Women and the Environment: Perspectives from Arabia

Women and the environment are closely interlinked, throughout history, different nations glorified women as powerful symbols of nature, and nature has always been given the female characteristics: care, reproduction and life-giving. Nevertheless, women’s involvement in the preservation of the environment has seldom been recognized and documented in the histories of several nations. One of the most significant phenomena in the last decades is recognition of women rights to achieve sustainable development; many international agreements reflected this recognition, including Rio Declaration in 1992, which stresses the point of the centrality of the full women participation to achieve environmental sustainability. The UN … Continue reading

Buying and Trading Gems in the Middle East – A Brief Guide for Beginners

Ever felt the pull to dive into the glittering world of gem trading? If yes, you probably aim to explore this shiny universe in the Middle East. But before scaling those jewel-capped peaks, you’ll need some sherpa-level guidance. The good news is that this article will lay down a sparkling path that leads you from “huh?” to “heck yeah!” on begging and bargaining for those precious stones in the Middle East. Do Your Homework Before you dive into the sparkling pool of Middle Eastern gems, the first thing to do is to sharpen your smarts. Swipe through info on sapphires … Continue reading

Waste Management Perspectives for Egypt

Egypt occupies 7th position in the list of countries with the most mismanaged plastic waste, according to a recent report published in Science magazine. The report was based on data collected in 2010 and one must wonder whether the results of the report would have been different if the zabbaleen had been allowed to continue their work unhindered. A History of Zabbaleen The zabbaleen, or garbage collectors, are the descendants of farmers from Upper Egypt who moved to Cairo in the 1940s. Together with another migrant group, they have made a living in Cairo collecting, sorting, salvaging, and recycling the … Continue reading

نصائح سلمان ظَفَر في العمل البيئي

سلمان ظَفَر ؛ مؤسس مبادرة EcoMENA يتحدث لِباڤاني براكاش من المبادرة التطوعية ( طوق آسيا الأخضر -Green Collar Asia  ) عن توجهات الصناعة النظيفة , ويعرض نصائحاً للمحترفين الذين يحاولون دخول مجال الطاقة المتجددة و إدارة المخلفات . طوق آسيا الأخضر : كيف أصبحت مهتماً بشدّة بتقنيات الطاقة المتجددة و إدارة المخلفات ؟ سلمان ظَفَر : إنني حاصل على شهادة الهندسة الكيميائية . وبعد إنهائي لبرنامج الماجستير في عام 2004 , حصلت على فرصة العمل كزميل بحث في مشاريع طاقة الغاز الحيوي واسعة النطاق والتي ساهمت ببداية دخولي مجال إدارة المخلفات والطاقة الحيوية .  أثناء مسارعملي في الزمالة , كنت … Continue reading

A Holistic Approach to Tackling Food Waste Problem in Qatar

In a country that imports 90% of its food, discarded food accounts for about half of Qatar’s municipal garbage. These statistics point to the loss of millions of riyals each year, in the form of food wastage. The food in landfills rots to release greenhouse gases like methane which are responsible for the rise in temperatures which contributes to global warming. According to Project Drawdown, the global leader in quantifying climate change strategies, reducing food waste is the single greatest solution to reverse climate change, which could draw 87 gigatons of CO2 out of the atmosphere, way ahead of a global plant-based … Continue reading

Green SMEs in Middle East: Obstacles and Challenges

With ‘green’ being the buzzword across all industries, greening of the business sector and development of green skills has assumed greater importance all over the world, and Middle East is no exception. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in eco-design, green architecture, renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainability are spearheading the transition to green economy across a wide range of industries. Green SME sector in the Middle East has been growing steadily, albeit at a slower pace than anticipated. Regulations One of the major obstacles in the progress of green SMEs in the Middle East the has been poorly-designed regulation. According … Continue reading

#InspireMENA Story 2: Ruba Al-Zu’bi – Inspiring Green Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship

Ruba Al-Zu’bi is a very well-known sustainable development policy and planning expert, and a true inspiration for youngsters in Jordan and beyond. Currently she is the Adviser for Science Policy and Programme Development to HRH Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan, the President of the Royal Scientific Society (RSS). Prior to that, Ruba led the Scientific Research Department at Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation. In the past, she had been the CEO of EDAMA, a Jordanian business association that seeks innovative solutions to advance the energy, water and environment sectors. Ruba Al-Zu’bi is Global Resolutions’ Jordan Ambassador and a Plus Social Good … Continue reading

