| | Urban forests for a moderate climate | | Najib Saab
September 2020
Heat waves sweeping across the globe have bigger effect in cities. Buildings of concrete and steel trap hot air and block circulation, while dark asphalt streets and stone pavements retain heat and cover natural soil, wiping trees and plant cover. Car engines also contribute to rising temperatures, alongside air conditioners, which cool on the inside while expelling hot air outside. All this causes hot air to be retained and "thermal islands" to develop in specific spots within cities. The temperature in these areas may exceed 10 degrees of what it is outside the city limits, or even in open and green spaces inside the city itself. | | more... | |
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| | We got the money, where to invest it?
| | Najib Saab
September 2020
Contrary to what was expected, governments, central banks, international finance institutions and development funds have succeeded in attracting a surplus of liquidity to face the economic repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic. The money collected from markets, at historically low rates, exceeded all estimates. Worldwide, economic investments in national recovery plans are expected to exceed $20 trillion for the next 18 months.
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| | Save the earth before your beautiful hair | | Najib Saab
September 2020
Less than a week after the publication of figures on the unprecedented rise in global temperatures, a thermometer in Southern California's Death Valley soared to almost 55 degrees Celsius, according to the U.S. National Weather Service, the highest temperature recorded anywhere in the world in the past 100 years. Temperatures in Europe were also at their highest for several consecutive days, not only in the south of the continent, but also in the center and north of it. In parts of Europe, the temperature exceeded 37 degrees for a full week, and last year the Netherlands witnessed a temperature of over 40 degrees for the first time in history. While the temperature in Baghdad exceeded 51 degrees, in some areas of the Arctic the temperature even reached 38 degrees last June, leading to acceleration in the melting of ice. The detailed figures, published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the US, showed that every decade in the past sixty years has witnessed a higher average temperature compared to the previous decade. | | more... | |
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| | Do we need a new pact for the environment? | | Najib Saab
July 2020
Since the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment released its Stockholm Declaration in 1972, more than a thousand international agreements dealing with specific environmental issues have emerged. The question is: To what extent have these agreements led to environmental action, and do we need more of them? | | more... | |
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 | | | Arab Environment in 10 Years | | | ARAB ENVIRONMENT IN 10 YEARS crowns a decade of the series of annual reports produced by the Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED) on the state of Arab environment. It tracks and analyzes changes focusing on policies and governance, including level of response and engagement in international environmental treaties. It also highlights developments in six selected priority areas, namely water, energy, air, food, green economy and environmental scientific research. |
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