Artisanal Fishing in Morocco – Enormous Resources and Pressing Constraints

In Morocco, artisanal fishing is a traditional activity based on canoes, generally made of wood, generally equipped with an outboard engine and a small crew of three people on average, fishing for benthic and surface species. Fishing is mostly based on the coastline and in estuaries and lakes. Morocco overlooks the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean with coastlines extending over more than three thousand five hundred kilometers, opening its shields to tens of thousands of fishermen. Artisanal fishing in the Moroccan Mediterranean Sea occupies a great place, due to the advantages it offers, especially the large mass of labor … Continue reading

Water Leakage Control: Effective Tool for Water Conservation

Water is a basic need of our life and is amply provided by the Governmental agencies. However, we as consumers do not prioritize on water wastage and leakages issue due to the subsidized water cost. The leakages from taps, valves and appurtenant are often noticed but the invisible leakages under the sink often goes un-noticed and drips occurring are not taken seriously and addressed till the leakage get larger and leak get worse. The Menace of Water Leaks Water leaks from pipes, plumbing fixtures, faucets, valves and fittings are a common sight in buildings and structures and is a significant … Continue reading

مقدمة لمحاكاة الطبيعة

البشر أذكياء ، ولكن دون قصد ، خلقنا مشاكل استدامة هائلة للأجيال القادمة. ولحسن الحظ ، فإن الحلول لهذه التحديات العالمية تحيط بنا من كل جانب. التقليد الحيوي هو نهج للابتكار يسعى إلى إيجاد حلول مستدامة للتحديات البشرية من خلال محاكاة أنماط واستراتيجيات الطبيعة التي تم اختبارها عبر الأزمنة. الهدف هو إنشاء منتجات وعمليات وسياسات – طرق جديدة للحياة – تتكيف بشكل جيد مع الحياة على الأرض على المدى الطويل. الفكرة الأساسية هي أن الطبيعة قد حلت بالفعل العديد من المشاكل التي نواجهها. الحيوانات والنباتات والميكروبات هي بمثابة مهندسين بارعين. بعد مليارات السنين من البحث والتطوير ، والفشل المتمثل في … Continue reading

Top Sustainability Trends in Europe

Sustainability is a global issue, but ecosystems, economies and other factors vary from place to place. While trends that prove successful in one area will likely eventually spread to others, different regions may be at different places at different times. In this post, we’ll focus on Europe. What trends are taking hold there? And which will spread to the Middle East? Sustainability Driving Revenue Growth While sustainability was at first often seen as a corporate responsibility and PR move, today it’s an integral part of business plans. It serves as a major competitive advantage and drives increases in revenue. In … Continue reading

Freshwater Management Outlook for UAE

Per capita water consumption of freshwater in the United Arab Emirates is the highest in the world. Over the last several decades, the demand on municipal water supply has increased significantly in the UAE. This is mainly due to increase in population growth, economic development and changes in lifestyle of the people. Though water is used by many sectors such as manufacturing industries, agriculture and domestic purposes, residential  and commercial uses of water during the operational phase of the building is one of the biggest contributing factors that puts a strain on freshwater supply in the country. Desalination and Sustainability … Continue reading

Role of Artificial Intelligence in Environmental Sustainability

In recent years, the environmental issues have triggered debates, discussions, awareness programs and public outrage that have catapulted interest in new technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence. Artificial Intelligence finds application in a wide array of environmental sectors, including natural resource conservation, wildlife protection, energy management, clean energy, waste management, pollution control and agriculture. Artificial Intelligence (also known as AI) is considered to be the biggest game-changer in the global economy. With its gradual increase in scope and application, it is estimated that by 2030, AI will contribute up to 15.7 trillion of the global economy which is more than the … Continue reading

The Significance of Groundwater Atlas in Water Management

Groundwater atlases are becoming a necessary resource for identifying natural reservoirs of our most precious natural resource – water.  A groundwater atlas for the USA was published was published by regions i.e. several states in the 1990s culminating in the 2000 release of the Groundwater Atlas for the U.S.A. It describes the location, extent as well as the geological and hydrological characteristics of aquifers across the United States. An African Groundwater Atlas, a project undertaken by the British Geological Survey, released the atlas in 2014 making groundwater information and data available across the globe. Abu Dhabi released its groundwater atlas … Continue reading

Islamic Teachings on Animal Welfare

During the last few decades, agriculture and animal-rearing has become commercialized and industrialised. The breeding and slaughtering of farm animals in Muslim countries has become an unethical money-making business. In addition, the halal label  has lost its real meaning due to focus on maximum productivity and minimal compassion towards animals. The consumption of meat products  has increased manifolds in recent years which has led to significant increase in public health issues. Moreover, it is having harmful effects on the environment and on animal health as well. Animals and the Holy Quran Long before the emergence of the animal rights movement, … Continue reading

UAE and Indonesia’s Mangrove Alliance: A Global Climate Change Solution

Mangroves dominate the entire Arabian Peninsula’s coastal vegetation. Once regarded as a swampy wasteland, mangroves are now the magic bullet for regions susceptible to the adverse impacts of climate change. The swampy marshes’ unique ability to mitigate the damage caused by waves, severe storms, and soil erosion, acting as a cushion, protecting coastal communities from flooding and the effect of sea level rise – makes it an “ecosystem engineer”. A nature-based solution Mangroves are integral part the coastal ecosystem. It hold the potential to act as a carbon sink, taking in the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and converting it … Continue reading

الحديث الأخضر – نصائح بيئية من النبي محمد عليه الصلاة والسلام

يعتبر النبي محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم، من أهم الذين وصلوا الى قمة النجاح ، إن لم يكن الوحيد الذي وصل، ليس فقط من خلال التعايم الشفهي، وإنما عن طريق تطبيق المبادئ الإسلامية لحماية  البيئة بشكل صارم. وكان اهتمامه بالحفاظ على الطبيعة قد ظهر عبر التاريخ، حيث تمت الإشارة  إلى أن الاستثناء الوحيد الذي  تم فيه قطع الاشجار كان في المدينة، حيث قطعت أشجار النخيل لعرقلة قبيلة يهودية تدعى “بنو النضير”. علم النبي محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم، الناس طريقة  العيش  على القليل من أجل حماية الحياة الحيوانية والنباتية، وعبادة الخالق عن طريق الرأفة في ما خلقه الله ، وأكثر … Continue reading

Green Resolutions for the New Year

This year, in addition to our personal goals, let us make another New Year resolution: to make this year the year we really ‘go green’. Supporting environmental initiatives should be one of our main priorities and needs to be reflected through our green resolutions and commitment to safeguard it against all forms of pollution and to protect our fragile and finite resources. Depending on our age, work, location etc., our priorities may be different but our actions should be in unison towards environmental protection. We need to understand that we have very recklessly plundered the global resources in a short … Continue reading

Energy Efficiency Initiatives at the Hashemite University

The Hashemite University environmental sustainability policy is focused on achieving sufficiency and sustainability through energy reduction practices, along with energy efficient approaches, building techniques, and electromechanical devices. These measures were employed in all of the new building expansion on campus (with more than 70,000 m2) of newly added building area. These practices are divided into categories: passive and active. Passive Measures Passive energy efficiency measures focus on harnessing the natural resources in the campus area to create comfortable conditions for the campus users, especially indoors, including the following techniques used throughout the campus: Building envelope and materials: The choice of building … Continue reading