Best Practices For Eco-Friendly Property Management

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In today’s world, the focus on sustainability has never been greater, particularly in the realm of property management. This surge in eco-consciousness is driven by an increased awareness of our environmental impact and a collective desire to mitigate it.

Eco-friendly property management not only plays a crucial role in reducing carbon footprints but also in enhancing property values and catering to the rising demand of environmentally conscious tenants.

ecofriendly property management

Adopting sustainable practices isn’t just an ethical decision—it’s a strategic one that offers a myriad of benefits, from operational cost savings to improved tenant attraction and retention.

Eco-Friendly Attitude in Property Management

The move towards green property management embodies a commitment to sustainable living. By focusing on energy efficiency, water conservation, air quality, and sustainable practices like composting and recycling, property managers can significantly reduce their environmental impact.

Earning credentials such as the Green Property Management (CGPM) can solidify this commitment, offering a structured approach to becoming eco-friendly​​. Property managers seeking a broader sustainability foundation in building design and operations can also pursue the LEED Green Associate course, which covers energy efficiency, water conservation, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality. This credential equips teams to implement practical upgrades, communicate benefits to residents, and align assets with ESG goals.

Sustainable Construction

The cornerstone of eco-friendly property management is sustainable construction. This involves the integration of energy-efficient systems, such as ENERGY STAR-certified appliances and HVAC units, which can save a significant amount of energy and reduce utility bills​​​​.

The use of sustainable materials, like bamboo flooring or low VOC paints, contributes further by minimizing environmental harm and improving indoor air quality​​.

Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Energy efficiency is pivotal in reducing a property’s carbon footprint. Implementing energy-efficient lighting and appliances is a straightforward yet effective strategy.

Beyond this, investing in renewable energy sources like solar panels can drastically cut energy costs and dependence on non-renewable resources, making a property more attractive to eco-conscious renters​​​​.

Water Conservation

Water conservation is another critical area of focus. Upgrading to low-flow toilets and showerheads can significantly reduce water usage, as can installing efficient irrigation systems and considering xeriscaping for landscaping. These measures not only conserve precious water resources but also lower the operating costs associated with water usage​​​​.

Waste Reduction and Recycling

Finally, waste management plays a crucial role in eco-friendly property management. Establishing comprehensive recycling programs and encouraging composting can drastically reduce the waste sent to landfills. Adopting practices to minimize waste, like bulk purchasing, furthers the commitment to a sustainable lifestyle.

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Incorporating Recycling Into Eco-Friendly Property Management

Eco-friendly property management is an evolving field that aims to reduce environmental impact while promoting sustainable living practices among residents.

This approach encompasses a wide range of practices, from waste reduction and recycling to the integration of smart technologies.

Effective eco-friendly management not only contributes to a healthier planet but also offers operational efficiencies and cost savings for property owners and residents alike.

This section explores two critical aspects of eco-friendly property management: incorporating recycling initiatives and leveraging smart technology for sustainability.

By understanding and implementing these practices, property managers can significantly enhance the eco-friendliness of their properties, contributing to broader environmental goals and fostering a culture of sustainability within their communities.

Recycling and Waste Reduction Strategies

A critical component of eco-friendly property management is the implementation of robust recycling and waste reduction programs. These initiatives not only reduce the environmental impact of properties but also contribute to a more sustainable community.

Property managers can introduce segregated waste collection systems to ensure that recyclables are properly sorted from non-recyclables, significantly reducing the volume of waste sent to landfills.

Teaching residents, including children, about the importance of recycling can foster a community-wide culture of sustainability.

Engaging educational programs and community events focused on recycling practices can help instill lifelong habits of environmental stewardship among young residents​​​​.

Smart Technology Integration

Another dimension of eco-friendly property management is the integration of smart technologies. Smart thermostats, energy-efficient lighting systems, and water-saving devices can greatly reduce a property’s energy and water consumption. These technologies not only minimize environmental impact but also lower utility bills for residents.

The use of IoT (Internet of Things) devices for monitoring and managing energy use in real-time allows for more efficient property operations.

Smart sensors can detect leaks or inefficiencies in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, prompting timely maintenance and avoiding unnecessary energy waste.

Advancing Eco-Friendly Property Management: Embracing Sustainable Construction And Biodiversity

In the realm of eco-friendly property management, the emphasis on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria is shaping the latest trends and practices.

eco-friendly home improvements to increase home value

One significant trend is the increasing focus on sustainable construction materials and techniques. This move towards greener construction methods, including prefabrication, modularization, and the use of digital tools like Building Information Modeling (BIM), is reshaping the construction industry. These approaches not only lower carbon footprints by as much as 30% but also minimize material wastage and enhance site safety.

Modular construction, in particular, is gaining traction for its efficiency and reduced environmental impact, with examples of substantial adoption in countries like Sweden and Japan, and specific sectors such as healthcare benefiting from its streamlined processes​​​​.

Another emerging trend is the attention to biodiversity in development projects. The concept of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG), mandated by policies like the Environment Act 2021, requires developments to enhance biodiversity, connecting people with nature and ensuring sustainable integration between urban spaces and natural environments.

This approach signifies a paradigm shift in how developers and property managers consider their impact on the natural world, aiming to bring biodiversity to the forefront of urban planning and development​.

Final Remarks

The shift towards eco-friendly property management is not just a trend; it’s a necessity for the future of our planet. By embracing sustainable construction methods, focusing on energy efficiency, water conservation, and waste reduction, and integrating smart technologies, property managers are setting new standards for the industry.

The emphasis on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria further underscores the holistic approach required to truly make a difference.

As we move forward, the integration of biodiversity considerations and advanced sustainable practices into property management will not only mitigate environmental impacts but also enhance the quality of life for tenants and communities, paving the way for a more sustainable and interconnected world.

Binary Options Trading: A Comprehensive Guide

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Binary options offer a unique way for traders to engage with the currency markets. These options combine the analytical aspects of foreign exchange trading with the simplicity of binary options. This guide delves into the essential peculiarities of binary options trading, tailored to intrigue both novice and seasoned traders.

binary trading

Binary Options: The Basics

Binary options stand out as a distinct derivative trading option based on currency pairs, combining the potential for high returns with a straightforward decision-making process. These options require traders to predict whether the exchange rate of a pair will rise or fall within a predetermined period, offering a binary choice outcome—either ‘yes,’ the rate will surpass a specified level, or ‘no,’ it will not.

What makes binary options particularly appealing is their simplicity, defined risk, and accessibility. Traders are fully informed of potential wins or losses upfront, making risk management more straightforward. At the same time, determining the best time to trade binary options is one of the aspects that requires the greatest attention from a dealer in this field.

Generally, the busiest period of the market is considered to be the ideal opportunity to trade binary options. This usually happens when the London, New York, Sydney, and Tokyo market sessions overlap. These are periods of increased volatility and liquidity, which can cause big price swings.

The Top 3 Features of Binary Options Trading

  1. Fixed Expiry Time: Unlike traditional forex trading, binary options have a fixed expiry date. This could range from a minute to several hours or even days.
  2. Strike Price: This is the price level you believe the currency pair will be above or below at the expiry time.
  3. Payout Structure: If your prediction is correct, you will receive a predetermined payout, usually a percentage of your investment.

Strategies for Trading Binary Options

Successful trading of binary options hinges on effective strategies. Here are a few to consider:

  • Start with a Demo Account: Before diving into live markets, practicing with a demo account is invaluable. It allows you to test strategies, get familiar with platform tools, and understand market movements without financial risk.
  • Stay Informed: The currency markets are highly responsive to global events and economic indicators. Regularly following financial news and understanding how events influence currency rates can provide a competitive edge.
  • Use Technical Analysis: Leveraging charts and technical indicators helps in making more informed trading decisions. Understanding patterns and signals can indicate potential market movements, aiding in strategy development.
  • Manage Your Risk: It’s crucial to define how much you’re willing to risk on each trade. Implementing stop-loss orders and only investing a small percentage of your capital per trade can help preserve your bankroll.
  • Plan Your Trades: Develop a trading plan that outlines your investment goals, risk tolerance, and methodologies. This plan should act as a roadmap for when and how you trade, helping to avoid impulsive decisions.
  • Diversify Your Trades: Don’t put all your capital into a single trade or market. Diversifying across different currency pairs can spread risk and increase the potential for returns.
  • Understand Payouts and Costs: Each broker has specific payout structures and associated costs. Understanding these can help in selecting the right broker and making trades that align with your financial objectives.

