AFED releases in November report on impact of climate change in Arab countries

AFED's Secretary General Najib Saab conveyed to correspondents gathering at the headquarters of the Press Federation attended by the Lebanese Minister of Environment Dr. Tony Karam, that the choice of Beirut as venue was proposed by the Environment Authority-Abu Dhabi, an AFED institutional member, which will be the official sponsor of the event. The conference, scheduled between 19-20 November 2009 at Habtour Grand Hotel and Convention Center, is expected to attract over 500 top Arab and international delegates, including 30 ministers of energy and environment. The conference will be under the patronage of the President of the Lebanese Republic General Michel Suleiman.

AFED, a regional organization established in 2006, has its Secretariat hosted in Beirut, where it had been granted the status of an international organization. It is an observer member with the League of Arab States and the United Nations Environment Program. AFED held its General Assembly sessions in the past two years in Abu Dhabi and Manama, consecutively. In 2008, it released a groundbreaking report entitled 'Arab Environment: Future Challenges', which traced the state of Arab environment and issued recommendations for remedial action which were later endorsed by many national and regional bodies.

The Lebanese Minister of Environment Dr. Tony Karam welcomed the choice of Beirut as venue for the 2009 AFED convention on climate change, noting its special relevance as part of the preparations for the Copenhagen conference in December which will agree on a post-Kyoto deal.

"Beirut meeting will help to develop common Arab position in Copenhagen, through presenting the latest scientific evidence and opening meaningful debate on required measures,"

Karam explained.

Thanking the Environment Agency, Abu Dhabi (EAD) for supporting Beirut as venue and for acting in the capacity of official sponsor of the regional event, Karam highlighted the leading role of the United Arab Emirates in promoting clean and renewable energy, through the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar). He further congratulated the UAE for the choice of Abu Dhabi as the seat of the newly established International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). The minister confirmed support to AFED conference at all official levels.

AFED's Secretary General Najib Saab said that a group of leading Arab scientists and researchers are working on a comprehensive report covering all aspects of climate change impacts in the Arab region, under the leadership of world environment veteran Dr. Mostafa Kamal Tolba, former head of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Dr. Mohamed El-Ashry and renowned expert on coastal zones Dr. Mohamed El-Raey. Director of the Environment Program at Arab Gulf University Dr. Ibrahim Abdelgelil is carrying an analytical survey on mitigation measures in Arab countries.

A pioneering study on the impact of climate change on human health is carried out by Dr. Iman Nuwayhid, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the American University of Beirut.

Other topics include the impact of climate change on food production, fresh water, biodiversity, infrastructure and tourism. Studies are also being prepared on the international negotiations for a post-Kyoto agreement, and what needs to be done by Arab countries to face climate change.

Saab disclosed that one main feature of the report is a study carried out especially for AFED at the Center of Remote Sensing of Boston University (CRS-BU), using satellite images to analyze potential impact of climate change on the Arab countries.

The images are being developed by Dr. Eman Ghoneim, research professor at CRS-BU, who will give vivid presentation at the Beirut conference, including details of impacts of sea level rise on the coasts of Nile Delta and western Emirates. Director of the Center, the renowned scientist Dr. Farouk El-Baz, will be giving a presentation entitled: When the Desert was Green.

Other speakers include Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), 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.

A special plenary session will be dedicated to discuss how shifting to green economy can help fight climate change, during which corporate leaders who participated in seven regional workshops on the subject of Green Arab Economy, organized by AFED and UNEP, will present experiences and recommendations to rehabilitate the Arab economy along green path.

AFED Board of Trustees, comprising 21 members from 14 countries, will be holding its annual meeting in Beirut on 18 November.

AFED said that the conference was made possible by the generous support of the official sponsor, Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi, along with technical support of UNEP and OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID), and other corporate sponsors of AFED members including Petrofac, AMSI for educational solutions, Kharafi National, Alturki Environmental, Averda International, Qatar Petroleum, Aramex and Weber Shandwick.

The conference has 12 regional media partners, who will carry out promotion and awareness campaign through the conference date in November.