Focus: COP

On the occasion of COP 28 in Dubai, climate change and environmental issues such as water pollution, overfishing and deforestation and their impact on the MENA region are the special focus of RUYA for the month of November and December. How is climate change experienced in the region? And what are local initiatives to address this challenge? Find out more here.
 

Fokus: COP27 © Canva
Demonstrations at COP27 ©Yasmine El Assal

COP3 min
 Global Boiling & Climate Injustice

As the world gears up for COP28, the anticipation is palpable, echoing the urgent need for global cooperation in the face of escalating climate crises. Building on the outcomes of last year’s COP27, the international community finds itself at a critical juncture, where the decisions made in the coming conference could reshape the trajectory of our planet's environmental future.

United Arab Emirates
A Faltering World View - long © Wilson Borja

Anthropocentrism
 A Faltering World View

Human beings as the centre point, controlling everything: biologist and philosopher Andreas Weber believes that this world view is long since obsolete – and that we can learn plenty from indigenous cultures.
 
Deforestation of the rainforest in Brazil Foto (Detail): © David Dao/ GainForest

Environmental Protection and Technology
 “A Renaissance of Nature”

Can modern technologies be used profitably to foster conservation and restore lost trust? Software engineer David Dao is convinced that they can, which is why he launched the non-profit GainForest fund. In our interview he talks about his personal relationship with nature, how GainForest came about and about the considerable influence that indigenous communities have on his work.
Après M Photo (detail): © Victoria Berni

Sustainable Work
 Taking Responsibility for the Future

The world of work is partly to blame for climate change, pollution, pandemics, poverty. This is why more and more people are looking for ways to work sustainably.
A boy runs after a herd of goats. Photo (detail): © Cem Türkel

At Eye Level
 How the Mediterranean Is Looking after its Biodiversity

How we feed ourselves in cities, is very much dependent on what is produced in rural areas. This is why a coalition of organizations is working in the Mediterranean region to protect biodiversity by supporting the value of local traditional communities.
Is sustainable living feminine? Gotelind Alber sees a gender gap in environmental awareness. Photo (detail): © Adobe

Environmental Awareness
Is Sustainability Feminine?

Women still do most of the housework. So is sustainability in everyday life and in the home mainly up to women? Gotelind Alber, a climate policy expert specializing in related gender issues, addresses the “eco gender gap” in the following interview.

 
Solving the Food Crisis through Composite Flour Technology © Canva

Science Journalism4 min
 Solving the Food Crisis through Composite Flour Technology

The loaf of bread made of wheat is deemed the basic sustenance for people in Yemen, and the staple commodity that is mostly consumed in the local market. This is because most of the food style of the Yemeni people is centered on wheat which keeps them alive, at a time when two thirds of people in Yemen lack the minimal food security, while the patch of hunger is on the increase, according to the International food Programme.

Yemen
Illustration: A map showing the Mediterranean Sea Illustration (detail) © Goethe-Institut Alexandria/ Mai Koraiem

Climate Change at the Mediterranean
 The Great Alexandria’s Final Battle

Climate change has shown no mercy to the places that were once magnificent and powerful. Two Thousand years after Alexander the Great created his magnum opus, where is the city of Alexandria now? Through a series of interviews, we have attempted to answer those questions.
 
Environmental activist Manar Ramadan was at the COP27 in Egypt as an observer. ©Privat

Essay3 min
 COP27: Steps in to climate justice?

The question of “Climate justice” was at the core of the COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.  What were the main wins and what were the major disappointments of COP27? Environmental activist Manar Ramadan gives you insights into what happened at this year’s COP and how we should go on from here.
A room where data are stored. ©Canva

Column3 min
 Let's talk about digital pollution!

If there is a sector that we do not often mention or not at all when it comes to GHG emissions, it is the digital sector.
A skillful baker makes bread at a bakery in Tunis. Photo taken on 5th March 2022. Photo (detail): Hasan Mrad © picture alliance / ZUMAPRESS.com

Food Sovereignty in Tunisia
 Bitter Bread

Bread is at the heart of a majority of Tunisian dishes and remains a potent cultural, spiritual, and political symbol in the country. Nonetheless, the longevity of this cherished food is at risk. The Tunisian government’s failure to prioritise food sovereignty is pushing the bread industry to the brink, finds Tunisian author Yasmin Houamed.

Tunisia
Banlastic Egypt (Alexandria, Egypt) ©Banlastic Egypt

Essay3 min
 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27): Doubts and Hopes

This November Egypt hosts COP27, the world’s most important climate change conference, and the fifth COP to be held in Africa. The conference will address the severe impacts of climate change facing the world. An essay by Egyptian environmental activist Manar Ramadan.

Egypt
A Palestinian provider harvesting olives in Kufr Dan village close to Jenin city. Photo (detail): © Mohammad Zawahreh

Sustainable Economy in Palestine
 A Growing Seed

Who can access the international markets and how could they be made more socially and economically sustainable? Canaan Palestine Fair Trade wants to uproot the market – with olive oil.