How To Successfully Trade On Forex

Advantages and Disadvantages

Binary options trading has its pros and cons, which can affect traders’ results. Here are the essential points to help dealers make well-informed choices:

Benefits

Drawbacks
● Limited Risk: You can only lose what you’ve invested in a trade.

● Simplicity: The binary outcome makes the trading process straightforward.

●  Opportunities in Flat Markets: Even when the forex market is flat, you can profit from binary options.

 ● Limited Reward: The fixed payout means profits are capped.

● Market Sensitivity: High volatility can make predictions more challenging.

● Risk Management: Mismanagement can lead to quick losses. Beginners must be especially careful about this point because the risks in binary options trading are inherently different from those of other popular instruments, such as forex itself or stocks.

Binary options trading presents an intriguing option for traders looking to diversify their strategies. However, like any financial endeavor, it’s crucial to proceed with thorough knowledge. You can acquire the necessary proficiency to successfully work not only with binary options but with binary options as a whole with the help of the dedicated platform. There is a wealth of relevant information there that is constantly updated.

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.

climate-change-sky-earth

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 ومرافقتهم على مستوى بلورة ملفاتهم وتقديمها لصندوق المناخ الأخضر قصد استقطاب التمويلات.

إذ يمكن للهياكل والمؤسسات العمومية أو الخاصة ومؤسسات المجتمع المدني والبلديات تقديم مقترحات مشاريعهم إلى هذه الهيئة، التي توجد نواتها صلب وزارة البيئة والتنمية المحلية، والتي ستلعب دور الرابط بينهم وبين الصندوق الأخضر، حيث ستقوم بتأهيل المشاريع المقدمة وستكون مستقلة عن الإدارة التونسية بما يوفر ضمانة لشروط الشفافية والنجاعة التي يفرضها الصندوق.

وقد قامت الهيئة فعلا خلال  الفترة المنقضية بعقد استشارات بشأن تمويل هذه المشاريع في عدة جهات على غرار صفاقس  وجربة  وجندوبة وبنزرت، حسب ما أكد الخبير التونسي في البيئة عادل بن يوسف.

ويذكر أن الصندوق الأخضر يعد واحدا من أهم الآليات التمويلية في مجال التغيرات المناخية، أنشئ  لمساعدة الدول النامية على تقليص  آثارتغير المناخ والتكيف  معه، وذلك على إثرالمؤتمر الـسادس عشر للأطراف في اتفاقية الأمم المتحدة الإطارية بشأن تغير المناخ سنة 2010.

إلا أنه ومع تعليق تونس آمالا كثيرة على تمويلات هذا الصندوق فهو لا يزال مشروعا غير مكتمل، حيث لم يتجاوز إلى حد الآن مجموع التبرعات 18 مليون دولار في حين كانت الوعود بتوفير 100 مليون دولار سنويا لفائدة الدول النامية لإنجاز مشاريع للتكيف مع التغيرات المناخية والتخفيف من آثارها السلبية.

التأثيرات السلبية للتغير المناخي

تبقى مسألة التمويل أبرز تحدي يواجه تونس في هذا المجال باعتبار التكلفة العالية لمشاريع التأقلم والتي تتطلب، بالضرورة، دعما خارجيا، خاصة مع هشاشة وضع الاقتصاد الوطني وافتقار البلاد للموارد المالية اللازمة مقابل تزايد تهديدات الآثار السلبية للتغير المناخي، والتي تفاقمت وباتت أكثر وضوحا وأشد وطأة من أي وقت مضى. فارتفاع معدلات الحرارة، وتقلص مدخرات المياه العذبة بسبب التملح والجفاف، واضطراب موسم الأمطار، وارتفاع مستوى البحر هي إرهاصات جدية تهدد القطاعات الحيوية في البلاد على غرار الفلاحة والسياحة إضافة إلى صحة الإنسان وجودة الحياة.

فالآثار الناجمة عن  التغير المناخي تؤثر تقريبا على كل جانب من جوانب الحياة اليومية وهذا ما يضع مسألة التأقلم مع التغيرات المناخية والحد من انعكاساتها السلبية في مقدمة الأولويات، التي لا تحتمل الانتظار، مما يجعل تعبئة الجهود جماعية كانت أو فردية أمرا ضروريا وحاسما.

أهمية الوعي الفردي

إلى جانب الحاجة إلى التمويل الخارجي والجهود التي تقوم بها الدولة في حدود إمكانياتها، لا يمكن تجاهل أهمية المسؤولية التي يمكن أن يتعهد بها الفرد والمجتمع تجاه هذا التحدي المناخي.وهذا ما حاول أن يبينه كتاب “تحدي التكيف  معظاهرة التغير المناخي”،من تحرير خبراء من جامعة أوسلو بالنرويج والصادر عن  مطبعة جامعة كامبريدج البريطانية. حيث يخلص الكتاب إلى أن “تحدي التكيف مع تغير المناخ ينطوي على العمل الجماعي والفردي على حد سواء، وما ينبغي على الحكومات القيام به لفرض النظام والاستدامة على السلوك المتهور والمدمر من قبل الأفراد”.

لا يمكن التقليل من دور نمط الاستهلاك لدى المجتمع والسلوكيات الفردية في إحداث الفرق في هذا المجال، فالاستهلاك غير الرشيد للموارد من المياه والطاقة يتسبب في الضغط عليها وإرهاقها. وتعتبر  معدلات استهلاك المواطن التونسي للمياه، مثلا،عالية مقارنة مع محدودية الموارد المائية في تونس وتضررها من التغيرات المناخية.وقد أكد مؤخرا الرئيس المدير العام للشركة التونسية لاستغلال وتوزيع المياه أن “التونسي يستهلك يوميا 140 لترا من الماء، لا يشرب منها سوى لتر ونصف أو لترين”، في وقت يبلغ فيه نصيب الفرد من الماء في تونس 380 متر مكعب سنويا، وهو ما يعني أن البلاد تعيش تحت خط الفقر المائي الذي يقدر 1000 متر مكعب سنويا، وفق ما تؤكده منظمة الأمم المتحدة. الأمر الذي يجعل الترشيد في الاستهلاك ضرورة لا خيارا.

climate-governance

ويمكن الإشادة في هذا الإطار بالحلول التقليدية التي يلتجئ إليها المواطن التونسي لإدارة أزمة الماء على الصعيد الفردي والعائلي من خلال الاعتماد على “الماجل” و”الفسقية” كوسائل لتخزين مياه الأمطار، قصد استغلالها المنزلي أو لري النباتات وسقي الدواجن والمواشي خاصة عند انقطاع مياه الشرب المتكررة خلال الصيف. وقد دأب التونسيون منذ القدم على حفر “المواجل أو “الفسقيات” كجزء أساسي من المنزل. كما أن هذه العادة في طريقها إلى إعادة الإحياء وذلك بتشجيع من الدولة، حيث بدأت مؤخرا وزارة التجهيز والإسكان والتهيئة الترابية في تمكين مالكي المساكن الراغبين في بناء “ماجل” لتجميع مياه الأمطار التمتع بمنحة أو قرض وذلك من الصندوق الوطني لتحسين السكن طبقا للشروط المضمنة بالأمر الحكومي عدد 1125 لسنة 2016.

في سياق متصل وفيما يتعلق بمجال الطاقة، أصبحت اللاقطات الفولطوضوئية، التي بدأت تنتشر على أسطح المباني، مكونا جديدا للمشهد العمراني التونسي. إذ يسهل القانون التونسي للأفراد والمؤسسات العمومية والخاصة إنتاج حاجياتهم من الكهرباء بالاعتماد على الطاقات المتجددة وخاصة منها الشمسية. وهو ما يفسر إقبال المواطنين والمستثمرين على استغلال هذا الحق في توليد الطاقة.

ولئن يهدف المواطنون إلى تركيز لوحات الطاقات الشمسية هذه لتوفير مصاريف الكهرباء والفواتير الباهظة، والتخلص من الانقطاع المتكرر للكهرباء، الذي توفره الشركة العمومية للكهرباء والغاز، وخاصة خلال فترة الذروة الصيفية، فإن هذا يندرج في إطار الجهود التي تبذلها تونس في المساهمة في تخفيض انبعاثات الغازات الدفيئة، حيث يمثل ترشيد استهلاك الطاقة وتوجهها نحو الاعتماد على المصادر المتجددة كالشمس والرياح هدفا هاما بالنسبة للبلاد، تحققه في محاولتها للتكيف مع التغيرات المناخية والتخفيف من آثارها السلبية.

