Under the patronage of H.E. Dr. Mohamed Ould Amar, Director-General of ALECSO, and H.E. Dr. Mohamed Ayman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of the Arab Republic of Egypt, and in collaboration with the Egyptian National Commission for Education, Science, and Culture and the National Research Center in Cairo, ALECSO's Department of Science and Scientific Research held a workshop, on December 2-3, 2024 in Cairo, Egypt, on “Environment Protection and Achieving Sustainable Development Goals Using Smart Solutions”.
In his remarks at the opening of the workshop, Mr. Amine Dahmani, Project Coordinator at ALECSO, conveyed the greetings of H.E. Dr. Mohamed Ould Amar, Director-General of ALECSO, and his best wishes for the success of this event. He underlined the importance of cooperation with the Egyptian National Commission and with international and regional organizations to promote sustainable development, share knowledge and expertise, and achieve common goals. He indicated that the Department of Science and Scientific Research is steadily working towards implementing the “Arab Strategy for Scientific Research, Technology, and Innovation,” a task entrusted to ALECSO by the 28th Arab Summit. He pointed out that the workshop is being held as part of the ALECSO Action Plan (2023-2028) which focuses on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. It primarily seeks to build the capacities of researchers and policymakers in the Arab region in the use of smart technologies for the development of effective environmental policies, strategies, and plans.
Mr. Dahmani highlighted the various environmental challenges facing Arab countries, and the role of smart solutions as effective tools for developing sustainable solutions that enable researchers to analyze large volumes of environmental data. This, he added, would help predict natural disasters, enhance community preparedness to face them, improve the management of natural resources such as water and energy, and promote the concept of “Circular Economy”.
The workshop was attended by experts and specialists from Arab universities, along with representatives from national scientific bodies and from regional and international organizations. It benefited 30 participants from universities, research centers, ministries, and national bodies in Egypt, along with participants from seven Arab countries (Jordan, Tunisia, Palestine, Yemen, Libya, Oman, and Mauritania).
The workshop agenda featured presentations addressing the following themes:
- Data analysis and resource management
- Forecasting, predictive modeling, climate modeling, and planning
- Environmental analysis, monitoring of environmental data, and detecting unsustainable behavior
- Circular economy
- Enhancing renewable energy efficiency
- Education and awareness
- Digital technology, Big Data, and the development of robotics, sustainable software, and smart grids.
