SDG 13.3.1: Local education programs or campaigns on climate change risks

Climate change is now affecting every country on every continent. It is disrupting national economies and affecting lives, costing people, communities and countries dearly today and even more tomorrow.

People are experiencing the significant impacts of climate change, which include changing weather patterns, rising sea level, and more extreme weather events. The greenhouse gas emissions from human activities are driving climate change and continue to rise. They are now at their highest levels in history. Without action, the world’s average surface temperature is projected to rise over the 21st century and is likely to surpass 3 degrees Celsius this century—with some areas of the world expected to warm even more. The poorest and most vulnerable people are being affected the most.

Climate change is the global phenomenon of climate transformation characterized by the changes in the usual climate of the planet (regarding temperature, precipitation, and wind) that are especially caused by human activities. As a result of unbalancing the weather of Earth, the sustainability of the planet’s ecosystems is under threat, as well as the future of humankind and the stability of the global economy.

Over the past two decades, Lebanon has actively worked on improving its capacity to adapt to and mitigate climate change. The country has actively participated in the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change). Lebanon’s overall GHG (greenhouse gases) emissions are minimal compared to other countries due to the country’s size and relatively small industrial sector.

The university, through the strategy it adopted, has been working to reduce the effects of climate change through the adoption of several policies, including relying on green spaces outside and inside the university campus to reduce the percentage of carbon, interest in afforestation of the surrounding lands and motivate students to care about the environment by engaging them in multiple activities aimed to protect the environment and educate them environmentally through holding several seminars and workshops aimed at introducing them to the effects of climate change and the available means to reduce its negative effects on the environment and people.

13.3 Environmental Education Including Disaster Planning
The University strategy states the following “The promotion of sustainable and balanced development across Lebanese territory and the evolution toward global” and which is from the major social challenges that are tackled in the strategic plan of IUL. Also, it is mentioned in the letter of the President of the University which states that: “IUL has issued new specializations that are harmonized with the global change.
13.3.1 Does your university as a body provide local education programs or campaigns on climate change risks, impacts, mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning?

• Government’s vision towards the sustainable goals and climate and environment:

Lebanon under Climate Change

 

UNDP Lebanon, Climate action.

Goal 13: Climate action

There is no country in the world that is not experiencing first-hand the drastic effects of climate change. Greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, and are now more than 50 percent higher than their 1990 level. Further, global warming is causing long-lasting changes to our climate system, which threatens irreversible consequences if we do not act now.

The annual average losses from earthquakes, tsunamis, tropical cyclones and flooding amount to hundreds of billions of dollars, requiring an investment of US$6 billion annually in disaster risk management alone. The goal aims to mobilize $100 billion annually by 2020 to address the needs of developing countries and help mitigate climate-related disasters.

The Arab region is seeing temperatures rise faster than the global average, with temperatures expected possibly rising as much as 4°C by end of the century. Droughts are already more frequent and severe, with agricultural output possibly decreasing by 20% in value by 2080 and climate change leading to a 20% reduction of renewable water by 2030. Climate-induced displacement is a special threat, from both droughts and sea-level rise, with about 9% of the population in coastal zones five meters or less below sea level. All Arab countries have now issued national plans (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement to scale-up investments into climate resilience.

Helping more vulnerable regions, such as land locked countries and island states, adapt to climate change must go hand in hand with efforts to integrate disaster risk measures into national strategies. It is still possible, with the political will and a wide array of technological measures, to limit the increase in global mean temperature to two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. This requires urgent collective action.

Lebanon has signed several conventions, such as the Paris Climate Change Agreement, and established several institutions dedicated to the protection of the environment. Lebanon is also vulnerable to extreme events that are increasing due to climate change. More can be done to reduce Lebanon’s contribution to climate change and increase the capacities of institutions working with environmental issues.

 

• Local education programs on climate change risks, impacts, mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning conferences, events, workshops, awareness lectures:

Arab Youth Hackathon “Solutions for Change”

If you have innovative solutions to combat the effects of climate change in areas of: agriculture, circular economy, water security, renewable energy and optimal utilization of resources.

Join the Arab Youth Hackathon “Solutions for Change”

You need to form a team from 3 – 2 people of diverse skill levels with one member over 21 years of age”

 

3 will qualify competitors from each country to participate in the final hackathon that will be held in Dubai. The top three places will receive support of the Plug and Blug incubator, a month-long training to transform the idea into a startup, as well as a financial prize from the Pepsico Foundation:

  • First prize is $3000
  • Second prize $2000
  • Third prize of $1,000 USD

Deadline for applications: October 8, 2023

Make an application now…

https://arabyouthhackathon.com

@ PepsiCo ;@Berytech ; @Plug and Play Tech Center; @ Arab Youth Center مركز الشباب العربي

For more information contact:

[email protected]

 

Unleash Your Creativity at Idea Lab 2.0!

Calling all forward-thinkers and eco-innovators! Step into the spotlight with this program focused on agrifoodtech and cleantech. 🍏 Ignite your potential through hands-on training, interactive workshops, and personalized mentoring, all designed to empower you in shaping a greener future.

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to make a difference and bring positive change.