فمع تزايد مخاطر التغير المناخي على البلاد التونسية، التي أكدت الدراسات الدولية على أنها تنتمي إلى أكثر المناطق في العالم تضررا من هذه الظاهرة وأشدها هشاشة تجاهها، تتزايد الحاجة إلى إيجاد الحلول اللازمة لمعالجة هذا التحدي الخطير. وفي ظل صعوبة تطوير المشاريع الكبرى المتعلقة بالتكيف مع التغير المناخي وتبعيتها للتمويل الخارجي، تبرز أهمية تعبئة الجهود وإن كانت فردية في مواجهة تحديات هذه الظاهرة. وهنا يأتي دور الإعلام والمجتمع المدني في رفع مستوى الوعي لدى الأفراد والمجتمع بفاعلية دورهم في هذا المجال.

Flood Risk Assessment Report 101: Balancing Safety And Sustainability In Building Planning

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Flood risk assessment reports (FRARs) are crucial—evaluating potential flood hazards to promote safety through informed mitigation strategies. However, these reports’ environmental impacts are often overlooked in the urgency to protect property and lives.

This article explores integrating sustainability alongside safety within the FRAR framework by utilizing natural flood defenses, eco-conscious materials and design, and life-cycle impact analysis. A balanced approach allows communities to implement flood protection solutions while preserving the surrounding environment for generations.

Flood Risk Assessment Report

Understanding Flood Risk

Before diving into the specifics of a flood risk assessment report, it’s essential to understand the various factors that contribute to flood risk. These can be broadly categorized into:

  • Natural Factors: This includes historical flood data, topography, rainfall patterns, riverine flooding, and coastal storm surges.
  • Human Factors: This encompasses land use changes, deforestation, improper drainage systems, and inadequate infrastructure maintenance.

Components of a Flood Risk Assessment Report

A well-structured flood risk assessment report typically consists of the following key elements:

  1. Project Description: This section provides a detailed overview of the proposed project, including its location, type of development, intended use, and any existing structures on the site.
  2. Site Assessment – This involves thoroughly evaluating the project site, considering its elevation, distance from water bodies, floodplain designation, and any natural drainage channels.
  3. Flood Risk Analysis – This section analyzes the potential flood risks based on historical data, flood maps provided by government agencies, and computer modeling (if necessary). It assesses the likelihood and severity of potential floods, including floodwater’s depth, velocity, and duration.
  4. Mitigation Strategies – This crucial section outlines the measures to address the identified flood risks. This might involve raising the building foundation, constructing flood walls or levees, implementing flood-resistant building materials, and establishing emergency evacuation plans.
  5. Sustainability Considerations – Ideally, a flood risk assessment should prioritize safety and integrate sustainable practices to lower the environmental footprint. This could involve incorporating green infrastructure solutions such as rain gardens, bioswales, and permeable pavements to manage rainwater runoff and reduce the burden on drainage systems.
  6. Conclusion and Recommendations – This section summarizes the report’s key findings, reiterates the recommended mitigation strategies, and potentially proposes further investigations or assessments if required.

Benefits of a Flood Risk Assessment Report

Investing in a comprehensive FRAR offers numerous benefits for both developers and communities:

  1. Improved Safety – A well-prepared FRAR helps identify and address potential flood risks, minimizing the risk of damage to property and loss of life during flood events.
  2. Informed Decision-Making – By outlining the potential risks and mitigation strategies, the FRAR empowers developers and policymakers to make informed decisions regarding the location, design, and construction of buildings, promoting responsible development practices.
  3. Compliance with Regulations – Many regions have regulations mandating flood risk assessments for projects in flood-prone areas. A comprehensive FRAR demonstrates compliance with these regulations, facilitating project approvals and avoiding potential legal complications.
  4. Reduced Insurance Costs – By demonstrating proactive risk management through implementing mitigation strategies, developers might be eligible for reduced flood insurance premiums.
  5. Enhanced Sustainability – Integrating sustainable elements into flood mitigation strategies benefits the environment and can contribute to long-term cost savings for building management and maintenance.

Benefits of Flood Risk Assessment Report

Balancing Safety and Sustainability

While the primary objective of a Flood Risk Assessment Report (FRAR) is to ensure the safety of future occupants, achieving this goal should not come at the expense of environmental sustainability.

Striking a balance between these two priorities is crucial for responsible development. Here’s how FRARs can facilitate this delicate dance:

1. Prioritizing Natural Flood Defenses

Wetland restoration provides places for excess water to be held, reducing flooding. It also filters water and supports wetland environments. Bioswales are areas that collect and filter rainwater runoff. This slows the water flow and lowers flood risk. Using local plants to stabilize coastlines also protects better than concrete walls. It lets coastal ecosystems stay healthy.

2. Embracing Sustainable Materials

Construction projects should use recycled materials when possible, as this lowers the impact on the environment. Choosing local building supplies also supports nearby economies and reduces transportation pollution. Companies like Civica Infrastructure exemplify how sustainable practices can be embedded into large-scale developments. Only using wood approved by stewardship programs helps prevent deforestation. Only using wood approved by stewardship programs prevents deforestation.

3. Integrating Green Design Principles

Structures themselves can help limit flooding and promote eco-friendly design. Planting roof gardens stores and absorbs rainwater before it runs off. Collecting rainfall for watering plants cuts the use of city water supplies and stormwater runoff. Surfaces that allow water to soak into the ground recharge groundwater and reduce high flows.

4. Life-Cycle Assessment

Life-cycle assessment analyzes the complete environmental impact of a flood mitigation project, from the initial sourcing of construction materials through final demolition and disposal decades later, enabling holistic evaluation of sustainability trade-offs when comparing project alternatives over their entire lifespan.

Conclusion

In summary, flood reports present a chance to assess building plans fully. They can promote both community security and help local ecosystems. By utilizing natural flood barriers, embracing eco-friendly construction materials, and evaluating long-term environmental impacts, projects can defend against floods while respecting the environment.

With care and some compromise, developments can still guard occupants while benefiting nature. Flood reports aim for well-rounded outcomes, helping communities today and tomorrow.

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.

Smart-Grid-Saudi-Arabia

What is Smart Grid?

A smart grid network makes for the ideal bridge where the goals of modernization can meet those of a reliable public infrastructure. Smart grid is a computerized technology, based on remote control network, aiming to completely alter the existing electric infrastructure and modernize the national power grid. This is through empowering the demand response which alerts consumers to reduce energy use at peak times.

Moreover, demand response prevents blackouts, increases energy efficiency measures and contributes to resource conservation and help consumers to save money on their energy bills. Smart grid technology represents an advanced system enabling two way communications between energy provider and end users to reduce cost save energy and increase efficiency and reliability.

Advantages of Smart Grid

The beauty of adapting this technology will spread to not only utility but to all utility users including consumers and government. Here are the key benefits of smart grid:

1. Active Role of Consumers

The beauty of smart grid is that it provides consumers with the ability to play an active role in the country’s electricity grid. This is through a regulated price system where the electricity rate differs according to peak hours and consequently consumers cut down their energy use at those high stress times on the grid. Thus, smart grid offers consumers more choices over their energy use needs. 

2. Upgrading the Existing Grid

Utilities benefit from improving the grid’s power quality and reliability as mentioned through an integrated communication system with end users with more control over energy use. This is through decreasing services rates and eliminating any unnecessary energy loss in the network. Thus, all these positive advantages will make smart grid technology a smart and efficient tool for utilities.

3. Contribution to Energy Efficiency

The government of Saudi Arabia is already taking bold steps to adapt new energy efficiency standards as a national plan to reduce domestic energy consumption. For that, adapting and deploying smart grid will enable the kingdom to modernize the national grid. With the time the government will build efficient and informed consumers as a backbone in its current energy policy. Moreover, this advanced technology will help with electricity reduction targets and contribute to lowering the carbon dioxide emissions. Thus, this is a great opportunity for the kingdom to mitigate with the climate change measures.

A Dynamic Approach

Adoption of smart grid systems will help Saudi Arabia in increasing the efficiency of utilities as well as improving the ability of consumers to control their daily energy use. Smart grid technology offers a unique engagement that benefits consumers, utilities and government to become part of the solution. In addition, a smart grid technology is a viable option to enhance the value people receive from the national grid system. This smart transition will give the Saudi government a policy option to reduce drastically its domestic energy use, leveraging new technology through empowering the role of consumers’ active participants on the country’s grid.

