Tag Archives: Water

Islamic Principles on Sustainable Development

  By | | , ,
7 Comments

A huge number of verses in Qura’n and several sayings of the Prophet Muhammad indicate the great importance that has been given to environmental concerns and the responsibility of man to the environment. The concept of sustainable development in Islam can be defined as “The balanced and simultaneous realization of consumer welfare, economic efficiency, attainment of social justice, and ecological balance in the framework of a evolutionary knowledge-based, socially interactive model defining the Shuratic process”. The Shuratic process is the consultation or participatory ruling principle of Islam. The over arching principle in the use of nature is derived from the prophetic … Continue reading →

خطط برنامج الأمم المتحدة للبيئة تعزّزقدرة البلدان على رصد مصادر المياه

  By | | , ,
5 Comments

 عندما نتكلم عن المياه، لابدّ لنا من التركيز على المنطقة العربية التي يشكّل سكانها 5 % من عدد سكان العالم، ولكنها لا تمتلك سوى 1% من اجمالي كميّة المياه العالمية. وفقا لتقديرات الأمم المتحدة، فان اثنتا عشرة دولة عربية تعاني من نقص حاد في المياه؛ اذ ان كمية المياه المتؤتية من مصادرمتجددة لا تصل الى 500 متر مكعب للفرد الواحد سنوياً. وقد طرحت الاستراتجية العربية للأمن المائي  (2030-2010)، مشاريع لادارة والاستخدام الكفوء لمصادر المياه. غير ان قطاع الزراعة لا يزال يستهلك 85% من مصادر المياه العذبة في حين لا تتعدّى العائدات الزراعية اكثر من 8% من الناتج القومي. كما ان … Continue reading →

Features of a Green Building

  By | | ,
13 Comments

A green building incorporates environmental considerations into every stage of the building construction and focuses on the design, construction, operation and maintenance phases. The key process difference between green and conventional buildings is the concept of integration, whereby a multi-disciplinary team of building professionals work together from the pre-design phase through post-occupancy to optimize the building for environmental sustainability, performance, and cost saving. Green buildings offer widespread benefits to a number of building industry stakeholders, including building occupants and society as a whole. Green buildings typically incorporate superior air quality, abundant natural light, access to views and noise control which benefits … Continue reading →

Strategizing Water Security in the GCC to Meet the Needs of a Growing Population

  By | | , , , ,
Leave a comment

Water security has become an increasingly hot topic in the GCC as regional governments struggle to meet the water needs of a rapidly increasing population. If population and development levels maintain their fast-paced upward trajectory, so too will the demand for water, food, and energy increase at the same rate. The Gulf region as a whole remains geographically handicapped in the sense no major rivers flow through it, and it possesses few renewable aquifer endowments. Therefore, there is an urgent need for these states to manage their scarce water resources efficiently. Currently, the states rely heavily on groundwater sources, followed … Continue reading →

6 Industrial Hazards to Ethernet Cables You Should Know About

  By | | ,
Leave a comment

Industrial environments are not the safest of places. Chemicals, heavy machinery, hazardous processes, and the like are fairly common. There’s a very good reason that safety protocols in factories and other industrial sites are very strict and are enforced to the last detail. However, it isn’t just people that are under physical risk in an industrial environment. The cables that allow smart factory technology to function are also at risk in these places. There are many hazards and even the most toughened, protected cables might still get damaged. This is true for older, “legacy” factories and more modern ones, which … Continue reading →

Water Crisis in Gaza

  By | | ,
1 Comment

Gaza Strip has been enduring constant Israeli bombardment for many years which has resulted in severe damages to its infrastructure and to its citizens. However the real risk is Gaza’s lack of usable water.  The only natural source of fresh water in Gaza is a shallow aquifer on the southern part of its coast; 90 to 95% of which is not safe for drinking because of neighboring seawater, sewage, and runoff from agriculture. Even though most of it is not fit for consumption, residents have no other choice but to resort to using it. UN hydrologists have indicated that current extraction … Continue reading →

Desalination Outlook for MENA

  By | | , ,
16 Comments

Desalination is a water treatment process that separates salts from saline water to produce potable water. The desalination process uses large amount of energy to produce pure water from salt water source. Salt water is fed into the process, and the result is an output stream of pure water and another stream of waster with high salt concentration. Desalination techniques are mainly classified into two types: Processes based on physical change in the state of the water, and Processes using a membrane that employ the concept of filtration. There are more than 15,000 industrial-scale desalination units worldwide, with combined capacity exceeding … Continue reading →

How to Protect Green Spaces in Middle East

  By | | , , , ,
Leave a comment

One of the ecological benefits brought by green spaces is its capability to combat urban heat. The increasing urban heat is usually caused by the high number of heat reflective substances that are emerging in the cities. Green spaces such as gardens and parks can significantly reduce heat and promote natural cooling through an efficient ventilation and dynamic absorption. Some green spaces could even help prevent urban flooding, air pollution, and storm water run-off. So, how can we protect these beneficial green spaces in Middle East? Spread Awareness Dubai is expected to plant an estimated of 50 million flowers in … Continue reading →

Hurdles in Domestic Water Conservation and How to Overcome Them

  By | | , , ,
Leave a comment

There is no doubt that we are spoilt in the developed world: We use far too much water, and we really should be doing something about it. The problem is that we live in houses that are already predisposed to wasting water. Granted, these days, if you buy a new home, it should be environmentally sound with the latest domestic water conservation strategies in place. However, what if you live in an older house or in a more modern one that has been poorly maintained? This article sheds light on where you are using the most water and how you … Continue reading →

Climate Change Impacts in the Levant

  By | | , ,
2 Comments

Many countries in the Levant — such as Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria — are afflicted by water scarcity, weak institutional and governmental resource management, high food import dependency and fragile economies –  all coupled with increasing populations and demand. According to the recent reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) the Arab World will be witnessing hotter and drier conditions with extensive droughts causing severe water shortages that will have dire impacts on agriculture and livelihood. Farmers in the Arab world for centuries have been addressing adaptation and resilience issues through farming, water management and environmental degradation. Global … Continue reading →

Food Security Strategy in Qatar

  By | | , ,
4 Comments

Qatar is a water-scarce and arid region which has its own share of demographic and socio-economic problems. The cultivation of food crops is a difficult proposition for Qatar due to scarcity of water supply and limited availability of arable land. The country is vulnerable to fluctuations in international commodity markets because of heavy dependence on imported grains and food items. The increasing dependence on foreign food imports is leading to a growing sense of food insecurity in Qatar. Understanding Food Security Food security is the condition in which all people at all times have a physical and economic access to … Continue reading →

Tips for Hot Water Conservation in Households

  By | | ,
3 Comments

With the drop in temperatures and persisting cold weather in many Middle East counties, use of hot water at home, offices, commercial centers, educational buildings and institutions have increased many folds. In winter, heating water for showers, laundry and washing makes up more than a third of an average household’s water and energy use, so it is important to heat water efficiently and conserve the water and energy. This is now essential as the cost of both electricity and water are going to rise in the near future, as in Bahrain, and consumers have to pay the part cost of these … Continue reading →

  • Subscribe to our Knowledge Bank

    Enter your email address to subscribe to our interesting articles

    Join 12,521 other subscribers