bills
  • All original documents in case of any other expenses

Car Insurance Claims Made Easy

If you love driving and want to purchase a car, you must have the best coverage to protect your vehicle. The car insurance claim process is made easier, and you can file a claim conveniently online. Insurance companies have your back when it comes to car insurance.