A press release from EEG:   Emirates Environment Group (EEG) conducted its biggest ever environmental Students’ Workshop series with more than 400 students participating accompanied by 90 teachers from English and Arabic schools. Students ranging from 10 to 18 years old, expressed their concern about the impact of global climate change and the need for concrete action from people in meeting its challenges... [read more]

Any activity that focuses on climate change mitigation and adaptations in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries is always worth highlighting. Such activities can have a synergistic and cumulative effect to create a "social critical mass" to advocate for more climate friendly policies in such countries. In bahrain, a recent UNDP activity warned that Bahrain will have a lot to lose in case of... [read more]

This post includes figures and facts that are not good for our collective morals and psychological health. However, a good and honest diagnosis is always the first step to remediation. The world’s 1.5 billion Muslims produce barely 1% of the world's scientific literature; R&D expenditure in the 57 member countries of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) lags way behind that of... [read more]

Good and adequate environmental information is the basic ingredient for good governance and decision making. In an effort to increase the effeciency of air pollution monitoring and evaluating ambient air quality the Ministry of Environment in Jordan will install a systemised package of air monitoring devices in big cities. This is a news report published by IRIN   AMMAN, 18 October 2007 (IRIN)... [read more]

The impressive World Trade Center in Manama, Bahrain has just been shortlisted for the EDIE Award for Environmental Excellence. This is another documentation of the increasing popularity and appreciation of the sustainable building designs in some of the Gulf Countries. This is the report from AME Info   The Bahrain World Trade Center (BWTC) designed by Atkins, has been short listed for the... [read more]

For the first time in the Arab world, a civil campaign has been developed and launched with a very strong message for pan-Arab coordination for action against the threat of climate change. This is the press release by IndyAct, the organization that has spearheaded the campaign:   Beirut:18 Oct 2007 – ‘Climate change is the biggest threat to our livelihood and our Arab governments are not taking... [read more]

Source: AME Info   The emerging concept of green buildings has already attracted some of the biggest developers in the region, particularly in Dubai's booming real estate sector. But will the green concept impress not only conservationists, but also investors and developers who are looking for greener fortunes? LEEDing the way Some of the green initiatives in the real estate and construction... [read more]

It is this time of year again where we, as developing countries will set back and take a look at the most committed donors to sustainable development, and who doesn't show much care. The United States of America is not in short supply for negative assessments nowadays, and yet is has fallen to the bottom rank of environmentally-comittted donors in this years Committment to Development Index. The... [read more]

It is not news anymore that the first global zero carbon and zero waste city will be established in Dubai, but I liked this article by gizmag blog as it includes a lot of technical details and some smashing prototypes. Enjoy the reading, and the photos   The sleek, modern capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, will be host to what is planned as the world’s first zero carbon, zero waste... [read more]

The thrust for sustainable and green urbanization in the Gulf is gaining more momentum. After a carefully designed visit of Japanese world's top sustainable achitect design giants Nikken Sekkei to the Gulf, reports of a package of projects worth US $ 1.25 billion have been recently unveiled. This is the story published in Al Bawaba website   Contracts with a combined total of US$1.25 billion... [read more]

A huge national project to green the desert north of Cairo is still stirring some controversey from environmentalists. On the other hand it holds a lot of socio-economic and development potentional. This story tells the two points of view   Will Rasmussen Reuters   It looks like a mirage but the lush fields of cauliflower, apricot trees and melon growing among a vast stretch of sand... [read more]

South-South environmental cooperation is still way below the real potential that it has in delivering experiences between developing countries and sharing resources and expertise. Any bilateral or inter-regional programmes will always be of great benefits provided a balanced set up is reached in the design of cooperation programmes. This is a very good example of cooperation between Morocco and Brazil... [read more]

The relationship between the banking sector and environmental protection is really vague. In fact, for a lot of environmentalists and bankers these are two completely isolated worlds. However, thanks to the Kyoto Protocol Clean Development Mechanisms (CDM) banks have became real pioneers in financing carbon trading deals. I have been happy to read about Qatar Bank starting to do business with Japan... [read more]

In the last couple of months there has been a lot of global hype about biofuels being the magic bullet that will save humanity from the disasterous impacts of climate change by providing alternative and clean energy. However, skepticism is increasing with the potential side-effects of biofuels ranging from threatening agriculture and supply of food crops like corn, to the expected control of biofuels... [read more]

Talking about designing environmental innovations from indigenous creativity, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) has proposed setting up of camel farms to fight desertification in Qatar and the other Gulf countries. This is a novel idea that can be replicated, providing successful implementation in other Arab countries of arid environments, almost all of... [read more]

Fellow Tunisian blogger Subzero blue has published the story of another invention from the UAE. This time it is a floating solar island, conceptualised by the Swiss Firm CSEM and to be built with UAE money. For once I do not see this as a useful and strategic environmental innovation. Building Islands is a strange trend in the Gulf countries, and it causes a drastic impact on the marine environment... [read more]

The Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water has announced the submission of applications and enteries for the current round with an application deadline of end of December 2007.  This prestigious International Prize consists of five different awards in separate fields of water resources: - Surface Water: Topic – Sedimentation Control in Surface Water Systems - Ground Water:... [read more]

To the best of my knoweldge, no comprehensive system has been developed in any Arab country to manage and recycle electronic wastes that are growing at a high exponential rate. Plans are to be found on paper but no economically feasible and environmentally safe measures have been yet implemented.   This is why it was promising to raed about Hewlett-Packard's new plan to fund a pioneering new... [read more]

It has spread like a contagious disease in the last few months, where many Arab countries are planning to introduce nuclear energy to drive the ever increasing thurst for water by desalination. Many oil producing and energy poor countries alike are putting together ambitious plan to go to the nuclear alternative either to produce enough electricity or water. This report from United Press International... [read more]