Today, Monday, witnessed the commencement of the Ajman International Environmental Conference, under the patronage of Sheikh Hamid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, the ruler of Ajman. The conference, organized for the fifth consecutive year by the Department of Municipalities and Planning in Ajman, is taking place at the Sheikh Zayed Center for Conferences and Exhibitions at Ajman University. The conference addresses important environmental issues, including scientific solutions to mitigate the impacts of climate change in the UAE, sustainability in government housing in the country, and other environmental issues in several Gulf Arab countries, Arab nations, and various countries worldwide.
Engineer Khaled Muayin Al Hosani, the Executive Director of the Public Health and Environment Sector at the Department of Municipalities and Planning in Ajman, and the head of the supreme organizing committee, explained that the annual environmental conference, taking place from the 6th to the 7th of March, carries the theme and main slogan of "Climate Change and Sustainability." It is divided into 5 scientific sessions. The first session, chaired by Terence Cook, Business Development Manager at Science Target in Canada, focuses on a scientific paper titled "Climate Change and Smart Water Management," presented by Professor Bano Ormusi, Professor and Head of the "Garieslovsky" Foundation for Water and Health, and Director of the Global Water Institute, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Carleton University, Canada. Another paper, titled "Solutions to Mitigate the Impact of Climate Change in the UAE," will be presented by Professor Ali Sayegh, Chairman of the Board of the World Renewable Energy Conference and the Director General of the Global Network for Renewable Energy, and President of the Green Eiend Forum in the United Kingdom. The third paper discusses "Flexibility, Biodiversity, and Climate Change Adaptation" by Professor Nicholas Stowe, Senior Planner in the Natural Systems Planning and Resilience Unit in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Additionally, there will be a presentation on "Groundwater Management and Protection During Climate Change: Current Challenges in the Middle East and North Africa" by Professor Ralph Klingbeil, Senior Expert in Water, Environment, and Sustainable Development at the Federal Institute for Earth Sciences and Natural Resources, Germany.
The second session, according to Eng. Khaled Al-Hosani, includes the discussion of a paper titled 'Environmental Impact Assessment of Climate Change on Desert Ecosystems,' presented by Latifa Saeed Al Balushi from the University of the Emirates. Another paper, 'Performance Flexibility of Buildings in the UAE Towards Climate Change,' will be presented by Kirk Shanks from the British University in Dubai. A paper exploring 'A Study to Evaluate Outdoor Water Evaporation in the Context of Alternative Water Reuse to Reduce Energy Consumption' will be presented by Gerardine Segovia from Cardiff Metropolitan University. Additionally, there is a paper discussing the feasibility of establishing a 'CIB' system, compliant with building and sustainability laws in government housing in the UAE, presented by Khaled Jalal Ahmed from the University of the Emirates. Another paper, 'The Political Economy of National Security and Energy Security: The Cases of the UAE and China,' will be presented by Pantelimon Scliaras. David Gallagher from Zayed University will present a paper focusing on 'High-Resolution Standardized Vegetation Difference Index Samples for Assessing Rangeland Condition in Protected Arab Regions.' Lastly, a paper comparing grid-connected and off-grid rooftop photovoltaic solar power systems under Abu Dhabi's Net Metering System will be presented by Issa Mohamed Al-Hamad from the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of the Emirates.
The third session of the conference covers a paper on the 'Toronto Climate Change Strategy for Mitigating Urban Flood Severity,' presented by Professor Michael Dandrea, Chief Engineer and Executive Director of Engineering and Construction Services, City of Toronto, Canada. Another paper discusses the 'Sewerage System in Ajman,' presented by Xavier Mathew from the Ajman Sewerage Company. A paper titled 'Non-Conventional Water Resources as an Indicator of Change with Environmental Adaptation' will be presented by Professor Vladimir Smakhtin from the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment, and Health in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
The fourth session explores a paper centered around 'Best Environmental Practices Start with Us,' presented by Jung Wan Lee from Boston University, United States. Another paper discusses 'Tools for Making Possible Environmental Policies in the UAE,' presented by Ahmed Mansour from the University of the UAE. A paper on the 'Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Perlite and Rubber Insulating Cement Tiles' will be presented by Ahmed Salem Al-Tamimi from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Saudi Arabia. Chukwumeka Chukwuemeka Chukwuka from Robert Gordon University, United Kingdom, will present a paper on 'Missing Regulations: Punishing Oil Spills and Gas Flaring in Nigeria.' Additionally, a paper on 'Utilizing Renewable Energy: Sustainable, Green, and Smart Buildings in Ajman' will be presented by Abdel Salam Darwish from the Renewable Energy Center, United Kingdom. Another paper examines 'Achieving Sustainable Manufacturing: A Critical Analysis of Sustainable Industrial Development Strategy in Egypt,' presented by Suzanna El Massah from Zayed University. The session also includes a paper on the 'Assessment of the Water Quality of the Assi River,' presented by Sachin Mishra from the Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Varanasi, India.