Smart-Grid

As peak electricity demand grows across the country, it is important for KSA to make large-scale investment in smart grid solutions and renewable energy systems, especially solar, to improve energy efficiency and manage increasing energy demand. Undoubtedly, smart grid is more intelligent, versatile, decentralized, secure, resilient and controllable than conventional grid. However, to reap the benefits of smart grid systems, utilities in Saudi Arabia need to make major changes in their infrastructure and revolutionize the manner in which business is conducted.

Innovative Trends Increase Appeal Of Sustainable Housing

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Over recent years, an increasing number of people have become interested in learning to live more sustainably. Although it is considerably more difficult for an individual to preserve the environment than it is for a large company, there are a number of ways in which a difference can be made. One of the most effective ways is through sustainable homeownership. While this most certainly does involve implementing sustainable practices on a daily basis, there are several sustainable home design trends that can boost the level of sustainability of a house even more. From implementing passive housing to sourcing building materials and labor locally, here’s a closer look at some of the most prominent sustainable housing design trends of the year.

eco-friendly-home

Passive housing is a game-changer

Passive housing is a building concept that incorporates sustainability from the get-go by reducing energy consumption. By paying careful attention to the orientation of the house, passive energy can be created by allowing natural heat and light to enter the house through windows, glass doors, and walls constructed out of glass blocks.

When enough heat and light enters a home naturally, the reliance on on-grid energy decreases exponentially. Such passive housing can, in fact, result in energy savings of as much as 90% compared to traditional houses, and approximately 75% when compared to modern-day buildings.

Multigenerational homes promote foundational sustainability

While having a nuclear family unit continues to appeal to many, especially millennials, multigenerational homes have once again become a trending concept. While multigenerational homes tend to be larger than your typical suburban house, they do present a fundamental opportunity to decrease overall resource consumption.

By accommodating a multigenerational family under one custom-made roof, everything from land and building materials to water and energy can be saved on. Representatives of one experienced Austin home builder assert that a custom home building process such as this needs to be as customer-centered as it is adaptable to rapidly-changing market trends. This will ensure that the sustainability level of the house can be maximized, without compromising on aesthetics and comfort.

Support local where possible

Although the concept of ‘supporting local’ to increase sustainability is typically associated with consumer goods and services, it is applicable to house design as well. Making use of local building materials and enlisting the services of local architects, builders, and contractors is a trend that developers and homeowners should all get behind.

sustainable-housing

Sustainable housing aims to diminish environmental impacts of building

When locally-manufactured building materials are used, the energy and cost relating to their transport are reduced considerably. Apart from benefiting the environment, supporting local also boosts the local economy and the collective community. Another reason to make use of local materials and labor is the higher quality that can be expected.

Bottom Line

An increasing number of people are seeking out sustainable housing options to boost their overall sustainable living efforts. By staying abreast of the latest trends in sustainable homes, individuals can also actively contribute towards a more sustainable society.

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 mission?

Salman Zafar: EcoMENA came into existence in early 2012 with the primary aim to raise environmental awareness in the MENA region and provide a one-stop destination for high-quality information on environment, energy, waste, water, sustainability and related areas.

EcoMENA has made remarkable progress within a short period of time and has huge knowledge base in English as well as Arabic catering to all aspects of sustainability sector, including renewable energy, resource conservation, waste management, environment protection and water management.

FAIR: How did the idea of such an activity come from?

Salman Zafar: While doing research sometimes back, I noticed lack of easily-accessible information on Middle East environmental sector. EcoMENA was launched to empower masses with updated information on Middle East sustainability sector and latest developments taking place worldwide.

EcoMENA is an online information powerhouse freely accessible to anyone having an interest in sustainable development. Our articles, reports and analyses are well-researched, well-written and of the highest professional standards.

FAIR: What is the “state of the art” in the field of sustainability and environment protection in the MENA countries?

Salman Zafar: Unfortunately environment protection is not given due importance by regional countries, though there has been some high-profile initiatives like Masdar City in Abu Dhabi. Sustainability is, no doubt, making its way in the Middle East but the progress has been slow and unsatisfactory.

The MENA region is plagued by a host of issues including water scarcity, waste disposal, food security, industrial pollution and desertification. A regional initiative with a multi-pronged strategy is urgently required to protect the environment and conserve scarce natural resources.

FAIR: What are EcoMENA aims and initiatives for the future?

Salman Zafar: One of the major objectives of EcoMENA is to provide a strong platform for Middle East youngsters to showcase their talents. We are mentoring young students and providing them opportunities to display their innovativeness, creativity and dedication towards environment protection.

Providing free access to quality information and knowledge-based resources motivates youngsters in a big way. EcoMENA provides encouragement to people 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. With soaring popularity of social media, networking plays a vital role in assimilation of ideas, knowledge-sharing, scientific thinking and creativeness.

We have a strong pool of expert writers from different parts of the world, and remarkably supported by a handful of volunteers from across the MENA region. Apart from being an information portal, EcoMENA also provide expert guidance and mentorship to entrepreneurs, researchers, students and general public.

FAIR: Do you think there is enough attention and sensitiveness in the sustainable development?

Salman Zafar: Things are slowly, but steadily, changing in most of the MENA countries and a more concerted and organized effort is required to bring about a real change in the prevalent environmental scenario.

A green MENA requires proactive approach from all stakeholders including governments, corporates and general public. Strong environmental laws, promotion of clean energy and eco-friendly projects, reducing reliance on fossil fuels, institutional support and funding, implementing resource conservation, raising environmental awareness and fostering entrepreneurial initiatives are some of the measures that may herald a ‘green revolution’ in the region.

FAIR: In your opinion, what is the “added value” of your mission?

Salman Zafar: EcoMENA endeavor to create mass awareness about the need for clean and green environment in the Middle East through articles, projects, events and campaigns. EcoMENA is counted among the best and most popular Middle East sustainability initiatives with wide following across the world.

Our goal is to transform EcoMENA into a regional cleantech and environmental hub by providing quality information, professional solutions and high level of motivation to people from all walks of life.

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 the potential our city has to improve.

amman-sustainability

Below I examine only a few factors that contribute to the unsustainability of Amman. These are not the only issues we are facing as Ammanis but they are some of the factors affected by high level policy making in Greater Amman Municipality.

Transportation in Amman

“Amman is a city that is built for the convenience of cars and drivers”. This is a statement I heard from a TEDxAmman speaker just weeks after I moved back to Jordan from abroad, and it was a shock to hear it phrased in that way. Although I was aware of the obvious lack of public transport and alternative means of getting around the city, I had never realized the extent of how true that statement is.

Any investment in the city’s transport infrastructure goes to build and improve the quality of our roads, bridges and tunnels with no consideration of public transport investment. The one time that Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) attempted to invest in a bus rapid transit (BRT) system, it turned into a very controversial topic, with accusations of corruption and mismanagement of resources all around with the project still not close to being completed.

Amman is also not a very pedestrian friendly city, with virtually no sidewalks found on the streets. Or even worse, the sidewalks we do have are in fact pots to plant trees which makes it very difficult for pedestrians to use it for what it’s meant for; to walk. Additionally, there are barely any pedestrian crossings.

Amman is indeed a city built for the convenience of cars and their owners, with almost a 10% increase in car ownership annually in the city, even in low income families.

Historically speaking, our current transportation system worked well up until the mid-1900s when the population of the city grew from a few hundred thousand people to 2 million. Recently the city has reached a little under 3 million inhabitants with the same road infrastructure minus a few improvements here and there.

This is obviously a challenge that our 3 million Jordanians have to endure on a daily basis, whether it is by fighting traffic every day or by long waits on the very little number of buses that we have.

Even less obvious is the environmental impact of such transport habits, with one estimate being that for each passenger in the city we need to plant 17 trees every year to cover our annual CO2 emissions of 1,464.4kgs. 51 million trees need to be planted every year in Amman to cover our transport emissions!

Waste Management in Amman

“Out of sight, out of mind” is probably best applied to our waste in Amman, or indeed in all of Jordan. We all know that we have garbage trucks passing around the neighborhoods collecting garbage once or twice a week. And we all remember the garbage collecting “crisis” Amman went through in 2012 when garbage was piling up and the out of maintenance trucks couldn’t collect it all.

