The second day of the conference (13.03.2023) at Al-Qasemi Academy began with a welcoming speech from the attorney Afif Abu Tomeh \u2013 Chairman of the Board of Directors at Al-Qasemi Institutions. In his welcoming speech, Afif Abu Tome raised attention to the important role that Al-Qasemi Academy had played in organizing the conference and inviting scholars and lecturers from across the world. This was followed by a speech from the President of Al-Qasemi Academy, Professor Anwar Rayan, who highlighted the importance of addressing the climate change crisis and its repercussions on the world and thanked the Ministry of Regional Cooperation for sponsoring the conference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After that, Ms Cecilia Attard Perotta \u2013 the Ambassador of Malta \u2013 delivered a speech in which she praised the crucial efforts made by Al-Qasemi Academy to organize the conference and the international networking events that preceded it, including sending a delegation of academics from Al-Qasemi Academy to the University of Malta to strengthen partnerships between the two institutions as well as organizing networking events in Jordan and Palestine. The final welcoming speech was delivered by Mr Ahmed Jabareen \u2013 representative of the Ministry of Regional Cooperation \u2013 who welcomed the attendees and affirmed the ministry\u2019s support for the positive action that Al-Qasemi Academy partakes in the field of regional cooperation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The second day of the conferencewas split into two sessions, the Morning Session, entitled \u201cClimate Change: Public Awareness and Policy,\u201d was organized, chaired, and facilitated by Dr Mai Anabosi-Atamna and Professor Rasim Khamaisi. This first session included six different lectures aimed at shedding light on several topics directly related to climate change and its effects and repercussions on the world as well as the regional and international political-environmental cooperation initiatives focused on tackling this crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first lecture, titled \u201cUrban Planning and Climate Change,\u201d was given by Professor Rasim Khamaisi \u2013 researcher and scientist at the University of Haifa and member of the Higher Academic Council at Al-Qasemi Academy. Professor Khamaisi discussed the importance of sustainable development for managing and adapting to the climate change crisis, especially in terms of designing and planning cities that can effectively tackle the significant increase in human population growth, consumption rates, and mass urbanization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This was followed by a lecture given by Dr Ibrahim Assi \u2013 Director of the Regional Center for Pavement Assessment at the Arab Center for Engineering Studies. In this lecture, titled \u201cThe Use of Recycled Asphalt in Road Construction: Effectiveness of Laboratory Performance, Environmental Effects, and Costs,\u201d Dr Assi pointed to the more contemporary research on RAP recycled asphalt as a sustainable alternative solution for road construction materials. The lecture also included a comprehensive presentation of the scientific evidence behind the success of RAP and its long-term effects on natural resources, the environment, and the overall economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then, Dr Mittal Peleg Mizrahi \u2013 researcher and entrepreneur at Tel-Aviv University \u2013 delivered the third lecture, titled \u201cKiller Sale Offers: Between Fashion, Climate, and Society.\u201d In this lecture, Dr Peleg Mizrahi shed light on the clothing and fast fashion industry and its negative effects on the environment. This lecture shows how the clothing and fast fashion industry is the second most polluting industry after petrol, and so it is one of the highest contributors to air and water pollution as well as labor exploitation (especially among children and women from \u2018third world\u2019 countries).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This was followed by the fourth lecture which was given by Professor Mauz Fine \u2013 the internationally acclaimed researcher from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and head of the Inter-University Center for Marine Studies. In his lecture, titled \u201cProtecting Resilient Coral Reefs North of the Red Sea: The Urgent Need for Regional and National Environmental Conservation Efforts,\u201d Professor Fine touched on the new scientific research related to coral reefs in the Red Sea, from the Gulf of Aqaba to Bab al-Mandab. He shed light on how the climate change crisis has significantly affected coral reefs, which are now globally considered extremely rare, but he also drew attention to the importance of regional cooperation and the new research and cooperative initiatives that focus on biodiversity, agriculture and fishing, and economic tourism as a way to protect coral reefs in the Red Sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The fifth lecture, titled \u201cEmbracing Sustainability with Support from the Middle East,\u201d included a short film on the Sun Triangle Initiative by Mr Noam Weiner. The film introduced the Sun Triangle Initiative and their cooperative work across Palestine\/Israel, Jordan, and Egypt to produce solar energy as a global alternative to polluting energy resources worldwide. The film can be viewed in both Arabic and English using the following links:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Sun Triangle Movie [Arabic]<\/p>\n\n\n\n