The 2025 Aga Khan Award for Architecture honors seven projects from Bangladesh to Iran that blend sustainability, cultural heritage, and community empowerment — from flood-resilient homes to the revival of Egypt’s historic Esna — showcasing how design can tackle climate, social, and urban challenges with beauty and purpose. The post The 2025 Aga Khan Architecture…

Flooding in Dubai, 2024 If you’ve ever imagined the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region as forever sun-drenched and dry, recent flash floods may challenge that mental image. In just the past year, cities across MENA—from Dubai to Amman—have found themselves underwater after sudden, massive storms. These deluges aren’t freak weather—they’re a warning. And…

Cloud seeding, like artificial reef construction or large-scale afforestation projects, often enjoys positive framing in official narratives and promotional campaigns. But without independent, peer-reviewed assessment, such projects can leave the public reliant on institutional claims. This information gap can breed suspicion, especially when interventions coincide with extreme or unexpected events. The post Who’s monitoring the…

A competitor climbs a dune, during the third stage of the 24rd Marathon des Sables in the Sahara desert, some 300 kilometers, south of Ouarzazate, Southern Morocco. A new prospective study from the Inova Schar Cancer Institute is prompting both curiosity and caution—suggesting that very high-volume endurance running might be linked to an increased risk…

Rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall, and more frequent droughts amplify existing disputes. Water scarcity can fuel unrest, as seen in Iran’s Khuzestan protests, and can undermine fragile peace deals in post-conflict states like Libya and Yemen. The post Water conflicts in the Middle East region to watch in 2025 appeared first on Green Prophet. Majara Residence,…

No Saudi water story is complete without NEOM, the high-profile giga-project selling a future of “100% renewable desalination,” circular brine chemistry, and hydrogen-powered industry. Ambition is welcome—Saudi needs moonshots to decouple water from oil. The post Saudi Arabia’s $650M bet on desalination appeared first on Green Prophet. Majara Residence, Hormuz The Majara Residence on Iran’s…

Egypt’s irrigation system has roots in millennia-old techniques, from Aswan Dam regulation to historic canal networks. The current program builds on this heritage, blending tradition with pressure-based systems and digital monitoring. Watch developments on the GERD dam opening this year from Ethiopia as water volume from the Nile that goes to Egypt may drop dramatically. …

This is important because deserts and drylands are spreading around the world as the climate changes. Rainfall in these places is also becoming more unpredictable, so wet-dry cycles may happen more often. That could mean more greenhouse gases being released into the air than scientists had thought. The post Dead desert soils still release greenhouse…

An architectural engineer by training, Al-Rashdan began experimenting with plant-based textiles in 2015. She learned to transform food waste—like beetroot skins, olive pulp, and onion peels—into biodegradable materials. Some are fed into a 3D printer to make handbags, coins, and jewelry; others are spun into fabrics for high-fashion dresses. The post She turns Jordan’s onions…

The hotel’s basic ozonation and composting systems lack advanced treatment needed for sensitive coastal zones. Without independent monitoring, there’s no way to confirm that wastewater meets safety standards. On an island without a municipal sewage network, any leakage could threaten coral reefs, seagrass beds, and turtle habitats. The post When greenwashing overwrites ecology at the…