However what we forget is what happens to all our waste once it’s collected. If we had a developed recycling system, we could slightly reduce the amount of waste produced by residents of Amman. Since recycling is not an option we cannot ignore the 1,400 tons of waste produced every year by Ammanis. This translates to more than half of the waste produced in the country – the remaining cities across Jordan only produce 1.1 tons of waste.

amman-litter

This means that 1,400 tons of waste is transported to landfills outside of Amman, but very close to residents of other cities. Once the garbage in those landfills becomes too much to handle, they burn it to empty up space for even more trash. If you’ve ever been to Zarqa, you are very well aware of the smell from the burning garbage in the landfill along the way.

Urban Sprawl

In my opinion, urban sprawl in Amman is the most important issue Amman is facing. It is also an issue largely ignored by our officials and citizens alike. It has reached a very critical condition because large areas of previously agriculture land is now all converted to residential areas and the very little agricultural land we have left is under immediate threat to be converted to residential neighborhoods.

I was actually very surprised to find out that areas such as Sweileh, Wadi Alseer, and Al Jubayha were separate towns in the early 1900s and not a part of Amman. Now however they’re so urbanized that they’re considered another district in the city.

There were actually some recommendations in the 1950s by a group of international experts to separate Amman from these towns by designating green belts around them to limit construction in those areas. All their recommendations were of course ignored. Now other areas are under the same threat of urbanization and loss of agricultural land especially on the road between 7th circle and the Airport.

amman-urban-development

Of course, till now GAM is licensing agricultural land around Amman for construction of residential areas with no consideration to its importance to our agriculture which is already suffering greatly.

Ingredient of a Sustainable City

There are quite a few factors combined that affect the sustainability of a city, or lack thereof.  Based on the broad definition of Sustainability (meeting present needs while ensuring that resources are available to meet future needs), the definition of sustainable cities broadly would be cities that ensure that the current needs of its residents are meet without compromising on the needs of its future inhabitants.

Some of the criteria that help create sustainable cities are the following:

  • Resource recovery and waste management – collection and disposal of non-recyclable materials, frequent and adequate collection of bins as well as creating a broader waste management strategy
  • Litter prevention  – well placed litter bins in public areas and city centers, litter education and awareness programs and integration of litter management with a broader waste management strategy
  • Environmental innovation and protection – establishing partnerships between community, government and industry to protect environmental resources, establishing local conservation groups, develop and implement public/open space plans for local community, among many others.
  • Water Conservation – innovative water conservation and re-use initiatives.
  • Energy Innovation – innovative energy efficiency measures, renewable energy, and addressing climate change issues.

How Can Amman Actually Become Sustainable?

Obviously there is quite a journey ahead of Amman, and Jordan as a whole in fact, in becoming sustainable. While GAM is the main entity able to create the needed environmental regulations, channel investments into sustainable public transport, allow innovations in renewable energy,  and guide the many other initiatives we cannot ignore the role of individual citizens.

In a micro level, each individuals behavior, regardless of how insignificant it may seem to them does indeed influence the overall sustainability of the city. Enumerating the various water conservation, energy efficiency, or waste management methods would probably be repetitive however one request I make of myself and other Ammanis is to be constantly thoughtful of our impact and try to reduce it as much as possible.

One way to remain thoughtful is to remain informed. We should all be aware what the impact of our actions is. Whether it pertain to CO2 emissions of our cars, or the lack of actual waste management.

We should be informed to be able to influence decision making as well. There will come a day when we have proper communication channels with GAM and other government officials and we will be able to shape the decisions that will make our city more sustainable.

Till that day comes, don’t ignore your responsibility as an aware, thoughtful citizen of our beautiful city.

References

    1. The Road Not Taken, Jordan Business, Hazem Zureiqat 
    2. Traffic in Amman, Jordan, Numbeo.com
    3. Urban Sprawl, Center for the Study of the Built Environment (CSBE), Mohammad Al Asad

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 Conference on Sustainable Development in 2012 has acknowledged the importance of gender equality and women empowerment, the CBD identifies the integration of women right in biodiversity conservation as intrinsically vital.

ecotherapy

يبقى الإنسان محور أهداف الفكر البيئي، وتتمثل أولويات مفاهيهمة في صون الامن البيئي للإنسان

Linking gender equality and sustainable development is not only important for ethical and moral reasons, but also because achieving gender equality as human rights of women is prerequisite of a fair and sustainable globe and future.

Increasingly, achievement of environmental sustainability is recognized as central to pursue development goals. It`s crucial that gender equality —a human right—is central to this pursuit. Worldwide, there is a perception that women are closer to nature than men, as women interact directly and more intensively with the natural surroundings more than their counterparts’ men, which produced their profound experience, understanding and knowledge about the environment.

Many studies on women and environment have shown that women are significant role player in natural resources management and ecological preservation. Women in the Arabia are serving as farmers, water conservationists and scientists with more respectful and caring attitude.

The interesting dilemma about all is since women interact directly with the environment, and because of their roles as home-managers, they are often vulnerable to several environmental threats and hazards especially rural women in developing countries. The toxic environmental hazards may increase the risk of birth defects, abortion, perinatal death, and fetal growth retardation.

Women in Agriculture and Soil Conservation

Globally, women produce around half of all the grown food, women`s roles in agriculture include: planting, cultivation, production, weeding, distribution, harvesting and storage, women are also involved in animal farming such as rearing poultry and goat. Some examples of the role of women in agriculture in Arabia include rural women in the Jordan Valley, who have proved themselves in agricultural work and is now irreplaceable in various agricultural operations.

In addition, women have participated in and led soil and plant conservation projects. A role model is the Royal Botanic Garden (RBG) of Jordan, led by its founder HRH Princess Basma bint Ali. The RBG aims to preserve plants and ecosystems, and promote biodiversity research and environmental education in Jordan.

Women in Forest Management and Tree Planting

In many areas of the Arab world, natural resources, such as firewood, are the main source of energy for domestic consumption. Unfortunately, the extensive use of these sources has led to forests degradation and air pollution. At the same time, women are the main contributor in forest management through planting and protection.

A good example is the campaign organized by the APN, represented by its President Razan Zeater, which has planted more than two million trees in Jordan and Palestine.

Women and Water Resources

Around the Middle East, women constitute the main group of direct users of water for household consumptions. Therefore, they are a mainstream interest group in water management to provide and safeguard their own water resources. Women involvement in water management is growing up, but not yet receiving the attention it deserves.

To fill the gap, many programs are launched to empower women at all levels including research. Dr. Malak AlNory, a scientist and a winner of Ibn Khaldun fellowship, researched the supply chain for water in Saudi Arabia and was the first Saudi woman presented her paper at the IDA Congress in 2013.

Women and Waste Management

Women role in waste management include garbage disposal management and research. Dr.Sumaya Abbas, a Bahraini engineer and a winner of L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women In Science Fellowship, works on waste management and waste transformation into energy. “Because oil and gas resources are depleting, we are looking at alternatives sources of energy, and waste is one of them ” she clarifies.

Women and Energy

Worldwide, many people lack access to modern, clean energy, which has a huge impact on general quality of life. Rural women devote much of their time as fuel gatherers. Additionally, women work on projects to produce energy.

Rafea-Solar-Jordan

An excellent model is the Jordanian brave Bedouin Rafea, who decided to challenge gender roles in her Bedouin community and followed her aspirations to light up her underprivileged village by enrolling in a solar program in India. Rafea has not only become the first female solar engineer in Jordan, but she has also set up 80 small-scale solar systems, helping her village to become solar-powered. Today Rafea is a role model, an elected leader and training many others on how to use sustainable energy.

Women and Policy

There is growing evidence of the synergies between gender equality and environmental sustainability. While women participation is vital, their involvement in policy-making aimed at sustainability does not mean better gender equality, especially when the foundations of gender inequality remain unchanged. Governments and donor agencies target women as influential agents for green transformation.

However, such stereotypical assumptions which view women as “sustainability saviors” have risks, as it’s based on the assumption that women are unlimited resource that can sustain environments without consideration of women’s health, time, knowledge, interests and opportunities. Thus, women’s involvement in policy-making focused only at sustainability doesn’t mean better gender equality; on the contrary, increase of women’s already heavy unpaid work burdens without consideration of their benefits in advantage to the environment can worsen gender inequalities and power imbalances.

