October 25, 2017, Dubai Municipality’s Environmental Centre: Recognizing the commitment of UAE towards promoting and generating Sustainable Development and in continuation of the ongoing partnership between Canadian University Dubai and Dubai Municipality’s Environmental Centre for Arab Towns (ECAT) who last year hosted the first-ever forum ‘Executive Program on Sustainability; the Canadian University Dubai and ECAT took another step forward this week by successfully delivering a second forum entitled “Executive Action Forum on Sustainable Development: Generating Economic Development through Integrated Waste and Resource Management in the Middle East.”
The Forum was led by Dr Karlson ‘Charlie’ Hargroves; a world-renowned sustainability transitions consultant, researcher and author and was assisted by Mr. Daniel Conley, Course Tutor.
Aimed at professionals, entrepreneurs, and public officials working in the resources or waste sector needing to gain an up to date understanding of the latest approaches to generate economic development opportunities through integrated waste and resource management in the Middle East, based on world’s best practice, the Forum was designed to provide participants with a clear understanding of the opportunities available to capitalize on proven and emerging waste and resource management practices and to generate economic development opportunities in line with the Dubai Municipality mandatory requirement to reuse or recycle a minimum of 50 percent of C&D waste for new developments.
Topics in the courses included the economics of decoupling waste from economic growth, an update on progress in reuse, recycling, recovery and re-design and the exploration of the innovative approaches that create new products and markets in the sustainability arena.
While globally the perception of the Middle East may be that it is lagging behind in terms of advancing sustainability, the story on the ground is entirely different with initiatives such as Dubai Sustainable City and Desert Rose clearly demonstrating Dubai’s determination to become one of the world’s leading sustainable cities. Equally, Dubai has encouraged new construction projects to identify a series of sustainable initiatives and targets which will help guide incorporate sustainability into design and building.
The Forum was delivered in an executive education format with a focus on providing capacity building using a range of methods, including TEDx-like lectures, individual discovery and small group exploration, as well as including oral presentations within small group activities.
Representatives from Sewage Network and Treatment Departments, Dubai Municipality, Sewerage & Irrigation Network Department, Dubai Municipality, Dibba Municipality, SEPCO Environment and the Riyadh Development Authority from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia attended the forum.
At the end of the Forum Certificates were presented to all delegates by Mr. Hussain Abdulla Fardan, Director of Environmental Center for Arab Towns (ECAT).
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