Visit park-innovation.com/idea-lab/ to discover the criteria and apply today. Selected candidates that fulfill the requirements will be contacted for the next steps, including the date and timeline of the program. Spread the word and tag someone you know with an innovative idea!

Apply now at 👉 tiny.cc/idealab2

This initiative is a collaboration with Berytech (@berytech_) and is proudly supported by The Embassy of The Netherlands in Lebanon (@nlinlebanon).

 

“Conference on Environment and Sustainable Development, Challenges and Solutions”

The “Conference on Environment and Sustainable Development, Challenges and Solutions” concluded its two-day activities, which included scientific sessions and various workshops on renewable energies, geographic information systems and natural and human environment data. It was hosted by the Islamic University of Lebanon under the auspices of its president, Prof. Dr.. Dina Al-Mawla, represented by the Secretary General of the University, Prof. Hussein Badran, and at the invitation of the President of the International Peace Forum for Culture and Science, Prof. Saad Ajil Mubarak.

The President of the Forum in Lebanon, the Dean of the Faculty of Political and Diplomatic Sciences at the Islamic University, Prof. Ramez Ammar the following recommendations:

1- Legislation of a law to invest in renewable energies to increase the percentage of its contribution to the total energy total and to achieve a safe supply of it, as well as to contribute to protecting the environment and achieving sustainable development.

2- Activating the work of government procedures that contribute to the distribution of industries, in a way that enhances the protection of the environment and does not deplete its resources.

3- Increasing environmental awareness among community members to preserve the environment and instill a love of nature and agriculture to secure food security requirements as an important goal of sustainable development.

4- The existence of a national will capable of carrying out integrated economic reforms and eliminating corruption of all kinds as a step to achieve financial sustainability.

5- Activating the economic policies that encourage eco-tourism in the marshlands in order to diversify the sources of income in Iraq.

6- The need to work on exploiting the potential available in the production of renewable energy by encouraging research and scientific studies that are concerned with this field.

7- Adopt a comprehensive strategy to reduce environmental pollution in the long term and benefit from the experiences of successful countries in this field to achieve sustainable development goals.

8- Adopting remote sensing and all information systems in building integrated databases through twinning between universities, starting with researchers in Iraq and the Islamic University in Lebanon.

9- The need for the laws related to combating terrorism to include penal provisions that are capable of dealing with terrorism that has occurred in the environment and that target citizens in an indirect way.

At the conclusion of the conference, Dr. Mubarak and Dr. Ammar, Secretary General of the Islamic University d. Badran, a certificate of participation in the conference, and the President of the International Peace Forum for Culture and Science, Dr. Mubarak presented honorary shields and necklaces of creativity in the name of the forum to each of the gentlemen: the sponsor of the conference, the president of the university, Dr. Mawla, representative of the head of the Supreme Shiite Islamic Council, Imam Sheikh Abdul Amir Qabalan, Secretary General of the Council, Mr. Nazih Jammoul, Secretary General of the University. Dr.. Hussein Badran, representative of the Iraqi Ambassador Ali Al-Amiri Amjad Muhammad, the Iraqi cultural attaché Suhail Najm Abdullah, representative of the Director General of Public Security, Major General Abbas Ibrahim, Brigadier General Salah Halawi, and representative of the Army Commander, General Joseph Aoun, Brigadier General Marwan Al-Khatib, representative of the Director General of State Security, Major General Tony Saliba, Colonel Areej Karzab.

The Forum decided that its conference next year would be entitled “Sustainable Development Policies and their Modern Trends in the Amidst of Contemporary Challenges.”

 

 

 

Webinar on Climate Action in Construction and Building Industry

SAVE THE DATE-16 SEPTEMBER 2021 – Webinar on Climate Action in Construction and Building Industry

As part of the efforts to enhance climate action among arab youth, the Islamic University of Lebanon, Yarmouk University, and Tanta University in collaboration with the American Concrete Institute (ACI) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN ESCWA), are organizing a Webinar on Climate Action in Construction and Building Industry. The Webinar will convene experts on climate change, green urban planning, and Construction material with university students from Arab countries.

In the webinar the speakers will go over:
➢ Improve understanding on the importance of addressing climate change in the Construction and Building Industry and the role of Arab youth in enhancing climate action in the region.
➢ Promote a science-policy interface through showcasing a comprehensive scientific assessment of the impacts of climate change on key sectors in the Arab region, based on findings from RICCAR, and how it supports climate-informed policymaking.
➢ Highlight the role of climate-responsive, green economy policy frameworks at the national and city levels, with examples from Jordan.
➢ Raising awareness about the impacts of construction materials on climate change and discussing ways to mitigate the environmental footprint of construction materials using innovative methods and technologies.

Logistics:
The webinar will be held via Zoom on Thursday, September 16th 2021 at 17:00 Beirut time
Register Today!
CLICK THE LINK TO REGISTER!
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJArcuyvqD8jHddEU96dPyjSRUyZXBrnwddu

 

Ministry of Education Lebanon: You and Climate change.

You and Climate Change

Civil society and the private sector are major contributors to the fight against climate change. Mobilizing these non-state actors has been a priority for the past few years, and especially after environment the Paris Agreement was adopted.

