by Ehsan Bayat | Jan 25, 2018 | Afghanistan, Construction, Infrastructure, Middle East, Transportation, Water
As Afghanistan continues to address the negative effects of decades of conflict, recovery efforts are rebuilding and strengthening the country’s infrastructure. Ongoing conflicts have left many of Afghanistan’s rural residents without accessible, clean water, and...
by Ehsan Bayat | Jan 5, 2018 | Afghanistan, Construction, Infrastructure, Middle East, Technology, Transportation
Being surrounded by land can make economic progress especially difficult for developing countries. With no direct access to a port, landlocked countries can fall behind coastal neighbors that reap the significant economic benefits of maritime trade. Abid Amiri, a...
by Ehsan Bayat | Dec 21, 2017 | Conservation, Infrastructure, Middle East, Technology, Water
The demand for fish in Egypt is quickly outpacing the supply, and the government hopes to bridge this gap by developing the largest fish farm in the Middle East. Berket Ghalioun fish farm is part of long-term plan to make Egypt more self-sufficient, eliminating the...
by Ehsan Bayat | Dec 7, 2017 | Conservation, Construction, Infrastructure, Middle East, Technology
Saudi Arabia has taken its first major step toward large-scale renewable energy with its announcement that the government is taking bids for the Sakaka utility-scale solar energy project. The project is part of the government’s proposal to generate more than 9.5...
by Ehsan Bayat | Nov 2, 2017 | Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Farm, Infrastructure, Middle East
Unchecked development along the banks of the Nile has taken over more than 90,000 acres of farmland since 2011, pushing many farmers into the desert. In addition, sewage and briny wastewater pumped into the Nile have made much of the country’s fresh water unusable....
by Ehsan Bayat | Oct 25, 2017 | Conservation, Crops, Farm, Middle East, Water, Weather
For decades, many people around the world have looked at icebergs and thought, “What if?” What if icebergs could be dragged north through the world’s oceans? What if those millions of frozen gallons of fresh water could be melted into drinking water for arid,...
by Ehsan Bayat | Oct 18, 2017 | Conservation, Construction, Crops, Infrastructure, Middle East, Water
A new project that will connect the Red Sea and the Dead Sea could help to alleviate the region’s water shortage and have a farther-reaching effect on Middle East relations. Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority reached an agreement in July to build a...
by Ehsan Bayat | Oct 3, 2017 | Afghanistan, Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Farm, Middle East, Water
As a result of decades of conflict in Afghanistan, the majority of the country’s population is struggling with issues stemming from poverty. Years of instability have left many Afghans insecure about food and basic resources, as well as prospects for the future....
by Ehsan Bayat | Sep 4, 2017 | Agriculture, Conservation, Construction, Infrastructure, Middle East, Technology, Water
A set of complex conditions, including dwindling supply and skyrocketing demand, has led to a water shortage in many Middle Eastern countries. While water supply has long been an issue in this region, which is defined by desert landscapes and arid climates, increasing...
by Ehsan Bayat | Aug 28, 2017 | Conservation, Construction, Infrastructure, Middle East, Technology, Water
The Dead Sea lies on the border between Israel and Jordan. Known as the Salt Sea, this famous body of water isn’t actually a sea; it is a landlocked, or terminal, lake that gets the majority of its water from the Jordan River. Among the Dead Sea’s many notable...