Ministers, Scientists and delegates to attend sustainable construction conference

The event is taking place under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.

"Prominent among the delegates attending the event include ministers of environment from the region as well as further afield from Singapore and Mexico as well as scientists, key decision makers and environmental experts," remarked Dr Meshgaan Al Awar, Director of Research & Studies at the Dubai Police Academy.

The conference will be presided over by His Excellency Dr. Rashid Bin Fahad, UAE Minister of Environment and Water who will deliver the opening address.

Other prominent presenters include: HE Ms. Martha Delgado, Minister of the Environment from Mexico; Dr. Habib El Habr, Director and Regional Representative, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Regional Office for West Asia (ROWA); Eng. Hussain Nasser Lootah, Acting Director General of Dubai Municipality; Dr. Mohammed Bin Fahd Chairman of the Zayed International Prize for the Environment; Mr. Arab Hoballah, Chief of Sustainable Consumption and Production Branch, Division of Technology, Industry and Economics, United Nations Environment Programme; Mr. Nils Larsson, Executive Director, International Initiative on Sustainable Built Environment (iiSBE); Mr. Shrashant Patara, Vice President, Development Alternatives; Eng. Ahmad Al Roussan, Secretary General, Arab Union for Cement and Building Materials; Mr. ParasuRaman, Founding Vice-Chair, World Green Building Council. Founding and Imm. Past Chairman, Indian Green Building Council.

Chief Executive Officer at BMTC (Bahri & Mazroei Trading Co) Dubai; Mr. Michael Nates, Senior General Manager - Sustainability, Health & Safety and Environment, The Design Group, Nakheel; Mr. Nick Sweet, Partner at Barton Willmore; Mr. Stephen Oehme, Regional Director -Value Engineering and Sustainability, Hyder Consulting Middle East; Mrs. Fatma El Mallah, Secretary of Arab Ministerial Council on Housing and Construction, Director, Environment and Sustainable Development Department, League of Arab States; Mr. Stéphane Pouffary, Head of the International Expertise in Energy Management Unit French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME) & Chairman of the UNEP SBCI Climate Change Think Tank; Mr. Peter Neuschaefer, Division Manager Environment Technologies Middle East - Water and Energy - Waagner Biro Gulf LLC; Dr. Peter Bridgewater, Former Secretary General of the Ramsar Convention and Advisor of the Environment Minister UK; Dr. Attilio Petruccioli, Professor of Landscape Architecture/Polytechnical University of Bari, Italy; Mr. Sougata Nandi, LEED Accredited Professional and Senior Manager, Sustainable Development Division TECOM Investments; and Dr. Meshgan Al Awar.

Topics that will covered during the one-day conference include Policies for Sustainable Construction and Urban Development, High performance in buildings, Multi-stakeholder Engagement for Sustainable Construction and Urban Development - from Practice to Policy, Towards Sustainable Cement Industry, Sustainable Built Environment - Global Landscape, Local Context, Making the World's Mega-Projects Sustainable, Macro - Sustainable Development: A practitioners view, Opportunities and Challenges of Achieving Sustainable Designs and Outcomes on Mega-Projects: International and Regional Perspectives, Sustainable Construction Practices and the Challenge of Climate Change, Value Engineering and Sustainability, Sustainable Construction and Climate Change, Sustainable Buildings and Construction: Ignorance versus responsibility and opportunities, The building and construction sector facing climate change challenge: the UNEP Sustainable Buildings and Construction Initiative contribution, Sustainable wastewater treatment practices and the challenge of climate changes, A Historical Concept of Building and Construction Sustainability, Tradition is sustainable: Learning from the Islamic Urban Fabric and How Is a Commercial Organization Fighting Climate Change - Case Study from TECOM Investments.