Category Archives: Climate Change

القضايا البيئية الكبرى في منطقة شمال أفريقيا

By | | , ,
Leave a comment

هي منطقة جغرافية تقع في أقصى الجزء الشمالي من قارة إفريقيا، و تمتد من مصر شرقا إلى المغرب غربا، إنها شمال أفريقيا. تضم المنطقة مجموعة من الدول وهي السودان، مصر، ليبيا، تونس، الجزائر، والمغرب. تقدر المساحة الإجمالية لمجموع هذه البلدان ب ٧١٩١٥١٢ كم مربع، كما يقدر عدد سكانها بما يناهز ٢٢١٧٦٣٠٢٦ مليون نسمة. يحيط بمنطقة شمال أفريقيا العديد من المسطحات المائية، حيث يحدها شرقا البحر الأحمر وشمالا البحر الأبيض المتوسط، أما غربا فنجد  المحيط الأطلسي والذي يعد ثاني محيطات العالم مساحة بعد المحيط الهادي حيث يغطي حوالي ٢٠%  من مساحة الكرة الأرضية وتقريبا  ٢٦% مساحة المياه الكلية للأرض. يسود هذه … Continue reading →

Qatar’s Fight Against Climate Change

By | | , ,
3 Comments

Qatar’s environmental records have always been in news, of course for the negative ones, but it has always strived to work towards reduction of GHGs emissions. Qatar is already doing plenty to help poor countries with financing and it seems unfair to focus on per capita emissions for a country with estimated population of 2.6 million making it the 143th most populous country on earth. (For climate talks, that is heresy). This may sound harsh, especially since Qatar’s contribution to global warming is tiny compared with the United States, China or India. In recent years, Qatar is making itself a … Continue reading →

Earth Day 2014 – Focus on Green Cities

By | | , ,
1 Comment

Earth Day, celebrated annually on April 22, marks the birth of modern environmental movement. Earth Day has now grown into a global tradition making it the largest civic observance in the world and is one of the widely celebrated events in which over one billion people from over 190 countries participate by taking suitable actions for saving our mother Earth. The Earth Day was first organised in 1970 to promote respect for life on the planet and to encourage awareness on air, water and soil pollution. Each year a different theme or topic is selected. Earth Day 2014 Earth Day 2014 … Continue reading →

4 Things Every Muslim Should Do For The Planet

By | | , ,
2 Comments

When it comes to our responsibilities as Muslims in protecting the planet, there are no blurred lines. As citizens of this planet, it is our obligation to do our part, both as individuals and as a community. This means, that we look environmental sustainability in the eye – that we begin to introspect our lifestyles, and make choices that are compatible with the well being of our home and the teachings of our faith. If you’re new to this conversation, then here’s my invitation for you: continue reading. Here are some of my top tips to help every Muslim embark … Continue reading →

اتفاق باريس وأهمية الحوكمة في التصدي بفاعلية لتغيرالمناخ

By | | , , ,
2 Comments

افتتحت قبل أيام مراسم التوقيع على اتفاق باريس بشأن تغير المناخ والذي تم الاجماع عليه العام الماضي في باريس من قبل 195 دولة ضمن مؤتمر الاطراف الواحد والعشرون وسيبقى باب التوقيع مفتوحا لغاية نيسان 2017.بينما يرى الكثيرون أن الاتفاق يعتبر تاريخياً من حيث إجماع كل من الدول الصناعية والدول النامية لأول مرة على سياسة إطارية موحدة بشأن تغير المناخ، ينذر البعض الآخر أن نجاح الاتفاق مقترن بخطط التنفيذ وآليات المراجعة الخاصة به. وعلى كل الاحوال فإن الاتفاق والعملية التي صاحبت تحضيره يعتبر انموذجا يحتذى به في الحوكمة الدولية وفي حشد التأييد على مستوى السياسات. والقضية المهمة حالياً متعلقة بمدى قدرة … Continue reading →

