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Agricultural Biomass Resources in the MENA Countries

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Agriculture plays an important role in the economies of most of the countries in the Middle East and North Africa region.  Despite the fact that MENA is the most water-scarce and dry region in the world, many countries in the region, especially those around the Mediterranean Sea, are highly dependent on agriculture. The contribution of the agricultural sector to the overall economy varies significantly among countries in the region, ranging, for example, from about 3.2 percent in Saudi Arabia to 13.4 percent in Egypt.  Large scale irrigation coupled with mechanization has enabled extensive production of high-value cash crops, including fruits, … Continue reading →

Animal Waste Management in Africa: Perspectives

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Livestock and poultry production are among the main economic activities in rural as well as urban areas of African countries. The livestock sector, in particular sheep, goats and camels, plays an important role in the national economy of African countries. In addition, the region has witnessed very rapid growth in the poultry sector. The livestock industry and poultry industry, however, are contributing heavily to greenhouse gas emissions and waste crisis in Africa due to the absence of a sustainable animal waste management system. Most of the manure is collected in lagoons or left to decompose in the open which presents … Continue reading →

الاقتصاد الاخضر في الأردن..حاجة وخيار استراتيجي

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أثار الركود المالي العالمي نقاشا جادا بين العديد من البلدان حول الكشف عن أسباب الفشل وابتكار حلول معقولة. لقد بات البحث عن نمو اقتصادي “تحولي” أمرا مألوفا جدا في الوقت الحاضر، حيث الطاقة النظيفة والاستثمارات الخضراء تتصدران الواجهة كحل لمستقبل أفضل. وفي البلدان التي توجد في قلب التغيير بالعالم العربي، جلب “الربيع” الشهير نكهة مختلفة إلى التغيير والإصلاح المنشودين. ففي الأردن، يشكل الاهتمام بقضية الاستدامة (سواء بيئية أو اجتماعية) حاجة وأيضا خيارا استراتيجيا. ولأن الموارد الطبيعية محدودة جدا والطلب متزايد، فإن استجابة الدولة لاحتياجات المواطنين والبيئة ليست مجرد التزام سياسي، بل علامة فارقة لم تستغل بعد من شأنها أن تجعل … Continue reading →

المنظمات البيئية غير الحكومية كمحفزات للصالح الاجتماعي – منظور أردني

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مع  تزايد عددها ونطاق عملها على مر الأعوام , تسعى المنظمات البيئية غير الحكومية في الأردن  لتصبح أنموذجا في المساهمة الفاعلة من المجتمع المدني والحوكمة التشاركية والاثر الاجتماعي.  فهي   تثبت كيف يمكن  للبيئيين (الخضر) أن يكونوا قدوة تحتذى من قبل غيرهم من قادة التنمية. تواجه هذه المؤسسات  غير الربحية  تحديات مختلفة ليس فقط  من خلال دورها الرقابي و التوعوي  بل أيضا من خلال عملها في التنظيم  المجتمعي وكعناصر للتغيير الذي نطمح اليه في وطننا والمنطقة . انسجاما مع الصحوة  العامة التي تشهدها منطقة الشرق الأوسط وشمال افريقيا من ريادة اجتماعية وحركات شبابية،  ، بدأت  المشاريع الريادية والمبادرات المنطلقة من المجتمع … Continue reading →

التغيرالمناخي و الكوارث الطبيعية

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ترتبط العديد من الكوارث الطبيعية مباشرة مع تغير المناخ بما فيها الفيضانات والأعاصير و موجات الحر والجفاف و حرائق الغابات والعواصف . وقد أودت مثل هذه الكوارث بحياة أكثر من 600,000 في العقدين الماضيين . تكرر و حجم هذه الكوارث في تزايد مع مرور الوقت و بدون استقرار حتى مع وجود خطط للحد من انبعاث الغازات المسببة للاحتباس الحراري (غازات الدفيئة ) و التوقيع على اتفاقية التغير المناخي في باريس. سجل مكتب الأمم المتحدة للحد من مخاطر الكواثر, بمتوسط ​​335 كارثة متعلقة بالطقس بين عامي 2005 و 2014 ، أي بزيادة قدرها 14 ٪ مقارنة بين1995-2004 ، و تقريبا ضعف … Continue reading →