Climate Change Education climate

Ever wonder how to effectively mainstream climate change concepts in schools? This Guidebook has been developed with the aim of supporting teachers and educators in Lebanese schools, to help build the values, understandings, skills and competencies which can enable young people to face climate change. The Guidebook has been developed to complement the existing academic curriculum and teaching subjects at primary, middle and secondary levels in Lebanese schools. It has been designed to meet diverse educational approaches, strategies and themes in order to guide teachers and educators in various disciplines. Click here for the English version, and here for the French version.

 

Annual orientation exhibition in the Agricultural Village Center

With a special presence, the Islamic University of Lebanon Baalbek branch participated in the annual orientation exhibition organized by the Lebanese Society for Studies and Training in the Agricultural Village Center in Baalbek in the presence of a large number of Lebanese universities.

High school students in official schools from Baalbek city, Arsal Al-Ain, Dir Al-Ahmar and northern Bekaa villages participated in the exhibition.

As the Islamic University in Lebanon provided a detailed explanation to students about the branches of the university extended over the country, especially its new branches in the Western Bekaa areas and Burj Al-Barajna Tower, and about the available specialties and the grant system.

In its turn, the Organizing Society praised the exhibition for the special role of the Islamic University and the message it presents.

With Our Will We Create a Green Tomorrow

Under the title: With Our Will We Create a Green Tomorrow, second-year students at the College of Economics and Business Administration organized a handmade art exhibition, as all the contents of the exhibition were intended for destruction and were recycled and exploited in a useful way.

Location: The Islamic University of Lebanon – Pictures

 

“Problems and solutions” on the table of the Islamic University in Baalbek

Beach Cleaning Campaign

Within the framework of the challenge to the impacts of climate change, the university has been cooperating with the local community, especially with the municipalities, on activities that contribute to adaptation and reducing the risks of climate change, so it organized several campaigns, including the Cleaning Campaign along the southern shore in cooperation with the Union of Municipalities of Tire.

 

The water crisis in the Bekaa Valley: “Problems and solutions” on the table of the Islamic University in Baalbek

The Islamic University of Lebanon – Baalbek Branch, organized a symposium on “The Water Crisis in the Bekaa”, in cooperation with the Bekaa Water Corporation and the “Italian Civil Voluntary Work” Association, in the presence of the Patron of the Greek Melkite Catholic Diocese of Baalbek, Bishop Elias Rahal, the Mufti Sheikh Abdo Qataya, President of the Union of Municipalities of Baalbek Nasri Othman, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director General of the Bekaa Water Corporation, Engineer Rizk Rizk, Member of the Presidency of the Amal Movement, Brigadier General Abbas Nasrallah, Head of the Civil Planning Center in Baalbek, Engineer Jihad Haidar, Director of Water Projects in Lebanon at the GVC Association, Joanna von Gutenberg The mayor of Baalbek, Brigadier General Hussein Al-Lakkis, represented by Captain Muhammad Taha, the official in charge of the movement’s municipal affairs office in the Bekaa, Abbas Mortada, the assistant official in charge of municipal work for Hezbollah in the Bekaa, Hani Fakhr al-Din, and academic, educational and social events.

Dr. Zein El Abidine Haider delivered a speech at the Islamic University of Lebanon, saying: “When it comes to the issue of water and its preservation, who is more careful than the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nabih Berri, aware of its vital and economic importance, he spares no effort to support all relevant studies and work, starting with His daily insistence on resolving the Litani issue, to establishing the Orontes Dam, and not ending with supporting this meeting of ours.” He pointed out that “the climate and hydrological studies carried out by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), up to the Dublin Conference on Water and Sustainable Development in 1992, and the Rio de Janeiro Summit in the same year, all reached several conclusions, including that fresh water sources are very limited and weak.” It is necessary to preserve life and the environment, and water management must be based on a participatory, not exclusive, approach, and that household consumption and community education play an important role in preserving and consuming water. Most importantly, water has great economic value in all its uses and must be recognized as an economic commodity. These conferences emphasized the importance of collecting correct information and accurate climate data, so that decision-makers can rely on clear indicators to know treatment methods, such as constructing dams, digging wells, developing networks, etc. He concluded: “The National Center for Quality of Medicine, Food, Water and Chemicals at the Lebanese University published the results of the analysis of samples taken from water in a number of Bekaa regions, which showed that bacterial contamination affects surface and groundwater and distribution networks, and therefore drinking water in the Bekaa regions is almost impermeable.” Drinkable. If this indicates anything, it indicates that the health of the citizen has become in great danger, so what do we leave for our children and future generations of at least drinking water?” For his part, Engineer Rizk stressed that “many unfavorable conditions led to a decrease in the quantities of water available in the Bekaa, including climate change, decreasing precipitation, Syrian displacement, the development of life that led to an exponential increase in the pace of water consumption, and pollution of surface and groundwater sources.” And the random digging of wells that depleted groundwater.” He said: “No one should think that the Bekaa Water Corporation, which began its work in 2002, is the only one responsible for water. Rather, every citizen is responsible for water, its preservation and its quality.”