Development in a changing Arab climate

Even if all conflicts and wars were to stop immediately, the Arab region cannot meet the target of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 using traditional methods. ... more

Arab development must be people-centric

Meeting the target of implementing the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 is an uphill challenge for most Arab countries ... more

Paris is a reality to which Arabs must adapt

As a good climate agreement was sealed in Paris last week, the Arab Forum for Environment and Development can be proud to have been part of the process ... more

AFED Environment Survey in 22 Countries: Public ready to shift consumption patterns, Lebanese Least Confident in Government

The Arab public is ready to pay more for energy and water and embrace changes in consumption patterns if this will help preserve resources and protect the environment, according to a survey carried out by Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED) in 22 countries. ... more

When Amateurs Administer People’s Affairs

Landfills don’t solve the garbage problem, as much as producing more food doesn’t solve the hunger problem. Although part of the solution, both approaches are examples of partial measures bearing the seeds of bigger problems. ... more

Environment Field for All, Not Pretenders

The worst thing that may afflict the environment is when it becomes a subject for personal conflicts and a scene for scrambling for prestige ... more

Benefit from the sun. It’s here to stay

In his inaugural speech at the last World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi, Sultan Al-Jaber, a minister of state in the United Arab Emirates and chairman of Masdar, the architecture and ecology, or “arcology,” project, said: “Renewable energy is a critical component for building a sustainable future and has today changed from an expensive alternative to a competitive technology of choice.” On the day of his speech the price of oil dropped to $40 per barrel, after declining from $120/barrel a few months earlier, and a record of $143/barrel in August 2008. When a minister in a key oil-producing state takes such a stance at such a particularly crucial time, it must express a radical shift in energy markets. Renewable energies have become an indispensable component of the energy mix, irrespective of fluctuations in oil prices. ... more

Green Economy for a Real Arab Spring

Four years ago, I addressed the Mediterranean Commission on Sustainable Development (MCSD) in Montenegro, to present an Arab perspective on regional priorities. This was at the onset of the uprisings that started in early December 2010. At that time, we hoped for what was referred to as the “Arab Spring” to usher in a new direction for economic and environmental sustainability. ... more

Changing Eating Habits Helps Food Security

Arabs import half of what they need in terms of basic foodstuffs. Agricultural production in the Arab countries faces tremendous challenges – mainly drought, limited arable land, scarce water resources and accelerated population growth, all amid the adverse impact of climate change. ... more

Wars for Heaven Destroy Earth

Reports of the Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED) have repeatedly warned that demand on resources and nature services by Arab countries is double what the region’s natural systems can provide ... more