Conclusions

Despite the challenges, this is a time of great opportunity for Arab women in the environmental sector.  Worldwide, there are many examples of alternative pathways that move towards environmental sustainability and gender equality synergistically, which means respect for women knowledge, capabilities, rights and entrepreneurship, while ensuring that roles are matched with rights, control over resources and decision-making power.

References

  1. Wuyep, Solomon Z. et al “Women Participation in Environmental Protection and Management: Lessons from Plateau State, Nigeria.” American Journal of Environmental Protection, n.d. Web. 2014.
  2. Yalan, Zhu. Women’s Participation in Environmental Protection Organizations—A Qualitative Study of Australian Women’s Involvement in Green Non-Governmental Organizations. Diss. D the Graduate School of Beijing Foreign Studies U, 2007. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.
  3. Chelala, Cesar. “Women’s Role Key to Saving Environment.” China Daily. N.p., 2011. Web. 27 July 2015.
  4. “Women, Environment and Sustainable Development: Making the Links.” UNEP (n.d.): n. pag. Web. <http://www.unep.org/civilsociety/Portals/24105/documents/publications/Women%20and%20the%20environment/ChapterTwo.pdf>.
  5. The Environment and Women’s Health (n.d.): n. pag. Web. <http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/environment-womens-health.pdf>.
  6. JACKSON, CECILE. “Doing What Comes Naturally? Women and Environment in Development.” World Development. N.p., n.d.
  7. Schultz, . Irmgard.et al  “Research on Gender, the Environment and Sustainable Development.” N.p., n.d. Web. <ftp://ftp.cordis.europa.eu/pub/eesd/docs/wp1_endversion_complete.pdf>.
  8. UN Documents. Beijing Platform for Action. Chapter IV. K. Women and the Environment, n.d. Web. 26 July 2013. http://www.un-documents.net/bpa-4-k.html
  9. “Gender and Sustainable Development.” (2014): n. pag. The Research and Data Section of UN Women. Web..
  10. “Postural Synergies: Gender Equality, Economic Development and Environmental Sustainability.” SpringerReference (2012): n. pag. UNDP. Web.
  11. “For Women, It’s Personal.” Water.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 July 2015.
  12. “WEDO » NEW Article: “Women and Energy Access: Impact on Sustainable Development and Livelihoods”” WEDO RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 July 2015
  13. “Sustainable Energy.” (2010): n. pag” http://www.ashden.org/files/pdfs/reports/DFID-Energia-Ashden-Report-Public-Summary-Feb-2015.pdf“
  14. Rafea: Solar Mama. Dir. Jehane Noujaim and Mona Eldaief. Perf. Rafea, Rouf Dabbas, Um Bader. N.p., 2014. Web. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ON_NQ1HnRYs>.
  15. Sarant, Louise. “L’Oreal-UNESCO Recognises Exceptional Arab Women Scientists.” – News. Nature Middle East, 9 Feb. 2013. Web. 31 July 2015. <http://www.natureasia.com/en/nmiddleeast/article/10.1038/nmiddleeast.2013.20>.

التأثيرات الإجتماعية والإقتصادية للتغير المناخي على الصحة الإنجابية للإناث

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تواجه ملايين الإناث حول العالم ضغوطاً هائلة بسبب الانتهاكات المختلفة  لحقهن الإنساني في الرعاية الصحية خاصة الجوانب المتعلقة بالخصوبة والإنجاب منها, ويثقل تغير المناخ هذا العبء بطرق مأساوية كما يحدث في العديد من بلدان العالم من زيادة الفيضانات في بنغلاديش, إلى الأعاصير في موزمبيق, إلى التصحرفي نيجيريا وغيرها الكثير.

آثار التغير المناخي الإجتماعية على الصحة الإنجابية

تندرج الموضوعات المتعلقة بالخصوبة وصحة الأم وطفلها ضمن مصطلح الخصوبة والصحة الإنجابية (FRH). تؤدي الأزمات إلى استفحال عدم المساواة بين الجنسين القائمة أساساً من قبل خاصة بين الفئات الأقل حظاً, مما يؤدي إلى ارتفاع مستويات الوفيات والمرض لدى الإناث وذلك لعدم المساواة في الحصول على المياه وخدمات الصرف الصحي والرعاية الصحية والتغذية الكافيتين. إجتماعياً, وفي العديد من الثقافات, تعاني النساء من محدودية الحركة وكبر المسؤوليات الأسرية وعدم قدرتهن على صنع القرار الأسري بما في ذلك القرارات المتعلقة بصحتهن الإنجابية. كما تكون النساء أكثر عرضة للفقر وللسكن غير الصحي, وهذه الحالة ستزداد سوءًا عندما يتعرضن للفيضانات والجفاف والعواصف والإنهيارات الثلجية والزلازل وغيرها من الكوارث المناخية.

reproductive-health

توثق دراسة أجراها  الإتحاد الدولي لحماية الطبيعة (IUCN) الروابط المباشرة بين الضغوط البيئية والعنف الجنسي, حيث سلطت الدراسة الضوء على الإتجار بالبشر والتحرش والإعتداء وما يتبعه من حمل غير مرغوب فيه في المناطق التي واجهت شح الموارد الطبيعية نتيجة للتغير المناخي, فكثيراً ما تتعرض الإناث للعنف والاستغلال الجنسيين عند سعيهن للحصول على الغذاء والاحتياجات الأساسية لأنفسهن ولأفراد أسرهن, حيث تقترن بعض الحالات التي ينعدم فيها الأمن الغذائي بإفلات مرتكبي العنف الجنسي من العقاب. هذا وتزداد احتمالية حوادث العنف المنزلي والزواج المبكر أو القسري أو كلاهما، وقد يتباين مستوى قابلية الإناث للتضرر حسب نوع الكارثة والسياقات الجغرافية والاجتماعية والثقافية.

ثانياً: تأثيرات التغير المناخي الإقتصادية وتحليل أثر تهديد الأمن الغذائي على الصحة الإنجابية

كثفت الأبحاث جهودها على أهمية تغذية المرأة, فعندما تحصل النساء على غذاء صحي فإنهن يكن أقل عرضة للإجهاض أو وفاة الجنين, ومن المرجح أن يولد أطفالهن بوزن صحي وبفترة حمل صحية. يُعتقد أيضًا أن النساء والأطفال الذين يتغذون جيدًا هم أكثر استعدادًا للرضاعة الطبيعية وبالتالي دعم النمو الصحي للطفل الذي سيصبح بالغًا سليمًا.

يعتمد فقراء قرى البلدان النامية اعتمادًا كبيرًا على بيئتهم لإنتاج غذائهم المحلي من الزراعة والثروة  الحيوانية. لذا يلعب المناخ دوراً مهماً في تحديد دخل هذه الأسر, فعند ارتفاع درجات الحرارة وتأثر موسم الأمطار فإن الموارد الإقتصادية وتوافر الغذاء تتأثر سلباً وتنعكس هذه التأثيرات على FRH, ومنها التغيرات في السلوك الجنسي والصحة النفسية والخصوبة لدى الرجل والولادة والصحة العامة للأم والطفل وتحديد عدد الأطفال والموارد المتاحة لهم, حيث يمكن أن تؤثر الاستجابات السلوكية لانعدام الأمن الغذائي على نتائج الولادة من حيث الإجهاد الحراري, الإجهاض أو موت الجنين. فمثلاً, تعمل النساء في المناطق شبه الحضرية في واغادوغو في قطع أراضي أزواجهن في ساعات الظهيرة الحارة, حيث أعربن عن شعورهن بالإجهاد البدني والنفسي إذا حدث أنهن حملن أثناء فترات العمل بسبب الخوف من الإجهاض أو تأثر صحة الجنين.