Fuel Pellets from Solid Wastes

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Municipal solid waste is a poor-quality fuel and its pre-processing is necessary to convert it into fuel pellets to improve its consistency, storage properties, handling characteristics, combustion behaviour and calorific value. Technological improvements are taking place in the realms of advanced source separation of MSW, resource recovery and production of MSW fuel pellets in both existing and new plants for this purpose. There has been an increase in global interest in the preparation of MSW fuel pellets or Refuse Derived Fuel (or RDF) so let us take a close look at this interesting alternative fuel. Pelletization of Muncipal Solid Waste … Continue reading →

What are Biofuels

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Biofuel refers to liquid or gaseous fuels that are predominantly produced from biomass. A variety of fuels can be produced from biomass resources including liquid fuels, such as ethanol, methanol, biodiesel, Fischer-Tropsch diesel, and gaseous fuels, such as hydrogen and methane. Resource Base for Biofuels Production The biomass resource base for biofuels production is composed of a wide variety of forestry and agricultural resources, industrial processing residues, municipal solid wastes and urban wood residues. The agricultural resources include grains used for biofuels production, animal manures and residues, and crop residues derived primarily from corn and small grains (e.g., wheat straw). … Continue reading →

Recycling of PET Plastic Bottles

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Like all other modern urban centers, the Middle East also faces challenges in environmental protection due to tremendous tonnage of plastic waste produced in different forms. The gross urban waste generation from Middle East countries exceeds 150 million tons per annum, out of which 10-15 percent is contributed by plastic wastes. The burgeoning population, growing consumption, and an increasing trend towards a “disposable” culture, is causing nightmares to municipal authorities across the region and beyond. Plastic consumption has grown at a tremendous rate over the past two decades as plastics now play an important role in all aspects of modern … Continue reading →

The Significance of E-Waste Management

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E-waste is the fastest growing waste stream, and its disposal is a major environmental concern in all parts of the world. More than 50 million tons of e-waste is generated every year with major fraction finding its way to landfills and dumpsites. E-waste comprises as much as 8% of the municipal solid waste stream in rich nations, such as those in GCC. Globally only 15 – 20 percent of e-waste is recycled while the rest is dumped into developing countries. However, in the Middle East, merely 5 percent of e-waste is sent to recycling facilities (which are located in Asia, … Continue reading →

Progress of Green Building Sector in Qatar

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There has been rapid progress in green building sector in Qatar with the emergence of many world-class sustainable constructions in recent years. With the fifth-highest number of LEED-registered and certified buildings outside the U.S., Qatar has valuable experience and inputs to offer on the system’s local relevancy and application. Various countries in the Middle East have been accredited with regards to the LEED system. Of these buildings, 65 per cent (802) are located in the UAE. Qatar is ranked second on the list, with 173 green buildings, followed by Saudi Arabia (145), Lebanon (25) and Egypt (22). Qatar’s Green Building Rating … Continue reading →

Waste-to-Energy Outlook for the Middle East

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High-income Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait are counted as world’s largest waste producers in terms of per capita waste generation which is more than 2kg per day in some countries. The urban waste generation from the region has now crossed 150 million tons per year which has forced policy-makers and urban planners to seriously look for sustainable waste management solutions, including recycling and waste-to-energy. Let us take a look at solid waste generation in major countries across the Middle East region: Country MSW Generation (million tons per annum) Saudi Arabia 15 United Arab Emirates … Continue reading →

Ruba Al-Zu’bi – Inspiring Green Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship

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Ruba Al-Zu’bi is a very well-known sustainable development policy and planning expert, and a true inspiration for youngsters in Jordan and beyond. Currently she is the Adviser for Science Policy and Programme Development to HRH Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan, the President of the Royal Scientific Society (RSS). Prior to that, Ruba led the Scientific Research Department at Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation. In the past, she had been the CEO of EDAMA, a Jordanian business association that seeks innovative solutions to advance the energy, water and environment sectors. Ruba Al-Zu’bi is Global Resolutions’ Jordan Ambassador and a Plus Social Good … Continue reading →