Bassam Dahi from the University of the UAE presents a paper on 'Above-Ground Biomass Assessment and Carbon Sequestration Evaluation.' Youssef Nazzal from Zayed University sheds light on 'Using Remote Sensing Data to Assess Land Cover Changes and Land Use Patterns in the Qassim Region, Saudi Arabia.' Toufik Ksiksi from the University of the UAE contributes a paper on the 'Ecological Environmental Modeling of Important Tree and Shrub Species in the UAE.' Participants in the fourth session discuss a paper titled 'Current and Alternative Scenarios for Carbon Emission Reduction: A Case Study of the Highway Lighting System in Muscat,' presented by Ahmed Al-Miyahi from Sultan Qaboos University, Oman. Deema Abudayyeh from Jordan explores the 'Dubin Model for Regional Planning.' Gabriela Teodorescu from Valahia University Targoviste, Romania, presents a special paper on 'Building a Smart Climate for Biodiversity Conservation.' Rafika Farah from the University of Indonesia presents a paper on 'Determining the Optimal Product Lifespan.' A special paper on 'Solid Waste Composition and Greenhouse Gas Emission Potential from Landfills: A Case Study from Muscat, Oman' is presented by Hamid Suleiman from Sultan Qaboos University.
Among the scientific papers presented at the conference is a paper titled 'Simultaneous Use Simulation Process for Groundwater Modeling Software' by Kedir Mohamed Boushira from the University of Baja California, Mexico. Another paper addresses the topic of 'Mapping Cultural Ecosystem Services in Different Green Spaces of the National Natural Park in Uzbekistan.
During the fourth session, experts and participants in the conference discuss a paper titled 'Green Energy is the Future Energy' by Riad Al-Dabbagh from Ajman University. Another paper addresses the topic of 'Forming Hierarchical Nanostructures of Zinc Oxide for Solar Energy Converters and Photovoltaic Cells' by Sergii Lavrenyuk from the National Technical University of Ukraine. Additionally, a paper on 'Designing Public Health Management Information Systems' is presented by Ayotunde Akinola from the Center for Excellence, Zululand University, South Africa.
The fifth session examines a paper dedicated to 'Sustainable Development in the UAE through Cement-Free Geopolymer Concrete' by Hilal Al-Hassan from the University of the Emirates. Another paper is dedicated to 'Recycling Behavior Predictors: An Investigative Study in Sharjah' by Lotfi Kwaif from the University of Sharjah. Additionally, a paper on 'Heritage Forests and Sustainable Development in Morocco' is presented by Faical Boutaleb from Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah University, Morocco. Another paper discusses 'Green Forage Production and the Impact of Saline Water Levels under Barley' by Basel Awni Al-Natsheh from the Palestine Technical University, Palestine.
The fifth session agenda includes a paper dedicated to 'The Ecological Impacts of Climate Change in Hot Regions' by David Thompson from the Department of Biology, University of the Emirates. Another paper addresses the 'Assessment of Risks to the Habitat of Green Turtles through Geospatial Indicators' by Farheen Khanum from Ecobuild Consulting Solutions for Sustainability and Renewable Energy, UAE. Abdullah Al-Nadabi from Sultan Qaboos University presents a paper on 'Protecting Natural Ecosystems to Build Climate-Resilient Cities.' Mohammad Moulana from Indonesia compares the 'Social Costs of Traditional Rice Production System and Intensive Rice System.' Mustafa Fadel, University of the Emirates, discusses the 'Development of Outdoor Aquaponics Plant Units.' Md. Rehan Khan, Khulna University, Bangladesh, explores the 'Impact of Construction on Environmental Sustainability.' Petra Mati, Indian Institute of Technology, studies the 'Behavior of the Wall of Nuclear Power Stations under the Influence of Different Aircrafts.'
The experts and presenters participating in the International Environmental Conference present 205 scientific papers, representing 49 countries around the world.