BEIRUT: The Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED) announced on Tuesday that its Board of Trustees has chosen Beirut as the venue for its annual conference. The conference, due to be held in November under the patronage of President Michel Sleiman, will focus of the impact of climate change on the Arab world. Some 21 board members from 14 countries will attend.
Speaking at the Press Federation headquarters in Beirut, AFED Secretary General Najib Saab said the choice of Beirut was proposed by the Environment Authority-Abu Dhabi, an AFED member which will be the event’s official sponsor. The conference, scheduled for November 19-20 at the Habtoor Grand Hotel and Convention Center, is expected to attract over 500 leading Arab and international delegates, including 30 ministers of energy and environment, Saab said.
AFED, a regional organization established in 2006, bases its Secretariat in Beirut. It is also an observer member with the League of Arab States and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).
In 2008, the organization released a groundbreaking report, “Arab Environment: Future Challenges,” which traced the state of the Arab world’s environment and issued recommendations for remedial action, many of which were later endorsed by a number of national and regional bodies.
Lebanese Minister of Environment Dr. Tony Karam welcomed Beirut’s nomination as the venue for upcoming AFED convention, noting the conference’s special relevance as part of preparations ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark. The December 7-18 conference aims to formulate an international framework to mitigate climate change beyond 2012. “The Beirut meeting will help to develop a common Arab position in Copenhagen through presenting the latest scientific evidence and opening meaningful debate on the required measures,” said Karam.
After thanking the Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi (EAD) for supporting Beirut as the choice of venue and for acting as the event’s official sponsor, Karam highlighted the leading role of the United Arab Emirates in promoting clean and renewable energy, most notably through the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar). Karam also congratulated the UAE for Abu Dhabi’s selection as the interim headquarters of the newly established International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
Minister Karam then extended Lebanon’s support for the AFED conference.
A group of leading Arab scientists and researchers are working on a comprehensive report covering all aspects of climate change impacts in the Arab world, according to Saab. The report will be executed under the leadership of world environment veteran Dr. Mostafa Kamal Tolba, former UNEP executive director Dr. Mohamed El-Ashry, former head of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and renowned expert on coastal zones, Dr. Mohamed El-Raey.
Director of the Environment Program at Arab Gulf University, Dr. Ibrahim Abdelgelil, is meanwhile undertaking an analytical survey on mitigation measures in Arab countries, while a study on the impact of climate change on human health is being carried out by Dr. Iman Nuwayhid, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the American University of Beirut. Other topics that will be covered in the report include the impact of climate change on food production, fresh water, biodiversity, infrastructure and tourism in the region. Studies are also being prepared on the international negotiations for a post-Kyoto agreement, and on the measures needed to be adopted by Arab countries in order to combat climate change.
One of the main features of the report, said Saab, is a study being carried out for AFED at the Center of Remote Sensing at Boston University (CRS-BU), which uses satellite images to analyze the impact of climate change on Arab countries. The images are being developed by Dr. Eman Ghoneim, a research professor at CRS-BU, who will present the findings in Beirut. He will also present information on the impact of sea level rises on the coasts of the Nile Delta and the Western Emirates, Saab said. The center’s director, scientist Dr. Farouk El-Baz, will give a presentation entitled “When the Desert was Green.”
Other speakers for the upcoming conference include Achim Steiner, UNEP executive director, Youba Sokona, Executive Secretary of Sahel and Sahara Observatory, Atiq Rahman, Chairman of Climate Action Network South Asia, and Gunilla Carlson, Swedish Minister of Development Cooperation and Chair of the International Commission on Climate and Environment. There will also be a special plenary session on how shifting to a green economy can help fight climate change, during which corporate leaders will present their experiences and deliver recommendations on how to make Arab economies greener.
The conference will enjoy technical support from UNEP and the OPEC Fund for International Development, as well a number of AFED corporate sponsors. – The Daily Star