Category Archives: Sustainable Development

الإفادة من الطبيعة في التنمية الاقتصادية المجدية والمستدامة

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لطالما استُخدمت الطبيعة لمنفعة الناس، الأمر الذي أفضى إلى استنزاف شديد للموارد الطبيعية.  وبالرغم من التطورات التكنولوجية الهائلة التي يشهدها العالم، إلا أن الكوارث الناجمة عن التغير المناخي استمرت في التسارع.  وها نحن نقترب من نهاية الإطار الزمني الذي وضعناه لتحقيق أهداف التنمية المستدامة، في الوقت الذي تزداد فيه فجوة الاستثمار اللازم لذلك عن 2.5 تريليون دولار أمريكي. ما الذي يجب فعله؟ طورت شركة “ثري بي إل” منهجية أطلقت عليها اسم “شراكة العّامة مع الكوكب” والتي تحدد المبادئ والطرق التي تجعل من الكوكب وموارده شريكاً متكافئاً مع القطاع العام والذي يضم المؤسسات الحكومية الخاصّة والمجموعات المهتمة بالمسؤولية الاجتماعية، أي بالأحرى … Continue reading →

Can Diamond Production Have An Ethical, Environmentally Sound Future?

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Diamonds continue to capture the imaginations of people the world over, and the MENA in particular has a storied relationship with the precious stone. Indeed, OEC statistics show that Dubai ranks highest out of many MENA countries importing high levels of diamonds, with imports generating a net spend of US$10.2bn. Diamonds do, of course, have an ethically and morally dubious past. Whether due to the conflicts they have help to generate, or through their huge environmental impact, they remain a luxury both for their qualities and for their impacts. Whether they have a place in the modern socially and environmentally conscious world … Continue reading →

Know About Red-Dead Sea Water Conveyance Project

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The legendary Dead Sea has been shrinking for the last 40 years by as much as 1m a year mostly due to water diversion of the Jordan River, mainly by Israel and to a lesser extent Jordan. This decline in the Dead Sea levels causes a variety of environmental, social, and economic harm to the surrounding countries by affecting the tourism industry, and destroying one of the world’s most distinct habitats. The surrounding countries have come to realize the severity of its destruction and have acted accordingly to mitigate its depletion. Recently, Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority have signed … Continue reading →

كيف يمكن للمؤسسات أن تكون أكثر صداقة للبيئة؟

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إن المعدل الذي يؤثر به تغير المناخ على العالم مثير للقلق، وكما أن للأفراد والحكومات دوراً رئيسية في مكافحة هذه القضية، فأيضاً هنالك للمؤسسات دوراً فاعلاً. فكيف يمكن للشركات أن تصبح أكثر صداقة للبيئة؟ تستطيع هذه المؤسسات الوصول لذلك من خلال الاستراتيجيات والمبادرات التي تقلل من بصمتها البيئية.  سيقدم لك هذا الدليل بعض الأساليب الفعالة والحيوية التي تساعد الشركات على أن تصبح صديقة للبيئة. لتعلم المزيد يرجى قراءة ما يلي. الوسائل  الرئيسية التي تُمكّن الشركات لتصبح صديقة للبيئة إن الشركات التي تحاول ان تصبح صديقة للبيئة، تستطيع الحصول على الدعم من العملاء ذوي الوعي البيئي وفيما يلي بعض النصائح المفيدة: … Continue reading →

التعليم البيئي: مفتاح لمستقبل أفضل

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يعد امتلاك الأدوات المناسبة لمواجهة التحديات المستقبلية واجباً و تحدياً لقادة الغد، كما يعد تهيئة أطفالنا على أن يكونوا مستعدين على نحوٍ كاف للمستقبل الذي سيرثونه أمراَ مماثلاً بالأهمية. تزامناً مع تفاقم الإحساس بالتغيرات المناخية في جميع أنحاء العالم بما في ذلك الآثار الكارثية المترتبة على ذلك و التي لم تكن واضحة علمياً من قبل، فإن التعليم البيئي يعد المفتاح لمستقبل أفضل. في عصر نشهد فيه يومياً ازدياداً كبيراً لأعداد الأطفال غير المرتبطين بالطبيعة المحيطة بهم، علينا أن ندرك أهمية الاستثمار الحقيقي في التعليم البيئي والتعلم المعتمد على الأنشطة الخارجية قريباً من الطبيعة. أظهرت الدراسات أن التعليم البيئي يساعد على … Continue reading →

