Members at 2009 ECO Summit in Tehran Turkey is hosting the 11th summit of the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO), which opened on Monday in Istanbul. The ECO Meeting is being held this week on 20-23 December 2010. The ECO was founded in 1985 by Iran, Pakistan and Turkey, and now it has also included Asian […]
From snow leopards to the Pakistani sand cat: The vast deserts, rough mountains and scarce waterways of the Middle East are home to many unique animals. Enjoy these 8 unique exquisite Middle Eastern mammals, birds and reptiles threatened with extinction because of hunting, loss of habitat, lack of prey, or poisoning. Share them with your […]
Yay, I used to say as a kid when we’d get snowed in for school. A surprise overnight “dump” could paralyze our small town as they called in ploughs from less icy regions in our Canadian province to salt the roads. But in Tehran, it’s an environmental problem keeping the kids from school, and their […]
Environmental art can take many forms, but at the core the concept is the juxtaposition of humankind’s relationship with nature. Many artists create their works by using recycled products turning them into aesthetic images; others interact with the forces of nature – wind or water, for example – to reveal something about our world in […]
The complicated nature of population growth and movement in the Middle East is highlighted by this note from the photographer’s site: “Shahryar is one of Afghanian children who was born in Iran…Iranian government said all of afghaninan must leave Iran as soon as possible.” Concerned environmentalists in the Middle East may find another worry to […]
Is nothing holy anymore? The Iranian Government rubber stamps oil exploration in the country’s most important national park. The Iranian government has decided to start an oil exploration project in a national park in Kavir National Park in the Semnan province, south east of Tehran. The opponents of the project, from the Iranian Environmental Organization, […]
A look at the air pollution in Esfahan, Iran. Cars and the clay brick industry are some of the biggest problems. The solution? Take the bus. In 2005 it was announced for the first time that the air pollution of Esfahan, the third big city of Iran, was in an emergency situation. Since then Esfahan […]
Pizza Hut or Pizza “Hot” – Iranians are getting fatter. Maybe because they are ignoring public transport. The statistics show that obesity is growing among Iranian families. According to Dr. Marzieh Vahid Dastjerdi, Minister of Health, only 20 percent of the Iranians do regular sport activities and about 60% of them are overweight. She also has […]
Traffic fatalities are 5 times the world average at 22,000 deaths a year: It’s time for Iranians to get on their bikes. Iran has the highest rate of traffic accident fatalities in the world – even higher than the United Arab Emirates. While car ownership rates in Iran is less than the western countries, the […]
Mud buildings have withstood the test of time; will they populate our futures too? Think of Islamic mud structures and more than likely the iconic Great Mosque of Djenne in Mali will come to mind. The largest mud brick building in the world, the mosque is considered to be amongst the greatest achievement of Sudano-Swahelian […]
The Iranian hills "are alive" with Mountain Watch and other groups working to clean hiking trails around cities.
At the end of July, the hot Middle East summer caused forests around the city of Doroud in Western Iran to ignite in a blazing fire. After about one day, some news agencies published news about burn of 500 hectares (5,000 square kilometers) of the forest. Later governmental authorities announced that the correct information is […]
The Tower of Silence, a “green” and ancient burial site in the West of Yazd, Iran. This ancient sky burial site of the Zoroastrians is where corpses were placed atop a tower to be consumed by vultures, last done in the 70s. A culture similar to Tibetan Buddhism. Until 40 years ago, corpses could still […]
Organizers of the Health, Safety and Environment Expo in October invite businesses, individuals, and organizations from all over the Middle East to participate in Iran. Clean tech and green conferences aren’t just taking place in the US and Europe. From 12-15 October 2010, the First International Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Exhibition 2010 will be […]
In the face of nuclear sanctions, Merhdad reports on Iran’s renewable energy agenda. Time to invest in Iran’s sun? Above image of streetlights in Tehran. These days the news about using renewable energy are heard more than ever before in the Iranian media. One of the most talked about news item is related to the […]
Tehran has bikes routes in place, but people aren’t using them because they’re needed in dense urban cores. We all know about the importance of cycling for health and for creating sustainable cities and communities (like Vauban the German car-less city) that encourage carbon-free transport. Traditionally Iranian cities have had a rich culture of bicycling […]
Mehr was a goddess and symbol of a religious belief in Indo-Iranian culture associated with the creation of the world. Many from Iran look to their roots of this nature-based celebration with preparations already starting next month. The Mehregan Festival or the Persian Festival of Autumn is an ancient Persian fest which is dedicated to […]
Lack of urban planning around its natural landscape keeps air pollution locked into the city of Tehran, Iran – one of the most polluted cities in the world. Tehran is one of the most polluted cities of the world –– with higher levels of sulfur dioxide than India and Bangladesh. Air pollution in the Iranian city […]
Built by the the Safavid Dynasty in the 1650s as a dam and a bridge, Mehrdad asks how the Khaju (or Khajoo) Bridge in Iran can be restored more sustainably. Eventually all historical monuments and treasures will need preservation and renovation, like the Grand Bazaar in Tehran, but this should always be done with regards […]
Green Prophet’s newest writer, Merhdad, explores some of the “urban” issues in giving the ancient 500 year old Bazaar of Tehran, sustainable by design, a modern facelift. Plans in a new $20 million budget call for bike paths, trams, and a strengthened infrastructure for Tehran’s beating heart. In July 2010, Nader Karami, the mayor of […]
Persian Gulf environments like Bu Tinah Shoals would be devastated in a regional military conflict. Consider the following scenario: small United Arab Emirate states like Bahrain and Abu Dhabi are planning to spend billions of dollars on sophisticated weaponry; when one of their real dangers is the deteriorating state of the Persian Gulf and the […]
As major oil companies pull out of Iran, analysts differ over the import of new economic sanctions. By all objective standards, this week Iran is facing some version of a moment of truth. Responding to the impending imposition of beefed-up United Nations economic sanctions, French oil company Total announced publicly that it was suspending oil […]
When we think of the environment today, the West looks like the clear leader. But did you know that some of the world’s most important discoveries originated in the Middle East? The Middle East, perhaps because of its challenging environment, has seen the genesis of many environmental discoveries and techniques. Some of these are so […]
The massive natural gas find in Israel and political tensions with Turkey, could put Turkey out of the energy story with Israel. It’s a big deal, says Washington based energy analyst Gal Luft. A door has been closed. But amid the roar, the creak of an opening window was faintly audible. This window, a gigantic […]
Not yet into the organic food craze of America, the thin craze is taking over the Middle East as sedentary women pop pills to make them thin. Image via hamed Obesity is on the rise in the Middle East. Many Arabs in the Gulf are now overweight after oil wealth has fueled a sedentary lifestyle […]