8-9 May 

Arabian Gulf University, Manama

Green Economy: Success Stories from the GCC

 

The GCC region is characterized by a scarcity of water and arable land resources and an abundance of fossil fuels and renewable energy resources (wind and solar), as well as high vulnerability to the potential adverse impacts of climate change. Furthermore, the region faces serious economic, political and social challenges that invigorate long-standing and serious environmental challenges, including water scarcity, drought and desertification.

Further, the GCC region is highly food insecure. The scarcity of water and arable land resources available for agriculture has led the region to become extremely dependent on food imports, which highly increases the vulnerability of the region to food price fluctuations and the political implications of such food import dependency. This combination of characteristics calls for a nexus approach to water-energy-food sustainability that addresses the efficient management of natural resources and resolves the trade-offs of meeting the increasing demand for these natural resources without threatening sustainable development. A green economy should support this nexus perspective, increase the understanding of interdependency and make it easier for policymakers to develop policies, strategies and investments to exploit synergies and mitigate trade-offs among various development goals.

The green economy has been defined by UNEP as "an economy that results in improved human well-being and reduced inequalities of the long term, while not exposing future generations to significant environmental risks and ecological scarcities". Green economy can lead to faster growth that maintains and restores natural capital, enhances social equity and job creation, promotes resource and energy efficiency, and delivers more sustainable modes of living.

The outcome document, entitled "The future we want", of the United Nation Conference on Sustainable development (RIO+20) that was held in Rio in 20-22 June 2012 recognizes green economy as one of the important tools available for achieving sustainable development, contributing to sustaining economic growth, enhancing social inclusion, improving human welfare and creating opportunities for employment, while maintaining the healthy functioning of the Earth's ecosystems.

Transition to Green Economy in the Arab countries was the subject of a groundbreaking report produced in 2011 by the Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED) entitled: Green Economy: Sustainable Transition in a Changing Arab World. The report analyzed options in 8 sectors, listed 70 case studies and proposed enabling policy reforms.

One of the key challenges for GCC countries remains to be the determination of the entry points into a green economy that would ensure that actions and programs are coherent with, and responsive to, national conditions and challenges, namely unemployment, food insecurity and technology transfer.

Seminar Objectives

The seminar specifically aims to:

                    1. Present the outcome of RIO+20, and its follow up framework.

                    2. Bring and disseminate up-to-date knowledge to policy makers, academia, private sector, and civil society on the latest developments on green economy.

                    3. Shed light on opportunities and challenges for Greening the GCC economies.

                    4. Showcase early starters of green initiatives in the GCC region.

Seminar Topics

                    1. The concepts and principles of Green Economy

                    2. Policies and measures for transition to green economy

                    3. The Transition to a Green Economy: opportunities, challenges and risks

                    4. International experiences on Green Economy strategies

                    5. Success stories of green economy from the GCC countries

                    6. Remaining challenges for transition to Green Economy in the GCC.

Who are the Speakers?

A selected list of eminent international and regional speakers will highlight different seminar topics.

Who should attend?

We cordially invite the following categories of guests to attend the seminar, interact with the speakers and enrich the discussions on different aspects of these issues:

                    • Policy makers of economic development, water resources, energy resources, transport, urban planning, food and agriculture, local governorates, infrastructure development, and environment.

                    • Governments officials in relevant ministries and agencies

                    • Professionals from finance, industry and commerce.

                    • Members of the academic and research community.

                    • Environmental professionals

                    • Media's representatives

                    • Members of the concerned civil society

Seminar Language

English / Arabic are the languages of the seminar. No simultaneous translations will be provided

Venue

The seminar will be held at AGU Campus, Salmanyia, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain

Registration

                    • Registration is free on first-come basis, to register:http://www.agu.edu.bh/archive/zayed_semenar.aspx .

                    • Registrants will receive a letter of confirmation with a serial registration number.

                    • Registration number should be presented to the registration desk on the 8 May 2013.

                    • Due to space limitation, only those who receive a registration confirmation and registration number will be allowed to participate.

For More Information

Seminar Coordinator Dr. Ibrahim Abdel Gelil Professor, Academic Chair, Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Arabian Gulf University P.O. Box 26671 Manama, Bahrain Tel: + 973 17239570 Fax: + 973 17239552

Email: ebrahimas@agu.edu.bh

 

Seminar Coordinating Assistant Maha Mahmood AlSabbagh Teaching Assistant Environmental Management Program Arabian Gulf University P.O. Box 26671 Manama, Bahrain Tel: + 973 17239421 Fax: + 973 17239552

Email: mahamw@agu.edu.bh