Very timely book by the World Bank on Air Pollution, Marine Plastics, and Coastal Erosion in MENA. Unfortunately, 1) MENA’s cities are on average more than 5 times as air-polluted as recommended by WHO guidelines. 2) MENA’s seas are amongst the most plastics-polluted internationally and 3) in Maghreb region, coastal erosion is about 10 times faster than the global average.
As a result, the economic damages from pollution, marine plastics, and coastal erosion are estimated to about 3 percent of GDP every year in MENA . In addition, ambient air pollution causes about 270,000 premature mortalities each year in the region. A set of policy recommendations is proposed.
Published by Dr. Wael Mohamed Aaminou
While living in the United States, the impact of the 2008 financial crisis on the economy and people made me question the purpose of my job as a financial consultant. Consequently, I shifted my focus and advisory efforts towards fostering more ethical finance practices that prioritize the real economy, social welfare, and environmental preservation. Through working in several regions, including Northwestern Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, I challenged and shaped the Impact finance and Islamic finance ecosystems in various sectors such as energy, healthcare, education, and agriculture.
My experience in more than 10 countries has made me realize that sustainable development challenges are complex and that practical solutions should prioritize efforts on the most pressing issues, especially when resources are limited. This is particularly true for climate change, which affects nearly all sustainable development goals. Today, as an impact finance advisor, I work on mobilizing people and resources to tackle the adaptive challenge of fostering sustainable communities and businesses.
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