Knowledge and Youth-Led Climate Action in the Arab Region: A Regional Survey

By | | , ,
Leave a comment

UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science in the Arab Region – Cairo Office is leading the development of a regional report entitled Knowledge and Youth-Led Climate Action in the Arab Region. This report will analyze the knowledge dimension of youth-led climate action in the Arab region including the sources youth rely on, the knowledge they generate, and the avenues they utilize to disseminate information and knowledge in order to make an impact in their societies and with policy and decision makers. More information about the report is provided in the abovementioned link. An integral part of this report is a regional survey that contributes … Continue reading →

Energy Efficiency in MENA – A Tool to Reduce GHG Emissions

By | | , ,
6 Comments

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is the largest oil-exporting region in the world. Around 85 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions come from energy production, electricity generation, industrial sector and domestic energy consumption. Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia figure among the world’s top-10 per capita carbon emitters. Without a change in energy policies and energy consumption behavior, MENA‘s energy-related GHG emissions will continue to grow. Presently, MENA countries are heavily dependent on fossil fuels to meet their energy requirement which is a major challenge in climate change mitigation efforts. However it also encourages local governments to … Continue reading →

Paper Bag Boy’s Message to the World

By | | , ,
1 Comment

Abdul Muqeet, also known as the Paper Bag Boy, has risen from being just another ordinary student to an extra-ordinary environmentalist. Ten-year old Abdul Muqeet has demonstrated remarkable commitment to saving the environment in the United Arab Emirates and elsewhere, and has been a poster-boy for environmental campaigns in the Middle East. Here he shares his views on environment, recycling and public awareness. It is said that you should break your goals down into small steps which you can accomplish each day. Set a goal, and approach it in a simple and basic manner. When I started my environmental campaign couple of years … Continue reading →

Rationale for Solar Energy in MENA

By | | , , , ,
7 Comments

The world is rife with news snippets concerning the development of solar power. The sun provides an infinite source of energy that takes off the burden on the renewable sources for power generation. In doing so, there are increased chances of conserving the limited energy reserves. Already about 50% of the earth’s natural resources are in use. If this usage rate continues, we will run out of finite sources in no time. For instance, there is only enough oil left for the coming 46.2 years. Luckily, the development of solar energy serves as the light at the end of the tunnel. … Continue reading →

Strategic Water Management in the 21st Century

By | | , , ,
3 Comments

The global water crisis in the 21st century is related to many economic, political, and social factors. A lot of people believe that the main reason behind the crisis lies in poor strategic water management and not in the lack of resources. It is estimated that in a few years almost half of the world’s population will live in water-stressed areas, such as MENA, where inhabitants will struggle to gain access to clean water. Saving the Environment It is no secret that the environmental pollution is affecting every aspect of our lives. But when it comes to water resources, the … Continue reading →

العاصفه اليكسا – الجوانب الايجابيه لمنطقه الشرق الاوسط

By | | , ,
Leave a comment

شهد العام 2013 تحول في التاريخ عندما اجتاحت العاصفة اليكسا منطقة الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا حيث جلبت العواصف الثلجية والأمطار الغزيرة والرياح الجليدية لهذه المنطقة التي لم تشهد مثل هذه العاصفة منذ أكثر من 100 عام.  حيث تسببت العاصفة اليكسا بالفيضانات المدمرة في المدن العربية، مثل غزة، وانقطاع التيار الكهربائي في بعض مناطق الأردن.و تساقطت الثلوج بغزارة في الأردن و التي  غطت الشوارع، مما أعاق الحركة واجبرت الناس على المكوث في منازلهم لعدة أيام.  لقد جلبت هذه العاصفة أيضا المشقة والبؤس لللاجئين السوريين حيث  عانوا البرد القارس في خيام هشة وملاجئ مؤقتة. الجوانب الايجابيه لا نريد التقليل من شأن  الصعوبات و … Continue reading →

Everything You Should Know About Desertification

By | | , , ,
7 Comments

As the global population crosses 7 billion, the pressure on land has increased exponentially in recent decades. Food security, habitat and livelihood are the buzz words these days. The paradox is that despite ever-increasing demand for land, more than 10 million hectares of arable land turns into desert every year. The major factors responsible for desertification are deforestation, over-grazing, unsustainable cultivation methods and poor irrigation practices, apart from climate change. According to Mr. Luc Gnacadja, executive secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, “Land degradation is a global phenomenon, with 78 percent of the degrading land taking place in … Continue reading →