Palestinian territories
Young people fighting the fires, Ait Ouabane, Tizi Ouzou © Nourredine Bessadi

Solidarity7 min
 Kabylia Fires Prompt Outpouring of Solidarity: What’s next?

The fires that devastated the Kabylia region in summer 2021 caused numerous deaths and destroyed thousands of hectares of forest land. The tragedy unleashed an outpouring of solidarity and gave rise to support initiatives both in Algeria and in its diaspora.

Algeria
The Heliopolis Heritage Initiative © Heliopolis Heritage Initiative

Solidarity5 min
 Initiatives Seeking Solutions for the Phenomenon of Cutting Trees in Cairo

Many historic districts of Cairo are being redeveloped to adapt to the pressure of car traffic; which resulted in the reduction of green spaces and the cutting of a number of trees. This has prompted tree lovers and environmentalists to search for new ways to protect trees on the streets of Heliopolis and Maadi. 

Egypt
Image of the Logos of the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals by the United Nations ©Reedz Malik via flickr.com, CC 2.0

Special Edition: Coronavirus5 min
 The Sustainable Development Goals: Redefinition beyond COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic could be the greatest catastrophe facing the world since World War II. Having dealt a violent blow to the three pillars of sustainability – society, economy, and environment – it will come to be seen as a turning point in the history of the 21st century. What long-term effect will the pandemic have on the global striving for sustainability and will it require a redefinition of the Sustainable Development Goals?
Concrete barriers lie on the coast of Alexandria © Karim El-Gawhary

Environmental Protection3 min
 Climate change in Egypt: Alexandria or the sea?

The UN climate change conference COP 27 takes place in Egypt this November. In Alexandria, the effects of climate change can already be seen.

Egypt
A rocket in a wheat field in Mykolaiv, Ukraine Photo (detail): Nur Photo | Maciek Musialek © picture alliance

Global Food Security
 Shortages and Visions

Wars and climate catastrophes are creating food shortages around the world. Nonetheless, an equitable global food supply is possible – though only if we change our production methods and consumer behaviour.
Soybean field in Brazil. Photo (detail): © Adobe

Greenwashing
 Green Lies: Trust Is Bad, Control Is better

Greenwashing not only dupes consumers; it also stands in the way of real change. Ecological promises and voluntary certifications have long led the public to believe that the global economy is getting greener all on its own. But that is simply not the case. A new law is being passed to fix it.
 

Focus

Sustainable production for a future worth living

Living sustainably and consuming in an environmentally friendly way: That's what more and more people want. But how can production be truly sustainable and what are the conditions for this? What initiatives are there in the MENA region and how do they try to implement sustainability, including from social and ethical aspects, in their production processes? And why is that so important?
An illustration of an industrially dystopic world AI generated image

Videos

Together we build a sustainable life

The series, which is produced in cooperation with the NGO Banlastic Egypt, gives tips and tricks in Arabic (with EN subtitles) on how to live sustainably and environmentally friendly even on a small budget.
Together we build a sustainable life © Sandra Wolf

Water is Life

Water is Life © Dr.Raoudha Gafrej

Dossier: Water is Life

Water is one of the most important elements of our planet. As a source of life, it is also one of the most threatened commons by the way we use it, pollution and climate change. But how can water resources and coasts be protected and preserved?
Drawing of planet earth with a sad face, cut of trees, pollution from industrial plantations on its surface and balancing on polluted water filled with rubbish. ©Goethe-Institut/Ruya; Mohamed Aldalou

Image gallery: Mohamed Aldalou

Mohamed Aldalou is a Palestinian artist from Gaza. 

Moodha Okhra

In a current context where the environment, Fast Fashion and more particularly the management of unsold clothing (potentially reusable), are becoming priority and urgent issues, the Goethe-Institut Tunis and the Pontalent association have jointly built an educational project in Tunisia. Entitled "Moodha Okhra", this project aims to raise awareness and unite an active community of creators, experts and committed consumers, who would be likely to trigger a responsible and more sustainable fashion movement.
Moodha Okhra © Moodha Okhra

Guan Eden © Goethe-Institut

Guan Eden

While Iraq struggles increasingly with the impact of environmental problems such as air and water pollution, it continues to prioritise political challenges over the protection of its environment. The project “Guan Eden” brings the combined strengths of environmental activists and artists to one table. Together they will develop strategies to sensitise students at elementary school level to the importance of environmental issues.
Atlas Projekt Banner Bild Logo CDA © Goethe-Institut Israel

Atlas of Mediterranean Liquidity

Atlas of Mediterranean Liquidity is an ongoing project of interactive maps, regarding climate change’s effect on water problems around the Mediterranean. The platform offers a growing collection of maps, devoted to different questions about the Mediterranean Liquidity.

Sabry Khaled © Goethe Institut

Media And Science

“Media and Science in the MENA Region” is a project that supports journalists from Mauretania to Iraq in advancing scientific knowledge by means of modern media and in dialogue with the people from the MENA region. Science is still underrepresented in the mainstream media and only accessible to a relatively small readership.