Peak Oil: Perspectives for Saudi Arabia

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The term ‘peak oil’ is ominous to the Middle East, as most of the countries in the region are heavily dependent on oil and natural gas for industrial, economic and social development. Petroleum is considered one of the world’s most important sources of energy generation, after uranium, of course. Many other substances have been tested in order to be used as alternatives to petroleum, but none have hitherto been successful. Scientific research illustrates how the world is facing catastrophe if it doesn’t find an alternative to oil, as it is currently impossible for the global economy to grow without sufficient amounts … Continue reading →

Green Ahadith – Ecological Advice from Prophet Muhammad

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Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, is one of the most, if not the only one who reached a pinnacle of success by not only verbally teaching, but stringently applying Islamic principles of ecological welfare. His concern for preserving nature was so consistent that history reports the only time he cut down plants were the palm trees in Madina to impede the Jewish tribe Banu Nadhir. Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, categorically taught people to live on less, to protect animal and plant life, and to worship the Creator by being merciful to the creation. What is … Continue reading →

Sustainable Cattle Farming: Is It Possible?

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Cattle farming is often linked to climate change and pollution. As the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations pointed out in a report from 2013, cattle emit the biggest percent of methane out of all livestock. The most evident solution to this problem is for the population to consume less beef and dairy. However, according to statistics, the per capita meat consumption has gradually increased since 1961 and this tendency is not likely to change. As countries get richer, their population will keep eating more and more meat. So, is sustainable cattle farming a possibility? Regenerative agriculture As … Continue reading →

The Power of Cities to Shape a Greener Future

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The current rate of urbanization is one of the global megatrends, which will manifest itself in many of the challenges faced in the upcoming decades. UN reports estimate that nearly 70% of the world’s population will be urban by 2050. The way in which cities deal with this rapid rate of urbanization will determine whether international objectives such as Sustainable Development Goal 11, aimed at making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable, will be achieved. Urbanization has further impacts on many more of the goals defined in the UN 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development. Achieving these goals … Continue reading →

Circular Economy in GCC: Potential, Prospects and Challenges

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The concept of a circular economy has been gaining a lot of momentum on the agenda of many countries in recent years. In its core, it describes an economic model which opposes the current so-called linear economy, where output is produced, used and disposed at the end of its lifespan. In contrast, circular economy advocates suggest a model in which raw materials used during the life cycle of a good are completely reintegrated into the production process. Circular economy, therefore, means more than just to recycle your old appliances, but includes considerations about how to redefine products and services in … Continue reading →

The Rationale for Renewable Energy Adoption in Middle East

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The Middle East energy sector has played and will continue to play an important role in the regional as well as global economy. The oil and gas sector is the largest economic sector in the region. 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. Regional countries are heavily dependent on fossil fuels to meet their domestic energy demand. Oil contributes more than half of the total energy demand in the Middle East while the rest is contributed by natural gas. Widespread use of … Continue reading →

Reducing Energy Poverty is Crucial to Sustainable Development

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The world is currently facing an unprecedented health crisis, and as usual the vulnerable communities are hit the hardest.  Energy poverty (or lack of access to electricity) is worsening the humanitarian crisis amid COVID-19 pandemic, and is preventing the poor from securing social benefits and economic opportunities. Electricity, in modern life, is the foundation and lifeline for communities and economies to run and thrive. There is a growing international acknowledgement of the strong ties between poverty and lack of access to modern energy. For example, in impoverished communities, peoples’ well-being is in grave danger, because of the use of dirty … Continue reading →