In another achievement at the regional level, Al Quds University (AQU) won the Green Building Award at the 2019 Middle East and North Africa Competition.
The announcement of this achievement was made by the Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC) in Dubai, according to which Al-Quds University wins in recognition for a study carried out by Nour Sa’id, from the Master program of Renewable Energy, under the supervision of Dr. Hussain Samamreh.
President of Al-Quds University Professor Imad Abu Kishk expressed his congratulations to the researcher and faculty on this scientific achievement, stressing that the university always seeks to support and encourage its researchers by providing an environment that promotes a culture of scientific research.
Titled “An Overview of Green Buildings Potential in Palestine”, the study focuses on the realities of energy in Palestine and the factors for not using domestic natural resources. It discusses the significant development in the construction sector in terms of the design of buildings in Palestine and the materials used in them. It also draws on the challenges to this sector that are posed by the overuse of energy, the existence of a diversified climate across Palestine that has counter effects, as well as the lack of public awareness in terms of the value of sustainable building.
The study concludes that “the absence of legislations and laws binding the minimum requirements of green buildings are among the most chief obstacles to the adoption of sustainable construction as a long-term strategy to achieve the desired independence in the energy sector, in addition to the insufficient financial resources to stimulate investment in the green building sector in Palestine”. It recommends that the optimal use of the available renewable resources is the most efficient way to improve this sector.
The term ‘green building” refers exclusively to the ecological dimension (or environmental sustainability) of sustainable construction, which is a more comprehensive concept. It also contemplates the social and economic dimensions.
Currently, sustainable buildings have to meet a series of requirements besides energy efficiency, concerning the health and comfort of their occupants, impacts on the urban infrastructure and on the places they are implemented in, added to those generated by the materials used and by the construction activities, use, operation and demolition of the buildings.
The Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC), officially sponsored by the World Green Building Council, was formed in 2006 with the goal of advancing green building principles for protecting the environment and ensuring sustainability in the United Arab Emirates.
Established in 1997, the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Al-Quds University aims at developing scientific cadres in the fields of applied earth sciences and environmental sciences to contribute to the national effort that seek to achieve sustainable development, preserve the environment, and protect the natural resources from depletion and pollution. Taking into account the factors of economic growth, this department also provides scientific consultations that contribute to sustainable development in Palestinian.
