Category Archives: Middle East

Water Scarcity in MENA

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The MENA region is the most water scarce region of the world. The region is home to 6.3 percent of world’s population but has access to measly 1.4 percent of the world’s renewable fresh water. The average water availability per person in other geographical regions is about 7,000 m3/year, whereas water availability is merely 1,200 m3/person/year in the MENA region. The region has the highest per capita rates of freshwater extraction in the world (804 m3/year) and currently exploits over 75 percent of its renewable water resources. Due to burgeoning population and rapid economic growth, the per capita water availability … Continue reading →

Water-Energy Nexus in the United Arab Emirates

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The United Arab Emirates has been witnessing fast-paced economic growth as well as rapid increase in population during the last couple of decades. As a result, the need for water and energy has increased significantly and this trend is expected to continue into the future. Water in the UAE comes from four different sources – groundwater (44%), desalinated seawater (42%), treated wastewater (14%), and surface water (1%). Most of the groundwater and treated seawater are used for irrigation and landscaping while desalinated seawater is used for drinking, household, industrial, and commercial purposes. Water consumption per capita in UAE is more … Continue reading →

Artisanal Fishing in Morocco – Enormous Resources and Pressing Constraints

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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 →

نظرة عامة حول جودة الهواء في الدول العربية

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تدهورت جودة الهواء في الدول العربية خلال العقود القليلة الماضية ، حيث آرتفع معدل  انبعاثات ثاني أكسيد الكربون (CO2) إلى حوالي الضعف. كما ساهمت  التغييرات التي عرفها  قطاع الطاقة والتي استمدت من التجارب الناجحة في تطوير معدل النفاذ إلى مصادر الطاقة بعدد من بلدان المنطقة  في  إحراق المزيد من الوقود الأحفوري في محطات الطاقة الحرارية لتلبية الزيادة في الطلب على الطاقة. ازداد استهلاك الكهرباء بنسبة 75.5 في المائة ، مما أدى إلى إنبعاث ما مجموعه 766.5 مليون طن من ثاني أكسيد الكربون في عام 2015 ، مقارنة بـ 436.6 في عام 2006. كما آرتفعت الإنبعاثات الصادرة من قطاع النقل بسبب … Continue reading →

Energy Sector in Arab Countries

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The Arab energy sector has played and will continue to play an important role in the regional as well as global economy. In addition to satisfying energy needs for economic and social development, it is the source of oil and gas export revenues contributing to economic development. The Arab oil and gas sector represents the largest economic sector in the region. Increase of oil revenues were the main drivers for economic development in most of the Arab oil producing countries. The Arab economies, as well, are heavily dependent on oil and gas to meet their domestic energy demand. Oil contributes … Continue reading →

Climate Change Mitigation in Tunisia: Challenges and Progress

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Climate change has become a reality in Tunisia, which is struggling to cope with the problems of desertification, water scarcity and the degradation of natural resources. Despite its limited carbon footprint, the risks of climate change may be high. The fourth Arab country to have published its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) for a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, Tunisia has put climate change on the top of its political and economic agenda. It is also the first country in the region to include in its new Constitution recognition of climate change: “A sound and balanced environment while contributing to … Continue reading →

هل تغليف الغذاء يهدد الصحة؟

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أغلب سكان المدن يفضلون شراء الأطعمة المُغلّفة الجاهزة لتوفرها وسهولة الحصول عليها، وذلك لكثرة مشاغلهم.  وإن تغليف الطعام يلعب دوراً هاماً في الحفاظ على جودته وصحته ومدة صلاحيته وقد يقلل من إهدار الغذاء. إلا أن كيماويات مواد التغليف قد تلوث الطعام وتسبب أمراضاً خطيرة. هناك مجموعة من الكيماويات تسمى اختصاراً (PFAS) لا تذوب في الماء ولا في الدهون ولا تلتصق بالطعام وتستخدم في مئات المنتجات بما في ذلك تغليف الاطعمة. وقد ثبت ارتباطها بأمراض خطيرة بسبب تراكمها في جسم الإنسان الذي يتناولها يومياً مع الماء والغذاء ولا يستطيع الجسم التخلص منها بالسرعة الكافية. لذلك وجدت هذه الكيماويات في الدم والبول … Continue reading →

وعي المواطن ومسؤوليته تجاه تحدي تغير المناخ

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لئن تتحمل الدول النامية، ومن بينها تونس، المسؤولية الأقل في انبعاثات غازات الدفيئة المسببة للاحتباس الحراري والتغير المناخي، فهي تتحمل الآثار السلبية الأكبر لهذه الظاهرة العالمية، خاصة مع الصعوبات الكثيرة التي تواجهها في التخفيف منها والتكيف معها. فتطوير المشاريع التي يمكن أن تحد من آثار تغير المناخ، وإيصالها إلى وجهتها المنشودة يتطلب الكثير من المال والقدرات، وهو أبرز تحدي يواجه تونس في هذا المجال. البحث عن التمويل لمجابهة خطر التغيرات المناخية شرعت البلاد التونسية، في هذا الإطار، في إحداث هيئة وطنية معتمدة لدى الصندوق الأخضر تعمل على الإحاطة بحاملي المشاريع المتعلقة بمجال التأقلم مع التغير المناخي والحد من آثاره السلبية … Continue reading →

Smart Grid – Key to Managing Energy Demand

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Electricity consumption in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been climbing steadily for the past few decades. Saudi electricity market is growing at an accelerating rate due to higher consumption rates in the private, commercial and industrial sectors. Current domestic energy consuming behaviors pose inescapable fatal consequences that affect both the Kingdom’s production and export levels. Therefore, an urgent action is needed to curb the increasing electricity demand and promote energy conservation in the country. Smart grid is a dynamic solution which can bridge the gap between the current supply and increasing demand in Saudi Arabia. What is Smart Grid? A … Continue reading →

EcoMENA – Vision and Mission

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The MENA region is plagued by a host of issues including water scarcity, waste disposal, food security, industrial pollution and desertification. Providing free access to quality information and knowledge-based resources motivates youngsters in a big way. EcoMENA provides encouragement to masses in tackling major environmental challenges by empowering them with knowledge and by providing them a solid platform to share their views with the outside world. Salman Zafar, Founder of EcoMENA, talks to the Florentine Association of International Relations (FAIR) about the vision, aims, objectives and rationale behind the creation of EcoMENA.  FAIR: What is EcoMENA and what is its primary … Continue reading →

Sustainability Perspectives for Amman

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Is Amman a sustainable city? No, it is not. That isn’t a very surprising statement if you’ve ever lived in or visited Amman. By all means, it’s a beautiful city, with plenty to offer visitors and residents alike. It is a diverse city with a wide range of experiences to offer between East and West Amman or Downtown to Abdoun. The fact remains however that it is not a very sustainable city. We as residents are not being kind to the city we call home. When I look at Amman I happen to see all the things I like, but also all … Continue reading →

Women and the Environment: Perspectives from Arabia

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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 →