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. A senior executive of Doha Bank, a major Qatari private commercial bank, sought... [read more]

Three Gulf states - Qatar, Kuwait and Oman - are expected to sign up soon to a World Bank programme aimed at cutting greenhouse gas emissions by finding commercial uses for natural gas that is still burned, or flared, as a by-product of oil production. Amid growing awareness of climate change and the need to conserve resources for their expanding water and power needs, the Gulf states are seeking... [read more]

This is a very well written analytical article about the efforts conducted by Gulf states in developing cutting edge research and innovation practices. The article is originally published by Science Devnet   By: Waleed Al-Shobakky Farouk El-Baz routinely shifts between two views of the Gulf countries. One day the Egyptian-American geologist will be in his Boston office poring over detailed... [read more]

Source: The Peninsula 25.2.2008   Qatar University's Environmental Studies Center (ESC), in collaboration with Qatar Petroleum (QP), has initiated the project for the introduction of artificial coral reef, a method which is fast becoming approved internationally to encourage the growth of coral reefs and ultimately enhance their ecosystem. “The reefs, an important part of Qatar's ecosystem,... [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]

An interesting environmental remediation effort was conducted lately by Qatargas Co. in an attempt to mitigate the impacts of a future pipeline corridor within the Company's expansion plan. This news item is from "Arab News" and I hope the truth is as good as the promotional highlight.   Qatargas has completed a major initiative as part of its ongoing environmental commitment for its expansion... [read more]

Source: Gilf Times   By Arvind Nair THE Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture has issued a severe warning to boat owners, fishermen and others against polluting the waters and coastal areas. The Beaches and Islands Monitoring Unit at the ministry said strict action would be taken against those flouting the rules on sanitation and environment. Rules pertaining to marine and coastal protection... [read more]

The first EWS-WWF Marine Conservation Forum took place in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on September 11-14, 2006. The Forum provided an opportunity for the region’s environmentalists to share concerns about the region’s coral reef and marine turtle populations and collaborate on potential solutions. Representatives from Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and... [read more]

  By Arvind Nair- Gulf News Published in 4-12-2006   WATER crisis in Qatar, as indeed in the Gulf and the rest of the world, threatens future progress and impedes efforts to alleviate poverty. To drive this point home, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s Doha office has brought out a book called Policy Perspectives for Ecosystem and Water Management... [read more]

Source: Gulf Times By Arvind Nair Published: Friday, 6 October, 2006   PROLONGED use of saline water severely affects irrigated soils, and that contributes to the global land degradation process with a direct impact on biomass production, says a book published by Unesco Doha. ‘Biosaline Agriculture and Salinity Tolerance in Plants’ is an important scientific contribution towards the... [read more]