Category Archives: Sustainable Development

How Asia Pulp & Paper Adopts CDP Carbon Disclosure Standards

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The pulp and paper industry is one that has been deeply impacted by the rise of the eco-conscious consumer. Whether a business produces disposable, reusable, or repurposable paper products, many pulp and paper companies continue to be placed under further scrutiny by consumers. Issues such as resource depletion and carbon emissions are common critiques of the industry, regardless of how useful or necessary their products may be. At the same time, many pulp and paper companies such as Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) Sinar Mas have proactively moved towards comprehensively integrating sustainability outcomes into their overall operational strategy. Seeking out … Continue reading →

إستخراج مياه الصرف الصحي: تغيير النظم في المدن شحيحة المياه

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في المناطق ذات النمو السكاني المتسارع، فإن الاستدامة تعتبر مُلّحة ومُهمة لإن هذه المناطق تكون أكثر عرضة لندرة المياه. يُعرّض مناخ الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا الحار والجاف هذه المدن للخطر. وبالرغم من ذلك، تنتج مدن هذه المنطقة – التي تعاني من ندرة المياه – كميات هائلة من مياه الصرف الصحي التي يمكن معالجتها لتلبية احتياجاتها المائية. ما المقصود باستخراج (تعدين) المجاري؟ استخراج مياه الصرف الصحي (المجاري) هو عملية تجميع هذه المياه ومعالجتها لإزالة جميع الملوثات وفصل المواد الكيميائية لإعادة استخدامها. وبالعادة فإنه يتم الحصول عليها ومعالجتها محلياً. بهذا ممكن أن يقل الطلب على مياه الشرب عن طريق توفير مصدر محلي … Continue reading →

Scaling Sustainable Agri-Tech in MENA: Policy, Finance and the Roadblocks Ahead

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Food security in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is facing a turning point. It’s well known that the area is short on fertile land. What’s newsworthy is that agri-tech solutions are being mobilized quickly to address this long-standing issue and how policy, capital and old-school obstacles shape the path ahead. Here’s a clear view of what’s happening, how it works and why it matters. The State of Agri-Tech in MENA The hunger risk in MENA is serious. In 2023, 66.1 million people in Arab regions faced starvation. Wars are driving several countries toward famine, while water scarcity … Continue reading →

Green Growth in Jordan: Prospects and Challenges

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The global financial recession triggered serious debate among many countries in revealing the causes behind failures and in innovating affordable solutions. Seeking “transformational” economic growth is very fashionable nowadays bringing to the front-line clean energy and green investments as keys for a better future. And for those countries at the heart of change in the Arab World, the famous “Spring” is bringing a different flavor to the aspired change and reform. In Jordan, attention to sustainability (whether environmental or social) is a need as well as a strategic choice. For a country with very limited natural resources and increasingly growing … Continue reading →

Mining the Deep: How the Indian Ocean Ridge Faces Ecological Crossroads

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Primarily, deep-sea mining is done by extracting minerals from the ocean at thousands of meters of depth. The ocean ridges contain millions of dollars’ worth of minerals that are produced due to different chemical reactions near hydrothermal vents, undersea volcanoes, and other areas with immense geological activity. The Indian Ocean is especially known for containing minerals like nickel, cobalt, and manganese, which are essential for the construction of wind turbines, car parts, airplane parts and other important materials used in our everyday lives. How Deep-Sea Mining is done In this generation, deep-sea mining methods use remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and … Continue reading →

Solar Skins: The Ultimate Guide to Aesthetic Urban Energy Solutions

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Cities are built from surfaces—glass, metal, stone, and shade. Solar skins turn those surfaces into quiet power plants, weaving electricity generation into façades, canopies, railings, and street furniture without sacrificing design intent. Instead of treating energy as an add-on, solar skins make it part of the architectural language and the public realm. For metropolitan teams shaping growth in sunbelt markets, the fit is especially clear. Firms delivering land development services in San Antonio can capture value from high-irradiance hours by treating façades and shade structures as productive assets from day one of site planning. What Are Solar Skins? Solar skins … Continue reading →

