SUSTAINABILITY   

Palestine Museum of Natural History

The Palestine Institute of Biodiversity Research and its Palestine Museum of Natural History (PMNH) will work to research, educate about, and conserve our natural world, culture and heritage and use knowledge to promote responsible human interactions with our environment. Our Goals are:
  1. Explore and research the diversity of the fauna, flora, and human ethnography via collections and research.
  2. Environmental protection and responsible interaction between people and the environment.
  3. Use the knowledge gained and the books and databases and collections to promote science education
  4. Cataloging and building a physical and an electronic data base of all animal and plant species existing
  5. Develop respect a) for ourselves (self empowerment), b) for our fellow human beings (regardless of background), and c) for all living creatures and our shared earth.
Picture
credit PMNH

Solar Atlas

One Quarter of 1 % of Turkey’s Surface Area Is Sufficient to Meet All the Power Demand with PV by 2050!
A new  paper focuses on a single aspect of the renewable energy impact debate: the land use of photovoltaic electricity. Authors use a science-based argument and conclude that it would take an area of 763 km2, to provide all of the current electricity consumption of Turkey by PV. For 2050, the required area would be 1600 km2, less than a quarter of 1 % of Turkey’s total surface area. 
Denruyter JP., Berke M.Ö. (2017) Solar Atlas: One Quarter of 1 % of Turkey’s Surface Area Is Sufficient to Meet All the Power Demand with PV by 2050!. In: Uyar T. (eds) Towards 100% Renewable Energy. Springer Proceedings in Energy. Springer, Cham

Robotics Education in Africa: Africa Compete

'The world is approaching a third industrial revolution. This is forcefully reflected in the phenomenal advancement in the robotics field. In order for Africa to compete in this new era, a change in education policies must take place in the African educational system. In this chapter, African initiatives in science, technology, and innovation are presented as initial core projects. International initiatives as well Egypt's experiences in the robotics field are presented for benchmarking for interested African countries. The focus of the chapter is how to build a knowledge-based society supporting educational ecosystem. '
Author(s): Marwa Soudi (Ideas Gym Science Center, Egypt) Copyright: 2014. Pages: 16
Source title: Impacts of the Knowledge Society on Economic and Social Growth in Africa
Source Author(s)/Editor(s): Lloyd G. Adu Amoah (Ashesi University, Ghana & Strategy3, Ghana)
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-5844-8.ch012

Resources-Solar

Mega structures to harvest solar power

At the edge of the Sahara desert in Morocco under the scorching sun lies an important  megastructure harnessing an abundant source of energy.  One of the largest solar projects in the world is being built in phases with a potential to provide electricity to more than one million people.

Solar hub

With an increasing number of new solar energy technologies being invented every year, the successful development of these new solar energy systems depends heavily on accurate measurements of performance, reliability, and durability.

Food Security

Genetic research to mitigate climate change threats to food security

Climate models predict reduced precipitation, increased drought occurrence, and rising temperatures in the MENA region.  This is projected to negatively impact agriculture and food security in some countries. Plant genetic research underpins crop production and safeguards against the impacts of changes in weather due to climate change.

Climate Food Security Index

Find out how climate action could shape future vulnerability to food insecurity in your country by using a new interactive website produced by the Met Office UK / World Food programme.  It allows readers to explore how different scenarios of global greenhouse gas emissions and adaptation to climate change could change the geography of food insecurity in developing and least-developed countries.
Picture
© Met office UK

Resources- Water

Eastern Mediterranean drought worst of past 900 years

A new study finds that the recent drought that began in 1998 in the eastern Mediterranean Levant region, which comprises Cyprus, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, and Turkey, is likely the worst drought of the past nine centuries.







Water Resources Vulnerability Assessment of MENA Countries

Water Resources Vulnerability Assessment of MENA Countries Considering Energy and Virtual Water Interactions.

Energy

A wealth of over a third of global oil reserves and natural gas is not enough to meet local and world demands for future energy needs. Many countries are investing in alternative, novel and renewable sources.

Al Shidi,  et al. (2016) Shifting to Renewable Energy to Mitigate Carbon Emissions: Initiatives by the States of Gulf Cooperation Council. Low Carbon Economy , 7, 123-136. http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/lce.2016.73012

Khondaker et al. 2016. Greenhouse gas emissions from energy sector in the United Arab Emirates – An overview. in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 59:1317-1325 · June 2016 DOI: 10.1016/ j.rser. 2016.01.027

Climate

Latest on COP 22

UNFCC

'The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) entered into force in 1994, aimed at reducing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. The Conference of the Parties (COP) was designated as the supreme governing body of the Convention.'

MENA Climate

The MENA climate is characterised by arid and semi-arid zones and humans have used multiple adaption strategies to build civilisations and communities. Climate change is forcing major rethink of STI and sustainable development approaches to manage change and prepare for the future.