Third Scientific Conference on Environment and Sustainable Development
Under the patronage of the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research (Dr. Abdul Razzaq Al-Issa) and in the presence of the President of the University of Technology (Dr. Amin Dway Thamer) the Environment Research Center at the University of Technology organized the (Third Scientific Conference on Environment and Sustainable Development) during 15-16/11/2017.
Proceedings of the Conference
The activities of the conference were distributed throughout two days; opening session and two scientific sessions were held on Wednesday 15 November 2017, and eight scientific sessions on 16 November 2017.
Dr. Amin Douai Thamer, President of the University of Technology, addressed the attendees during the opening speech stressing on the vitality of the conference in terms of the importance of environment and sustainable development at both levels; national and international. The opening ceremony was also attended by the Governor of Baghdad, Mr. Atwan Al Atwani and Professor Dr. Salah Al-Fatlawi, the representative of HE the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research. Parliament members; Dr. Ibrahim Bahr Al-Uloum and Mrs. Hamdiya Al-Husseini were among the attendees, as well as more than 300 academics interested in issues of environment and sustainable development from Iraqi universities and various ministries and state institutions, as well as the private sector and civil society organizations.
The first scientific session was chaired by Prof. Alaa Abdul Hassan Attieh, Assistant of the President of the University for Scientific Affairs, which included the opening lecture presented by Prof. Ibrahim Bahr Al-Ulum, entitled 'The Oil Industry between Environmental Sustainability and Development Requirements', which addressed the importance of applying the principles of environmental sustainability and conservation of natural resources, focusing on the extraction of oil and oil industries.
The second scientific session was chaired by Prof. Dr. Riad Hassan Hadi Al-Anbari, Head of the Department of Construction and Construction Engineering, during which five scientific lectures were presented addressing; the requirements of sustainable development of the Iraqi Marshlands, the importance of renewable energies in achieving sustainable development, as well as the environmental assessment of contaminated sites in Iraq.
On the second day, eight scientific sessions were held in four halls in the building of the Environmental Research Center, during which 51 research papers were presented in different areas of environment and sustainable development.
At the end of the conference, the closing session was held under the chairmanship of Prof. Sami Abul-Nun Ajil, Assistant of the President of the University for Administrative Affairs, which included a speech by Prof. Dr. Abdelhamid Mohamed Jawad, Director of the Environment Research Center, focusing on the importance of organizing such scientific conferences for networking and communication amongst the scientists interested in environment and sustainable development. He also elaborated on the processes of planning, follow-up and preparation for the conference, and the mechanisms used to evaluate the research papers. It has been noted that the accepted research papers will be published on a special editions of the "Journal of Engineering and Technology". He concluded by expressing his thankfulness to the university presidency, supporting bodies, the supervisory and the preparatory and scientific committees.
Finally, The Appreciation Certificates were delivered to members of the conference committees, participants and supporters.
Recommendations
- To pursue the establishment of an annual national award in the field of environmental; research, projects and initiatives that would contribute on the protection and improvement of the environment. The Center for Environmental Research at the University of Technology will adopt and prepare for the award, in coordination with the relevant authorities, during the coming conference (The Fourth Scientific Conference on Environment and Sustainable Development).
- The supreme importance of setting the national strategy for sustainable development with a common vision on harmonizing economic, social and environmental policies and plans.
- The adoption, of a clear and common vision for the quality of projects and proposed research, by the research centers and scientific departments interested in environmental issues in Iraqi universities as well as other state institutions and civil society organizations. A five-year plan should be announced for scientific research; trajectories and priorities in the field of environment and sustainable development. A series of workshops could be adopted, involving the above-mentioned bodies and under the supervision of the Research and Development Department of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, for the purpose of preparing the proposed five-year plan.
- Directing the executive authorities, to cooperate with the research and academic institutions in the Iraqi universities to benefit from their post-graduate projects and research plans on environment and sustainable development. Also, to keep those academic bodies informed of their newly emerging and prevailing environmental concerns.
- Activating the tools of; taxes, environmental penalties, environmental police, and environmental monitor, to limit the continuous violations on environment, altogether with providing the support for the pro-environment activities. Also to focus on the importance of imposing customs duties on goods and services that may cause environmental damage and alternatively the taxes' exemption of equipment, goods and services related to the protection and improvement of the environment.
- The adoption of environmental initiatives and competitions by the municipal and provincial councils to promote a culture of social inclusion in the protection and improvement of the environment.
- To focus on the importance of implementation; environmental sustainability projects and the preservation of cultural heritage in the Iraqi marshes with special emphasis on the importance of preparing the integrated environmental management plan for those marshlands.
- The importance of research and studies in the field of integrated and sustainable management of water resources, especially with regard to the treatment of water scarcity and water quality deterioration, which is one of the most important factors of desertification that has a devastating feedback on sustainable development.
- To adopt a clear policy on waste management that encompasses; the establishment of modern landfill, setting up sorting facilities and transformation stations, and also establishing qualitative and quantitative databases of both, normal and dangerous pollutants.
- To use advanced technologies in the field of industrial water treatment and sanitation, with emphasis on the importance of rationalization of water consumption through closed circuits.
- To consider the proper plans that would flourish the green belts around the urban areas, and to consider that as a public services' priority provided by the local governments.
- To enhance sustainable alternatives in the production and rationalization of energy consumption and promoting the clean energy research as well as the use of renewable energies.
- To focus on studies related to; the cost of environmental degradation.
- To transform the environmental awareness' culture into behavioral principles among the different segments of the society through; projects aiming at protecting, improving and sustaining the environment and promoting the spirit of citizenship.
- To adopt an environmental science curriculum in accordance with the vision of sustainable development, starting from kindergartens up to the subsequent educational stages, focusing on the concepts of climate change, environmental sustainability and compatibility between developmental and environmental requirements.