يؤثر تغير المناخ سلباً على الطقس وبالتالي على توافر المحاصيل الحيوية كالقمح والذرة والأرز, مما ينتج عنه تأثيرات سلبية على أسعار المواد الغذائية وإنتاجها واستهلاكها, كما أنه من المتوقع أن تؤدي الزيادات في أسعار محاصيل الحبوب هذه إلى ارتفاع أسعار الأعلاف الحيوانية وبالتالي ارتفاع أسعار اللحوم، مما يؤدي إلى انخفاض إجمالي في استهلاك اللحوم والحبوب بحلول عام 2050, مما يعني أن التغير المناخي يهدد استقرار إنتاج المحاصيل وتوافر الغذاء وبالتالي الأمن الغذائي في المناطق المعرضة لسوء التغذية ونقص الغذاء,  كما أنه سيتسبب بمشكلات اقتصادية أخرى بسبب نقص الدخل الفردي والأسري. في الواقع، وجد أن المتاجر الصغيرة كانت أقل مقاومة لظواهر الطقس المتطرفة مقارنةً مع المتاجر الكبيرة الموجودة في المدن.تكمن أهمية كل ما ذكر من تغييرات بتأثيرها على استهلاك العناصر الغذائية وبالتالي على توقيت الحيض, حيث تشير الدراسات إلى أن الغذاء المتوازن ضروري للحفاظ على التوقيت الطبيعي للدورة الشهرية. باختصار، يمكن أن يؤدي اختلال نسب المواد الغذائية إلى الحيض المبكر أو المتأخر، وكلاهما مرتبط بعواقب مرضية محددة. من المحتمل أن يكون للتغيرات الطقسية التي تسبب مشاكل في سلسلة الإمداد الغذائي آثاراً مدمرة على توقيت الحيض للأجيال القادمة إذا لم يتم التعامل معها ومعالجتها. وتتفاقم هذه الآثار السلبية بين السكان المعرضين للجوع وسوء التغذية بسبب انخفاض الاستقرار الاقتصادي.

 لتوصيات

الاستفادة من الخبرات المحلية

تميل مناطق العالم التي خضعت تاريخياً لتغيراتٍ مناخيةٍ شديدةٍ إلى امتلاك معرفة محلية قائمة على العادات التقليدية, والتي يمكن أن تكون مفيدة في مكافحة آثار تغير المناخ على الأمن الغذائي، وهناك بحث مستمر في هذا الفضاء ليكون الهدف منه إنشاء نظام بيئي متماسك قادر على التكييف لمواجهة الظواهر الجوية المتطرفة مع الاستمرار في تمكين الإنتاج الغذائي المتوازن.

إجراء الدراسات والمسوحات المختصة

عند النظر في حلول لأزمة تغير المناخ، قد لا تكون خدمات FRH أول ما يتبادر إلى الذهن, ولكن يمكنها أن تلعب دوراً جوهرياً  في إستراتيجيات الصحة الإنجابية المستقبلية. حيث يعد توفر المعرفة أمراً أساسياً من أجل التأثير على السلوكيات الفردية والجماعية, لا سيما أن المعرفة تشكل رأسمالاً ومصدراً للأفكار والتجارب. إن المعلومات العالمية المتوفره والمتعلقة  في تغير المناخ وأثاره على FRH نادرة,لذا فإنه من الواجب القيام بأبحاث للحصول على معلومات في هذا المجال وتحديد التوصيات التي ترصد آثار وأضرار تغير المناخ على FRH, كما ويجب تحديد الفجوات المعرفية والتشريعية المتعلقة بتغير المناخ وFRH, حيث أن بناء المعرفة فيما يتعلق بالصحة الإنجابية  وعلاقتها بتغير المناخ تؤدي حتماً إلى تقليل نسبة وفيات الأطفال وتحسين صحة الأم والقضاء على الأمراض السارية والمعدية والمتعلقة بالتغير المناخي.

كما تعتبر هذه الدراسات مرجعية علمية مختصة وشاملة لصناع القرار لتساعدهم في تصميم وتنفيذ المشاريع وخطط العمل بناء عليها. كما يمكن الوقوف على التحديات المتعلقة بالسياسات والتي يفرضها التغير المناخي على قطاع الصحة الإنجابية. هذا ويجب إدماج اعتبارات تقييم التأثر بتغير المناخ على FRH وتدابير التكيف مع السياسات والإستراتيجيات وخطط العمل لقطاع  الصحة البيئية, والتي تزيد من المنافع الصحية المشتركة وتقلل من العواقب غير المقصودة. وأخيرا يجب العمل على تعزيز تثقيف الجمهور حول آثار التغير المناخي على FRH لتحديد أولويات التأقلم.5.    زيادة إمكانية استفادة النساء من خطط الحماية الإجتماعية وبرامج تنويع سبل العيش, والتأقلم مع تغير المناخ، ومقومات الاستدامة, وعناصر تمكين المرأة.

تحقيق المبادئ الثلاثة

المساواة ، والمشاركة والتمكين، والمسائلة وإمكانية اللجوء إلى القضاء, والتي تعتبر أساسية لكفالة تنفيذ جميع التدخلات المتعلقة بالحد من مخاطر الكوارث في سياق تغير المناخ.

أدنى بقعة في العالم تنتج أكبر طاقة شمسية في فلسطين

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تشير الإحصاءات إلى أن أكثر من 98٪ من الطاقة يتم استيرادها من إسرائيل، وهو ما يعني أن فلسطين في الوقت الحالي تعتمد بالكامل على الاحتلال الاسرائيلي  لتزويد احتياجاتها من الطاقة والكهرباء, ونظراً لأن فلسطين تستقبل اشعاعاً شمسياً يعتبر الاعلى في العالم وأن أسعار البترول والمشتقات التفطية تعتبرعالية نسبياً بالمقارنة بالدول العربية والعالمية الاخرى فان وجود الطاقة المتجددة لتعزيز وتطوير الطاقة المستدامة للفلسطينيين هو من الأهمية بمكان وأن التركيز على تقليل الاعتماد على واردات الطاقة من الاحتلال الاسرائيلي وزيادة استخدام مصادر الطاقة المتجددة المتاحة في فلسطي هو من سبل تعزيز صمود ومواجهة للاحتلال الاسرائيلي .

المقدسيون وهم سكان القدس المحتلة يواجهون ضغوطا اقتصادية حادة من قبل سلطات الاحتلال الاسرائيلي وتكمن هذه الضغوط على شكل  ضرائب وقيود على النشاط الاقتصادي والسياسي والاجتماعي لسنوات عديدة وذلك محاولة من الاحتلال الاسرائيلي طردهم وتهجيرهم من أماكن سكناهم , ولدعم صمود سكان القدس الشرقية في مدينة القدس المحتلة قامت مؤسسة فلسطين الغد للتنمية والتييترأسها رئيس الوزراء السابقد. سلام فياض، بتمويل مشروع للطاقة الشمسية وذلك بانشاء محطة تولد الطاقة الشمسية ( وقفية البلدة القديمة )

أن سكان القدس والبالغ عددهم حوالي 40 ألف نسمة، يعانون من الفقر والتهميشوعلى الرغم من فقر السكان إلا أنهم ملزمون أيضاً بدفع تكلفة الكهرباء بتعرفة تزيد بحاوالي 15% عن التعرفة التي يدفعها السكان الإسرائيليون، الأمر الذي يثقل كاهلهم، خاصة وأن معظمهم ينتمون إلى شرائح فقيرة أصلاً.

ولدعم صمود هذه العائلات ولمساعدتها في مواجهة المتطلبات المعيشية، قامت المؤسسة بدعم لفاتورة الكهرباء المنزلي ل 5,000 عائلة فلسطينية في البلدة القديمة في القدس، وذلك بواقع 14 دولار أمريكي لفاتورة الكهرباء لكل عائلة، مما يساهم في خفض فاتورة الكهرباءبالمعدلحوالي 25 %وباستدامة لهذا الدعم ولمدة تصل لغاية 25 عاماُ .

في منطقة قريبة من أريحا  المدينة التي تعتبر احدة من أقدم المدن المأهولة بالسكان  في العالم وأدنى مستوى تحت سطح البحر في العالم (  258 متر (846 قدم) تحت مستوى سطح البحر ) يقع  أكبر مشروع للطاقة المتجددة في فلسطين ومدينة أريحا كانت ساحة المعركة النظيفة ضد الاحتلال الإسرائيلي وجزءاً  من السعي المتواصل للاستقلال الذاتي للطاقة في فلسطين .

أن  محطة مشروع البحر الميت الكهروضئية  لتوليد الطاقة  هي من أهم المشاريع وأضخمها ليس في فلسطين وحسب بل في المنطقة العربية ككل وتأتي هذه المحطة التي تقدر طاقتها الانتاجية بـ 710 كيلو واط ساعةوالتي تنتج أكثر من 90000  شيكل شهرياً والتي تم تشغيلها بواسطة شركة كهرباء القدس في ديسمبر كانون الاول عام 2014, وقد تم تصميم وبناء هذه المحطة بنسبة 100%  بأيد وخبرات فلسطينية محلية , ولقد قامت شركة مصادر لأنظمة الطاقة وهي إحدى الشركات الرائدة في مجال تركيبأنظمة الطاقة المتجددة في فلسطين بتنفيذ هذا المشروع وبفترة قياسية لم تتجاوز الستة شهور ، وقد بلغت تكلفة انشاء هذه المحطة ما يقارب المليون دولار أمريكي .

