War on Resources in South Sudan 26/5/2012 Boghos Ghougassian

The Republic of South Sudan is the youngest country on Earth. It got its independence in July 2011. South Sudan has an area of approximately 640,000 km2. It is situated in the Nile river catchment area, which flows into a low and vast flood plain covering much of South Sudan. Altitudes of lands vary from 400m to 3,000m above sea level. ...more

Startling Treasures in Mexico’s Underwater Caves 1/5/2012 Paul Jeffrey

Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula is a relatively flat landscape where no rivers flow as the rain sinks quickly into the limestone and runs unseen to the sea. The ground is pocked by vine-draped sinkholes — cenotes, as they are called locally — where the roofs of underground caverns have collapsed. ...more

The National Bioenergy Assessment for Lebanon 1/4/2012 Hassan Harajli

Each nation must know itself like each person must know him or herself. A nation must know the socio-economic conditions of its people, such as their income levels, education attainment, the equality between the sexes and various groups, and so forth in order to best put forth policies and programs that will ensure progress and development. ...more

Restoration of Wadi Hanifa Wetlands 1/4/2012 Mohammad Al-Asad and Wael Al-Samhouri

The Wadi Hanifa watershed is an oasis located in the heart of the Najd Plateau in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is a natural water drainage course for an area of over 4,000 square kilometers and a unique geographical feature in this dry region. ...more

Efficient Lighting Activities in the Middle East and North Africa 1/4/2012 Ibrahim Abdel Gelil

Electricity for lighting is responsible for 19% of total end-use electrical consumption and for 6% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This equals the total emissions from Germany and Japan combined. Over the next 20 years, global electricity consumption for lighting is expected to increase by 60%. ...more

Green Islamic bonds 1/4/2012 Bashar Zeitoon

Plans to establish green Islamic bond markets are being promoted in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, several news reports suggest. The use of Islamic debt instruments, known as sukuk, to raise capital for sustainable development projects in the MENA region would set a new precedent. ...more

Green Economy and Climate Change 1/2/2012 Andrew Steer

It is a great joy for me to be here. It is hard to imagine a more important conference on a more important subject at a more important time than this. And I commend you Adnan Badran for your Chairmanship. Commend you Najib Saab for your leadership of this great organization AFED. ...more

UAE Ecological Footprint Initiative 12/1/2012 Laila Abdullatif and Tanzeed Alam

The UAE is a rapidly developing country that has experienced a long period of extraordinary economic growth. This has resulted in an increasing rate of consumption of natural resources such as energy, food, fiber, and timber accessed from within and outside the country’s borders. Because of the hot and arid conditions of the UAE, a significant amount of energy is consumed for space cooling and seawater desalination. ...more

Sudbury’s Environmental Revival 12/1/2012 Boghos Ghougassian

The Greater Sudbury area in Ontario Province, Canada, 400 km north of Toronto city, was one of the earliest regions of the world to feel the harmful impact of unsustainable industrial development. It was also one of the first to recognize the mistakes and determined to correct them. ...more

The Arab Spring and Resource Management 12/1/2012 Farouk El-Baz

Young Arabs revolted against the status quo of inept governance and tyrannical rule. They astounded the world by their insistence on change seeking a better future. They came into a world lackingvision with weak leadership and degraded environment. ...more