Technology Transfer in Regard to Climate Change, Workshop [Archives:2002/06/Reportage]

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February 4 2002

Mujahed Al-Mossaabi
Sponsored by the Minister of Tourism and Environment, the Environment Protection Authority organized workshop on Technology Transfer in Regard to Climate Change on Wednesday January 30, 2002 at the Authoritys office. Recognizing the importance of involvement and co-operation of all the relevant stakeholders including key miniseries, NGOs, academic institution and private sector, the workshop was made to insure that their inputs have been fully taken into account in finalizing the expert technical reports.
The workshop, presided over by Dr. M. aL-Mashjari , chairman of EPA, and Dr. A. Bamatraf, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, provided an opportunity to discuss the final draft technical reports (executed through climate change enabling activity phase 11) of national consultants on technology transfer of climate change related issues.
The workshop aimed to identify the applicable technology needs to be transferred to yemen in the different sectors (renewable energy, water, and agriculture) and to enhance public awareness activities on climate change related issues.
Five papers were discussed by five participants . Dr. Bamatrafs paper centered on the possible technologies in the agricultural sector. Agriculture production depends on farm natural resources, which are subjected to effects of climate change. This climate change may cause decrease in rainfall and increase in temperature; hence includes change in crop phenology. These effects would affect socio-economic conditions in vulnerable countries, particularly developing countries, he said. Dr. Hussein al Tawaie, participated by a case study (solar cookers). The idea of the solar cookers, was a revolutionary attack on the traditional means which causes pollution to the environment and increases earth temperature. This idea was represented in the manufacturing of large numbers of solar cookers (SK14 ) and their distribution to families who basically depend on firewood with encouraging prices. These solar cookers will obtain many goals, socio-environmental goals. In regard to the social goals, they are to improve rural women’s situation who suffered very much from collecting and using firewood for cooking. Also the project aims to provide people with more job opportunities. Dr. al- Tawaie called on all sectors in the country to support this project to enable people to benefit from solar energy by using solar cookers. It is worth mentioning that, about 60,000 of these solar cookers are used all over the wold. Similarly, Dr. Ali. M. al-Ashwal, professor of Electrical Engineering at Sanaa University, contributed with a paper on the solar energy (photo voltage). It is well-known that many studies and proposals concerning this subject have been performed and all these studies proved the feasibility to use photo voltaic (pv) technologies for rural electrification. Further, it was shown that the most economical way for some remote areas to be electrified is to use (PV) technologies. he said. The recent political developments, such as The local Authority Law, give the Local Authority more power and independence to undertake such project. Also the new cabinet included a new ministry of environment which should help and support more projects concerning environmental protection, he added.
On the other side, Dr. M. al-Kadasi, Sanaa University, enriched the workshop with his research on the potential GIO-thermal Energy. His paper concentrated on the importance of the GIO-thermal Energy that can produce the geothermal power from the hydrothermal reservoir in Yemen.
Dr. M. al-Mashjari, the chairman of the EPA, spoke to Yemen Times about the nature of the workshop and its objectives. The participants came here to discuss their papers, exchange ideas, get feed back and benefit from one another. Their findings will be added to their papers in order to represent them to the donors such as (UNDP), the Wold Bank and others who are willing to support these projects, he said. As for the objectives, he said we suffered from pollution so we are looking for more developed technologies which can benefit from the natural resources such as solar, water, wind and other natural energies. He concentrated on the remote areas which are deprived of electricity and clean water and other facilities. He added that we are looking for developed technologies which can serve people without harming the environment. He concluded that the mass media should activate its role in enhancing publics awareness towards such issues and people should know the alternative energies and the problems of the existed energies which cause pollution. We should minimize this pollution by using the alternative energies at least in the remote areas, he said.

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