جامعات خضراء في فلسطين

بدأت الجامعات الفلسطينية بربط النظربات العلمية التي تدرس في مساقاتها وبرامجها الاكاديمية  بالواقع العملي وحيث بدأت الجانعات الفلسطينية وبتميل من مؤسسات مجلية ودولية باستغلال اللطاقة البديلة من الشمس لتوليد الكهرباء باستخدام تقنية اللوحات الكهروضوئية لانتاج الطاقة الكهربائية والتي تساعد في  توفير استهلاك الكهرباء الذي يشغل جميع أبنية وقاعات ومراكز الجامعات بالطاقة لتوفير وذلك لتوفير الجو التعليمي المناسب لطلبتها  . وتأتي هذه الخطوة الريادية من قبل الجامعات الفلسطينية لتوفير استهلاك الكهرباء بحيث تكون مبان الجامعات أكثر صداقة للبيئة وتقلل ميزانية المدفوعات التي يتم دفعها ثمناً لاستهلاك الكهرباء والوقود واستغلالها بدعم برامج وأبحاث جديدة تساعد في تنمية مهارات طلبتها . كما أن … Continue reading

5 Tips for Starting and Growing an Environmentally-friendly Business

It is fantastic that there is currently a big surge in companies becoming more environmentally aware and introducing sustainable and eco-friendly policies. And more and more startups are choosing to focus on being as green as possible. If you are considering starting your own environmentally-friendly business, you can help to save the planet while also potentially creating high levels of revenue. But before you decide to launch your green company, make sure you take note of the following five helpful tips. 1. Determine the Type of Business You Want to Launch and the Opportunities for Making it Green The first … Continue reading

#InspireMENA – Storytelling on Sustainable Development in MENA

Over 350 million people live in MENA and share Arabic as a common language. To date, there is very little literature in Arabic about sustainable development in general and specifically on the United Nation’s new global goals and the associated agencies and initiatives. More than half of that population is below 25 and is currently going through a lot in terms of political, economic, and social change. Despite all of this, those young people are innovating and making positive change in their communities. It is of utmost importance to support such impact with credible information, more visibility for success stories, … Continue reading

Women Entrepreneurship in MENA: An Analysis

Women entrepreneurship is an important unexploited source of economic growth in almost all parts of the world. Unfortunately women in MENA have the lowest rates of Total Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA) at merely 4% of the population. The highest rates, globally, are in sub-Saharan Africa, at 27%. Latin American and Caribbean economies also show high levels (15 percent). In just seven economies (Panama, Thailand, Ghana, Ecuador, Nigeria, Mexico, and Uganda), women had equal or slightly higher levels of entrepreneurship than men. For the rest, women represented a smaller share of the entrepreneur population. Current Situation The recent interest in women entrepreneurship in the Middle … Continue reading

المرأة و ريادة الأعمال في منطقة الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا

تعد ريادة المرأة للأعمال مصدرا مهما، لم يتم بعد استغلاله،  في النمو الاقتصادي في جميع أنحاء العالم تقريبا. وعلى الصعيد العالمي، تسجل المرأة في منطقة الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا أدنى معدلات النشاط الريادي الإجمالي:  فقط 4٪ من السكان. في حين ُتسجل أعلى المعدلات  في أفريقيا جنوب الصحراء  (27٪). متبوعة بأمريكا اللاتينية ومنطقة الكاريبي بمعدل (15 في المئة). أما بخصوص اقتصادات بلدان (بنما وتايلاند وغانا، والإكوادور، ونيجيريا، والمكسيك، وأوغندا)، فيتساوى فيها مستوى المرأة مع مستوى الرجل، أو قد يتعداه قليلا، في مجال ريادة المشاريع. و بالنسبة لبقية المناطق، فتشكل المرأة نسبة صغيرة من رواد المشاريع. الوضع الحالي ازداد مؤخرا الاهتمام بريادة … Continue reading