أن هذا المشروع وغيره من المشاريع يعطي أملاً لدى الفلسطينين لاستخدام الطاقة البدبلة كنوع من المقاومة الناعمة والسلمية ويبرز الوجه الحضاري لفسطين في الاستثمار في قطاع الطاقة المتجددة وكبديل عن الطاقة التي يتم استيرادهما من شركات الاحتلال الاسرائيلي وكمصدر طاقة اضافي يغذي النقص الحاد في احنياجات قطاع الكهرباء في فلسطين ولتصبح الطاقة الكهروضوئية بنسبة متقاربة من استخدام الطاقة الحرارية لتسخين المياه وبنسبة 80% من اجالي استخدام الطاقة الحرارية في فلسطين .

 

المهندس عبد الناصر دويكات

باحث ومهتم بالطاقة المتجددة وترشيد الاستهلاك 

Plastic Pollution: The Search for a Sustainable Solution

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Given the present momentum of events, anthropocene may not last for long as it is engineering the apocalypse with the wonder material – Plastics. Anthropocene signifies the geological period when humans have been the dominant influence on the planet’s environment. According statistics, the world produced 322 million metric tons of plastics in 2015; and it is likely to be four times more by 2050. Plastics have become ubiquitous in our lives today.

This wonder material which was invented in 1907 is thickly intertwined with every aspect of our lives today – from toothbrush to the sophisticated gadgets and equipment which define our lives. However, it is so cheap to produce that its use has become rampant in single-use products, also called disposables. However, this is the starting point of the menace. It contaminates every component of our eco-system – land, water and air.

plastic-waste-middle-east

Plastic waste pose a serious threat to marine life in the Middle East

Environmental and Health Hazards

On land, plastic poses the risk of clogging the city sewer system leading to flooding, while stagnant water in big cities conveniently create the ideal breeding grounds for diseases. The harmful chemicals that leech into the soil from the plastics dumped in landfills, can contaminate the soil and ground water entering our food chain. This has been found to lead to hypospadias which is the abnormality of the genitals.

In the research conducted by the University of Minnesota and the State University of New York, out of 159 tap water sample from 14 countries that were analyzed for plastic contamination, 83% were found to contain plastic particles. The study revealed that people may be ingesting between 3,000 to 4.000 microparticles of plastic from tap water every year. Though the health risks are still unknown, what is established is that these particles have a potential to absorb and release potentially harmful chemicals and bacteria.

Almost 19 million tons of plastic waste end up in the oceans each year. Considering the plastic debris found in the ocean today, it is anticipated that the plastics in the ocean will outnumber the fish by year 2050. The immediate dangers to the marine life are from entangling in the nets or rings and by the consumption of the microplastics (small pieces into which the other meso-plastics shred) mistaken for food.

But this is just the tip of the iceberg. When plastics enter the marine environment, they are broadly categorized into three, viz., namely microplastics, macro-plastics and meso-plastics.

Microplastics and Macroplastics

Microplastics are those that usually have a diameter of 1-5 mm. Microplastics are further divided into primary and secondary microplastics. Primary microplastic are those that are used “in the form of plastic–based granulates or pellets”, while secondary microplastics are those that “occur through the chemical and physical degradation process of macro-plastics”.

Macro-plastics, on the other hand, are those which have a diameter of over 20mm, while meso-plastics have a dimeter of about 5-20mm. Of all these forms, microplastics is the biggest threat to marine life as these plastics are so tiny that they can easily enter the food chain in the sea, which is ultimately ingested by humans. These microplastics tend to further break down into nano-plastics.

turtle-plastic-ingestion

Air is the third component of our eco-system that is affected by Plastics. If the by-products from the manufacturing of plastics contaminate air, so do the phthalates. Phthalates are the toxic chemicals added to plastics to make them softer and more pliable. These toxic materials are not chemically bound to the products and easily evaporate into the air. This off-gassing results in the typical “plastic” smell.

Engineering the Change

Environmentalists and the researchers have suggested various measures to combat the problems arising due to plastics. The philosophy that has gained a lot of prominence lately is the 3Rs – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. It makes a lot of business sense to recycle the existing plastic waste to feed as raw materials for our insatiable need for plastics.

There have been lot of measures by the governments of developed countries in Europe and America to measure the plastics generated and about the percentage that has been successfully recycled. The European Commission supporting and propagating the “circular economy platform” is a step in this direction. The corporate world also rode the bandwagon of reuse with Apple and Nokia announcing to buy-back their old models emphasizing on reuse.

However, such regulations are yet to gain steam in the developing and underdeveloped world and in the organizations in the world.  Just as prevention is better than cure, the most important in this chain is to “reduce” plastic generation in the first place.

Locus of action

Considering the locus of action to implement the 3R framework, we can identify three levels to work with – individual, organizational level and macro level (national and international). Starting from the individual and his choices leading to the use and disposal of plastics, to the organizational level involving policies and regulations to minimize or use of recycled plastics and choice of environment friendly substitutes.

At the national and international level, global campaigns and initiatives including measures to establish a plastic pollution treaty between nations are being proposed by the think tanks. The overarching goal being the recycling, reuse and reduction of plastics.

The 5 Gyres Institute, which uses research to motivate change, emphasizes that organizations take responsibility for the entire life-cycle of the products they create. United Nations has instituted prevention and significant reduction of marine pollution as a Sustainable Development goal, which is certainly heartening. The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) in its global campaign is urging individuals to eliminate excessive wasteful use of single-use plastics.

On the other hand, through its Clean Seas campaign, UN urges countries and businesses to eliminate use of micro-plastics from their products and significantly reduce other disposable plastic items by 2022. Ten countries including Indonesia, Uruguay, Costa Rica have aligned themselves to this initiative with a pledge to make provisions to significantly slash marine litter by taking up measures such as taxing single-use plastic bags, better waste management and education etc. Meanwhile, dynamic political conditions and the political agenda of the governments make other alternative level initiatives imperative.

The most important step is to reduce plastic generation in the first place.

Technological solutions and discoveries of bacteria and micro-organisms which would dissolve and digest plastics, don’t seem to be a possibility soon. Measures such as shifting to biodegradable plastics, charging for the plastic bags, training the packing staff in supermarkets to use the optimal number of bags etc. are some of the measures that are being undertaken at the organizational level and the supermarkets to reduce the problem. Similarly, supply chains should also be modified, designed and managed to minimize the use of non-degradable inputs.

Also Read: Microplastics – A Threat to Food Production

Towards a sustainable solution

A more sustainable and long-lasting solution to tackle plastic pollution could be to look at the individuals – grass roots, the source of the demand to find a sustainable solution. Unconventional campaigns such as the one created by Dan de Almeida and Michael Hughes have been very creative. Their proposal to recognize the Great Pacific Garbage Patch as a sovereign nation, named as the Trash Isles, have been quite unorthodox with the aim of creating awareness about the problem. They have approached the UN with the proposal for official statehood for the “Trash Isles” with mock-ups of a passport, flags, currency and stamps for this would-be nation. With the children in their formative years, who are important stakeholders in this phenomenon, schools and educational institutions are doing their fair share by creating awareness and seeding the thoughts.

Sustainable results usually call for more than just creating awareness. We need to conceptualize and design systems and put the required infrastructure in place to enable execution and realization of benefits. If we need to reduce use of single-use plastics, we need to design and propose plastics free solutions to people’s needs at a reasonable cost. Only then can we expect any permanent change.

Can use of Behavioral Modification (BM) in behavior and choices, sound as a probable solution? Behavior modification that works on the ABC (Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence) model involves finding out the antecedents i.e. the current environment that influences peoples’ choices and what can be altered to make it favorable for behavior change. This should then be followed with giving them reasons to change to favorable behaviors and then constantly measure the effect to implement informed interventions and thereby create the much-desired result, a better world.

The gains must be made permanent using the Change Management techniques. This approach may not be easy or involve less effort, however these need to be considered as vital components of the multi-pronged approach essential to tackle this mammoth that is our creation.