The Research and Policy Forum on Climate Change and Environment in the Arab World  was launched in February 2008 as a prototype of the IFI's goal of bringing together AUB's significant research and analysis capabilities with the public policy-making needs of the Arab world. Over 25 faculty members at AUB whose research touches on climate change and environment issues are becoming involved with the program, with several having already presented their research and policy recommendations at the program's inaugural Spring Lecture Series on The Impact of Climate Change on the Arab World.

The Lecture Series brought together eight different scholars, researchers, and policy-makers to explore a range of climate change issues including water resources management, carbon trading in the Middle East, public-private partnerships for climate change legislation, and the role of Arab countries in post-Kyoto policies. The lectures provided a launching pad for the program, as it develops into a permanent mechanism that aims to:

1. Establish and maintain a central database of all pertinent research and researchers on climate change-related issues in the Arab region.
2. Organize regular meetings among researchers, government officials, and relevant institutions in the private sector, civil society, and the international community, to exchange technical findings, identify gaps in our knowledge base on the extent and implications of climate change in this region, and initiate, coordinate and disseminate new research projects.
3. Through research studies, identify the cross-sectoral implications of expected likely climate change scenarios, in fields like Water, Agriculture, Rural livelihoods, Food trade, Energy, Transport, Air pollution, Public health, International law and policy-making, Urbanism/migration, Biodiversity, Employment and Economy.
4. Work together to define the most appropriate policy recommendations that could mitigate the negative impact of climate change, and share these suggestions with pertinent officials in parliaments, the executive branch, government agencies, the media, educators and others involved in implementing or influencing public policy in Arab countries.

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Research

IFI - AUB

Dr. Rima Habib, Associate Professor of Environmental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, and member of the IFI's Research and Policy Forum on Climate Change and the Environment in the Arab World, launched a systematic literature review on climate change and health.

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Sarine Karajerjian, Program Coordinator
   Tel. 01-350000 Ext. 4157
   Email. sk63@aub.edu.lb

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