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The Retreat of the Tigris River and Its Impact on Biodiversity in Northern Iraq

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The Tigris River, one of Mesopotamia’s twin lifelines, plays a vital ecological and socioeconomic role in northern Iraq. However, over the past two decades, it has undergone significant hydrological decline. This retreat, driven by a combination of climate change, upstream damming, and poor water governance, has caused a cascading effect on ecosystems and livelihoods, particularly in the northern provinces of Iraq such as Nineveh, Dohuk, and parts of Erbil. The drop in water levels in the Tigris River has: Severely impacted agricultural lands, especially in riparian zones that once depended on natural flooding cycles for soil fertility Diminished fish populations … Continue reading →

Introduction to Vertical Axis Wind Machines

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Wind energy is growing more economical and reliable. Vertical axis machines can help meet smaller, local needs for communities with limited resources.  These include pumping water, grinding grain, powering  workshops and in some cases, generating electricity. Learn about the two main types of vertical axis wind machines in this article: The lift type (eggbeater, helical and h-rotor) The Darrieus vertical axis wind turbines often has two or three thin, curved blades, depending on the model. These turn at higher speeds suitable for generating electricity but require much greater skill in design and engineering. The h-type is simply vertical blades. The … Continue reading →

Historic Vertical Axis Wind Machines: Lessons for Sustainable Energy

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Most people are familiar with horizontal axis wind machines. These include the charming Dutch and Danish water pumping machines, the smaller sail windmills of Portugal, Greece and other areas, the iconic multi-blade water pumpers of the American west (millions sold), and the ever larger and more expensive three-blade wind turbines being used around the world to generate electricity. Hundreds of different wind machine designs have been proposed, built and tested and innovation continues to this day. The vertical axis wind machines are less well known. These had been invented and refined hundreds of years before the horizontal axis machines. Two … Continue reading →

Water Scarcity and Mining: Navigating Environmental Pressures in the MENA Mineral Sector

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Water in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is precious, but demand for the region’s copper, phosphate and rare-earth deposits keeps climbing. Those who are a part of this sector face a daily trade-off — unlock mineral wealth or safeguard every drop. The latest research uncovers how forward-thinking operators already make water-smart mining the norm. Water Stress — The Non-negotiable Starting Point In 2023, the average renewable water supply for each person in MENA hovered around 480 cubic meters — well below the 1,000 cubic-meter threshold that signals scarcity and barely one-tenth of the global mean. To complicate matters, … Continue reading →

Solar Energy in Colorado: Things You Should Know

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Coal is one non-renewable energy source that people have long used. But due to industrialization and the increasing population, these sources of energy are decreasing at a fast rate. Additionally, non-renewable energy sources may have a negative impact on the environment. Due to these reasons, there was a need to develop a more sustainable and renewable energy source. Enter solar energy. States such as Colorado have made an effort to harness this non-depleting energy source, which is no surprise as it’s one of the sunniest states in the US. As technology advances, it has become easier for most Colorado residents … Continue reading →

The Importance of HIPAA Compliance in Faxing

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In the healthcare industry, safeguarding patient information is a priority that cannot be overstated. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) lays down stringent standards for the protection of health information when it is transferred, received, handled, or shared. This extends to fax communications, a method still prevalent in medical settings due to its convenience and perceived reliability. Understanding and adhering to HIPAA requirements during fax transmission is not just legally necessary but also critical to maintaining patient trust. Below, we examine the nuances of HIPAA compliance in faxing, detailing why it’s crucial and how it can be achieved … Continue reading →

What is the Most Suitable Renewable Energy for the UAE

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Renewable energy is a hot topic these days. You’ve probably heard of it, but you might not know exactly what it is. Renewable energy is energy that comes from resources that are naturally replenished over time. These resources include the sun, wind, biomass, geothermal and much more. Clean energy not only help the environment by reducing the reliance on fossil fuels, but it can also save money on your energy bills. Renewable energy option for the UAE The UAE has been a global leader in the adoption of renewable energy technologies and is now looking to expand its renewable energy … Continue reading →

Persian Wheel for Lifting Water – Another Ancient Innovation

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Lifting water can increase the area that can be farmed, improve agricultural productivity, and provide drinking water. A Persian Wheel lifts water with animal or human power when there is insufficient flow for a noria. The animal energy was often supplied by a team of oxen. The Persian wheel may have been invented in Persia, Egypt, Kush (Sudan), Nubia, India, or even China. The earliest reference is found in the Panchatantra (c. 3rd century BCE), where it was known as an araghaṭṭa a combination of the words ara (spoked wheel) and ghaṭṭa “pot” in Sanskrit. Early Mediterranean evidence of a … Continue reading →

Waste Prevention in Middle East – Prospects and Challenges

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The best way of dealing with waste, both economically and environmentally, is to avoid creating it in the first place. People and businesses that use resources wisely not only save money but also have much less impact on the environment. That is why waste prevention rightly occupies the top spot in the so-called “Waste Hierarchy” set out in EU and national waste legislation.  Waste prevention is about the way in which the products and services we all rely on are designed, made, bought and sold, used, consumed and disposed of. For example: Making products that are more durable, repairable, re-usable … Continue reading →

The Environmental Impacts of Seawater Desalination

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Desalination is a process that removes salt and minerals from seawater and turns it into a potable resource. It is extremely helpful in areas experiencing rising water demands due to water scarcity, droughts, growing populations and increased water consumption. With the ocean covering most of the Earth’s surface, seawater provides a sustainable, long-term solution to a problem that won’t soon dissipate. By 2015, 18,000 desalination plants had cropped up worldwide, producing 22,870 million gallons of fresh water per day. Experts believe desalination, coupled with future advancements in technology, could be the key to establishing drought-proof communities worldwide. A clean source … Continue reading →

The Relationship Between Climate Change and Natural Disasters

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Many natural disasters are directly linked with the climate change including floods, hurricanes, heatwaves, droughts, wildfires and storms. Such disasters have claimed more than 600,000 lives in the past two decades. The frequency and magnitude of these disasters are increasing with time and is not going to subside even with the plans of reducing our greenhouse gas (GHG) emission and signing of climate change agreement at Paris. UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction recorded an average of 335 weather-related disasters between 2005 and 2014, an increase of 14% from 1995-2004, and almost twice the level recorded during 1985-1995. According to … Continue reading →

العوائق والتحديات التي تواجه المؤسسات الصغيرة ومتوسطة الحجم العاملة في القطاعات الخضراء

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مع انطلاق كلمة “البيئة” ككلمة رنانة على مستوى جميع الصناعات والقطاعات، فان اتساع مجال التحول الأخضر في قطاع الأعمال وتطوير مهارات العاملين فيه أصبح ذا أهمية على مستوى العالم، والشرق الاوسط ليس بمنأى عن هذا التطور. إن المؤسسات الصغيرة ومتوسطة الحجم التي تعمل في قطاع التصميم البيئي ، العمارة الخضراء، الطاقة المتجددة وكفاءة استخدام الطاقة، والاستدامة بشكل عام كلها تعمل على توجيه الدفة نحو نحو التحول إلى الاقتصاد الأخضر في شتى القطاعات. إن قطاع المؤسسات الصغيرة والمتوسطة الحجم العاملة في المجال البيئي في الشرق الأوسط ينمو بشكل مطرد وإن كان بسرعة أقل من المتوقع. الإطار التنظيمي ان من أكبر العقبات … Continue reading →