With insufficient arable land of their own, Arab countries are farming in Sudan to secure their food future. Early last year Karin reported on a troubling trend – a neo-colonial land grab occurring in Africa: Britain, Sweden, Germany, and South Korea have all usurped fertile African land in order to develop various agricultural pursuits. Then […]
Giant lightbulb installation in Abu Dhabi International Airport forms part of a campaign to reduce energy and water waste. How do we best effect change is a question that environmentalists, marketers, and social activists are constantly addressing. In the UAE, one man hopes to stop reckless driving through a campaign that combines emotion and logic, […]
There will be no peace without water. Leaders need to address the Middle Eastern water scarcity with the same urgency as oil. People often associate the Middle East with oil. But in the region’s cities, villages and farms, access to a different resource is becoming rather problematic: water. Addressing this issue can not only ensure a […]
In Tunisia last week, Islamic ministers meet to set a precedent on tackling water scarcity in home countries. In the Middle East and across the Muslim world, water scarcity is becoming one of the most pressing issues related to climate change- but what is actually been done to tackle these problems? Last week, the conference […]
Certain Egyptian Ministries are finally noticing that the Nile River is not healthy. For 17,000 children a year, they are a bit late. One of the most popular tourist activities in Egypt is to travel along the Nile River, and there is no shortage of options for doing so. Hundreds of eager men are ready […]
Syria’s livelihood is going down the drain. Unless the country learns to conserve, their future will be painfully dry. The Euphrates River, which meanders diagonally through the top quarter of Syrian territory, was once a source of agricultural bounty. Expatriates recall a time of lush plenty: orchards blooming with fruit, healthy cotton fields, and sparkling […]
It is no longer necessary to waste gallons of water when washing your car. A new biodegradable product will keep it clean, and protect it from the harsh sun. With virtually no freshwater resources, Dubai relies extensively on energy-intensive and environmentally-destructive desalination facilities to provide water. But the emirate also lies amidst a hot desert […]
Saudi Arabia prepares in advance for a future without oil, putting solar energy in its place. Possessing a fifth of the world’s proven oil reserves, Saudi Arabia has long been synonymous with the petroleum industry, but this is not stopping the kingdom from striving to diversify its energy sources. Renewable sources could account for up […]
An environmental awareness campaign is subverted by Jordan’s “aniti-normalisation” groups. Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME) are renowned for reaching across political borders to address environmental concerns that know no borders. For years, in spite of the political aura, Israelis, Jordanians, and Palestinians have worked together to monitor and protect the imperiled Jordan River, […]
Egypt’s Ministry of Water Resources sees desalination as a solution to future water shortages. Egypt and Bahrain are looking at a cooperation agreement that will enable both countries to develop water desalination projects between the two countries, Egypt’s water resources and irrigation ministry confirmed to Bikya Masr on Tuesday. “We believe that the future water […]
Islamic ministers from 30 organizations and countries will get together early October in order to put the environment back on the political map. Tunisia will host a conference of Islamic environment ministers in early October to look at how environmental issues can be impacted from a governmental perspective. The 4th Islamic environment ministers conference will […]
Businesses in Dubai interested in reducing their carbon footprint should become consult their food map and source food locally. Not far from Dubai, the Abu Dhabi eco-chicks arrange nights out and other eco-centric activities that coalesce the emirate’s green minds. They have also created a user-friendly map to make organic and sustainable businesses easier to […]
In an effort to improve awareness of MDGs, a joint UN program arms Egyptian children with cameras. Last week’s UN Development Summit in New York kicked up significant MDG dust. What the Millennium Development Goals – adopted by 188 countries in September 2010 – represent, and whether or not we have any hope of achieving […]
The California Energy Commission ruled that climate change and energy needs are more important than plants and tortoises. Confronting the joint need to protect biodiversity while expanding alternative energy projects, after three years of deliberation, a fourth BrightSource Energy Concentrated Solar Power Plant was approved by California’s Energy Commission. Impeding approval of the Israeli company’s […]
The first Arab country to create one, Morocco’s new charter provides a blueprint for environmental protection and sustainable energy production. In a first for the Arab world, the Moroccan government announced a National Charter for Environment and Sustainable Development, becoming the first African country to launch any such ambitions. It is part of the country’s […]