الاقتصاد الأخضر والتمويل

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شهد العقد الماضي انتقالاً ملموسا للبلدان العربية نحو الاقتصاد الأخضر. فمن الصفر تقريباً في اعتماد انظمة اقتصاد أخضر أو استراتيجية مستدامة، أصبح هناك أكثر من سبعة بلدان وضعت استراتيجيات من هذا القبيل أو أدرجت عناصر الاقتصاد الأخضر والاستدامة في خططها. وقد ترجمت الاستراتيجيات الخضراء في مجموعة من التدابير التنظيمية والحوافز التي أدخلت في هذه البلدان لتسهيل التحول. وأعطى ذلك إشارة قوية للقطاع الخاص لزيادة الاستثمارات في قطاعات الاقتصاد الأخضر أضعافاً، وخاصة الطاقة المتجددة، وهو أمر واضح في المغرب والأردن والإمارات، حيث تم استثمار البلايين في مزارع الطاقة الشمسية وطاقة الرياح. وينفذ المغرب خطة لتوليد أكثر من نصف كهربائه من الموارد … Continue reading →

لماذا تظل أشجار القرم في الإمارات عُرضة للخطر

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تمتلك دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة العديد من الكنوز الخفية، مثل أشجار القرم. تكمن وظيفتها في عزل الكربون (carbon sequestration) وليس إنتاج الأكسجين. يُطلق على نوع أشجار القرم الموجود في الإمارات اسم “القرم الرمادي” (Avicennia marina)، وغالبًا ما يوجد في منطقة الخليج. وقد اختارت هذا الموقع تحديدًا بسبب مياهه المالحة وشبه الاستوائية ألضحله. خلال العقدين الماضيين، واجهت أشجار القرم تهديدات هائلة مع تزايد التطور الساحلي السريع في الإمارات (حسيبة، 2025). إشكالية الهشاشة إحدى التهديدات الرئيسية التي تواجه أشجار القرم في الإمارات هو تطوير الجزائر الاصطناعية. لإنشاء جزيرة اصطناعية، يتم استصلاح الأراضي عن طريق التجريف. يتم التجريف عن طريق الحفر العميق للمناطق المستهدفة، مما يزيل … Continue reading →

Environmental NGOs as a Trigger for Social Good – a Jordanian Perspective

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While growing in number and scope with each passing year, environmental NGOs in Jordan are striving to become a model in civil society participation, collaborative governance and social impact. They are demonstrating how green advocates can lead by example and become a role model for other development leaders. Those non-for-profits are challenged to not only be the watchdogs and outreach arms but also act as community organizers and change agents that our country and region aspire for. In harmony with the overall awakening of social entrepreneurship and youth movement within MENA region, green startups and community-based initiatives are climbing to … Continue reading →

Sewer Mining: A Game-Changer for Water-Scarce Cities in MENA

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Sustainability is important everywhere, and it is especially urgent in places with rapidly growing populations that are more prone to lower water scarcity.  The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region’s hot and dry climate puts cities at risk. However, MENA’s water-scarce cities produce a ton of wastewater that can potentially be treated to accommodate their water needs. What is Sewer Mining? Sewer mining is when wastewater is harvested and treated to remove contaminants and separate certain chemicals so that it can be reused. It is typically sourced and treated locally. It can reduce the demand for potable water by … Continue reading →

How Device Trade-In Fuels Sustainable Progress

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Upgrading tech is easy. The harder part is figuring out what to do with the old stuff once you’ve moved on. Most people hold onto it without any real reason, not because they need it, but because tossing electronics in the trash feels wrong. And it should. Every device that gets made comes from materials pulled out of the ground, and many of those are in finite supply. That’s why trade-ins are such a great option. A buyback program is one of the few ways the average person can directly cut down on e-waste. A phone or computer you don’t … Continue reading →

Education for Sustainable Development: Key Challenges

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The basic aim of ‘Education for Sustainable Development’ is to nurture an individual who is capable to solve environmental challenges facing the world and to promote the formation of a sustainable society. The first challenge is to have an ethos in schools that openly and enthusiastically supports the development of ESD (Education for Sustainable Development). This is partly down to the curriculum the school follows, but is mainly as a result of the interest and effort shown by senior management in promoting integration and whole school engagement; a critical element being teacher training. It is also down to the expectations … Continue reading →