As war and climate-change related drought continue in Afghanistan, the country is dealing with issues related to migration. Continue Reading
Category Archives: Infrastructure
Geneva Conference Reaffirms International Support for Afghan Peace Plan
A recent two-day United Nations conference focused on strengthening support for a peace process in Afghanistan, a country working toward stability after decades of war. Ashraf Ghani, Afghanistan’s president, attended the conference along with foreign ministers from around the world. In a video message delivered to the conference in Geneva, Switzerland, UN Secretary General Antonio… Continue Reading
Increased Cycling in the Middle East Could Reduce Pollution
As Middle Eastern countries seek solutions to traffic congestion and pollution, some hope that more residents will commute by bicycle. Continue Reading
High-Tech Agriculture Center Could Help Transform Middle East Farming
The boom in energy use in the Middle East is causing regional leaders to rethink how they allocate natural resources. While the area’s large reserves of oil and natural gas have provided cheap fuel for decades, many now believe that fossil fuels are not the best way to serve the escalating demand for energy in… Continue Reading
Humanitarian Groups Help Afghans Affected by the Drought
The western region of Afghanistan is facing its worst drought in a decade, following several years of extremely low rain and snowfall. Some blame the lack of snow on the La Nina weather cycle in the Pacific Ocean, which resulted in rainfall totals that were 70 percent lower than usual. Wells have run dry, and… Continue Reading
Officials Look for Solutions to the Middle Eastern Water Shortage -What You Need to Know
Making fresh water from salt water, a process called desalination, has become vital in supplying water to the desert countries of the Middle East. Saudi Arabia, which creates 20 percent of the desalinated water in the world, recently announced plans to construct nine more desalination plants on the coast of the Red Sea. According to… Continue Reading
Permaculture Projects Promote Sustainable Farming in the Middle East
Farming in the dry, arid Middle East is often a fight against nature. As populations have increased, resulting in more demand for food and higher water usage, innovative farmers and researchers are experimenting with alternative farming methods, including greenhouses and vertical farms. Permaculture, which is attracting interest across the Middle East, takes a similar tack.… Continue Reading
Renewable Energy Is Set to Overtake Fossil Fuels in the Middle East – What You Need to Know
Long considered an epicenter of fossil fuel production, the Middle East is now leading the way in renewable energy initiatives. Whether it’s a college student club in Saudi Arabia focusing on sustainability or a petroleum company building a wind farm, representatives from sectors across the region are saying that the future is in renewable energy,… Continue Reading
Artificial Islands Allow Middle Eastern Countries to Expand
Israel is running out of land for development, and Israeli officials are floating an idea for expansion that other small countries have successfully employed: building artificial islands. One of Israel’s biggest needs is a new airport, as the Middle Eastern country currently has only one major international airport, Ben-Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. The facility… Continue Reading
This Is What You Need to Know about Vertical Farms
Greenhouses have long been used to grow produce when the outside conditions aren’t conducive to farming. Middle Eastern countries face increasingly challenging conditions for agriculture, including productive land turning into desert, a lack of water, and harsh weather conditions. As a result, some entrepreneurs are trying an ambitious new type of greenhouse that could help… Continue Reading