by Ehsan Bayat | Jun 18, 2021 | Conservation, Energy, Infrastructure, Middle East, Technology, Water
As the population of the Middle East continues to grow, the issue of providing enough water to support the region remains on the forefront, plagued by questions of sustainability, supply, and cost. According to recent surveys, the population growth rate of 1.7% in...
by Ehsan Bayat | Jun 4, 2021 | Afghanistan, Agriculture, Crops, Infrastructure, Transportation
As the threat of drought continues to plague Afghanistan, Japan and Sweden are providing millions of dollars in aid to help farmers in some of the nation’s most remote areas. While food security and an unstable food supply remain ongoing problems in Afghanistan, a...
by Ehsan Bayat | May 20, 2021 | Afghanistan, Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Farm, Infrastructure
While the COVID-19 pandemic has shuttered businesses and limited customer bases across Afghanistan, one type of business has thrived in these conditions: mushroom farming. While growing mushrooms is not new in Afghanistan, the practice has flourished in the past year...
by Ehsan Bayat | May 6, 2021 | Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Farm, Middle East
Agricultural fairs have been a staple of the world farming community for more than a quarter-century, and officials say that the annual gatherings are more important to Afghanistan’s farmers than ever. The pandemic and recent weather have wreaked havoc on farming in...
by Ehsan Bayat | Apr 22, 2021 | Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Farm, Technology, Water, Weather
COVID-19 restrictions and ongoing droughts in Afghanistan have continued to create hardships for farmers, whether they are dealing with low crop production or restrictions on transport routes for their produce. In February, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the...
by Ehsan Bayat | Apr 8, 2021 | Agriculture, Conservation, Farm, Infrastructure, Technology, Uncategorized
The COVID-19 pandemic has made it clear that the Middle East must explore innovative options to make its food supply more self-sufficient. As transportation shut down in 2020 in attempts to stop the spread of the coronavirus, countries that rely on imported food...
by Ehsan Bayat | Mar 25, 2021 | Afghanistan, Business, Construction, Infrastructure, Middle East, Technology
In early 2021, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan officials inaugurated three joint projects that will improve connectivity in the region and boost the quality of life for each country’s citizens. On January 14, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, president of Turkmenistan, and...
by Ehsan Bayat | Mar 11, 2021 | Afghanistan, Conservation, Healthcare, Middle East
Since Afghanistan recorded its first coronavirus case in March 2020 in the Herat province, a number of organizations have offered assistance. Numerous agencies have stepped in to educate residents about good hygiene practices and to support basic infrastructure in...
by Ehsan Bayat | Feb 25, 2021 | Afghanistan, Agriculture, Business, Conservation, Crops, Farm, Middle East
While the impact of COVID-19 on the world’s urban areas has captured the media’s attention, the virus has also proven to be devastating to far-flung rural communities. In Afghanistan, several organizations have turned their attention to helping the Kuchis, a nomadic...
by Ehsan Bayat | Feb 11, 2021 | Afghanistan, Agriculture, Business, Conservation, Crops, Infrastructure
Despite a few recent setbacks due to the global pandemic, the pine nut is becoming a major Afghan export. Pine nuts are produced by about 20 species of pine trees, which create pine seeds. Pine nuts primarily grow in the eastern mountain regions such as Nuristan,...
