Resources

Policy Brief | August 2014
Economic Impacts of Adopting a Sustainable Transport System in Beirut by Mazen Omran, Johnny Ojeil, and Youssef Fawaz
​The current congestion levels in the Beirut Central District (BCD) are not acceptable. These levels are expected to get worse with further development proposed in the BCD and New Waterfront District. Beirut will not be able to economically compete with other cities as it is lacking a comprehensive multi-modal transport system. One way to improve this situation is by introducing a more sustainable transportation system. In addition to reducing...

The current congestion levels in the Beirut Central District (BCD) are not acceptable. These levels are expected to get worse with further development proposed in the BCD and New Waterfront District. Beirut will not be able to economically compete with other cities as it is lacking a comprehensive multi-modal transport system. One way to improve this situation is by introducing a more sustainable transportation system. In addition to reducing congestion levels a sustainable transport system will generate benefits related to: travel time, fewer accidents, a decrease in operational costs of...

Policy Brief | August 2014
The Experience of AUC and the Need for Public Transportation for New Cairo, Egypt by Richard Tutwiler, Hagar Eldidi, Yumna Kassim, and Andrew Petrovich
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IFI’s Climate Change and Environment in the Arab World Program, launched in 2008, has been tracking and framing climate change international negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) - in particular to what pertains to Lebanon and Arab countries. Key members of the program have attended nearly all the Conferences of the Parties (COP) as part of the official Lebanese delegation since COP 15 in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2009. From this exposure, it has become apparent that literature on the history of the involvement of key Arab countries in the past 20...

Walking, it has been said, is the ultimate form of sustainable public transportation. Beirut, however, is one of the most pedestrian unfriendly cities in the world. Many streets do not even have sidewalks, and where they exist, they are often broken, or obstructed, or hazardous when wet. In 2010, two units at AUB, the Neighborhood Initiative and the Center for Civic Engagement and Community Service, joined forces to design Beirut’s first barrier-free walkway on Jeanne d’Arc Street, a major thoroughfare in the university’s neighborhood. For more information check out IFI's Sustainable...

Policy Brief | August 2014
Jeanne d’Arc Street; A Model Pedestrian-Friendly Street for all of Beirut by Cynthia Myntti and
Mounir Mabsout
Walking, it has been said, is the ultimate form of sustainable public transportation. Beirut, however, is one of the most pedestrian unfriendly cities in the world. Many streets do not even have sidewalks, and where they exist, they are often broken, or obstructed, or hazardous when wet. In 2010, two units at AUB, the Neighborhood Initiative and the Center for Civic Engagement and Community Service, joined forces to design Beirut’s first barrier-free walkway...

Policy Brief | August 2014
Sustainable Transportation in the Arab World: International Benchmarking on Sustainable Transport Policies and their Impacts by Issam Kaysi and Farid Chaaban
​The world’s transport sector still suffers from unsustainable trends that lead to increased levels of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. There have been efforts, in the Arab world, the United States and Europe, as well as the rest of the world, to tackle the issue. Much work remains to reach a sustainable transport system in the Arab world, but the recommendations presented offer basic guidelines on how to proceed...

The world’s transport sector still suffers from unsustainable trends that lead to increased levels of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. There have been efforts, in the Arab world, the United States and Europe, as well as the rest of the world, to tackle the issue. Much work remains to reach a sustainable transport system in the Arab world, but the recommendations presented offer basic guidelines on how to proceed with any sustainable transportation initiative. For more information check out IFI's Sustainable Transportation Series

Policy Brief | August 2014
Sustainable Transportation and Mega Sporting Events in Arab Countries: the Case of Qatar by Robert Wittkuhn and Danyel Reiche
​As a motive for hosting mega sporting events, Qatar is highlighting their catalyst effect for planned infrastructure developments. Qatar plans on building intra-city, inter-city and inter-state road and railway networks for the FIFA 2022 initially, and further national use. The planned transportation construction could potentially be sustainable, but the social and political buildup of Qatar hinders such a development; especially when...

In May 2014 the Lebanese authorities put in place new requirements for Palestinian refugees from Syria trying to enter Lebanon. Many of the conditions are very difficult to meet and have the effect of denying people fleeing conflict the possibility of seeking safety in Lebanon. This briefing details the restrictions facing Palestinian refugees from Syria who try to enter or stay in Lebanon, as far as these are known. It describes some of the implications for refugees and includes the accounts of several Palestinian refugees from Syria who have been directly affected.

Research Report | July 2014
History of Climate Change Negotiations and the Arab Countries The Case of Egypt by Ibrahim Abdel Gelil
Even though Egypt’s share of Global Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) emissions is less than 1 %, Egypt has proved to be one of the most vulnerable countries to the potential risks of climate change. The most vulnerable sectors include coastal zones, water resources, and agriculture. Estimates show that a Sea Level Rise would lead to the permanent submersion of large areas of cropland in the Nile Delta, and accelerate the trend of desertification that is worsening the...

أصدرت مؤسسة أبعاد الكتيّب المصوّر "قصة مهى" وذلك بالشراكة مع الهيئة الطبية الدولية. يُشكل هذا الكتيّب المصور مورداً يوفّر للأسر السوريّة المقيمة على الأراضي اللبنانية بعض المعلومات القانونيّة حول المواضيع الأساسيّة المتعلقة بقضايا الحماية من العنف الموجّه ضد النساء والفتيات سيما العنف الجنسي بصورة مبسطة. للحصول على نسخة من الكتيّب الرجاء الإتصال بأبعاد (01/283820) أو الضغط على الرابط التالي http://abaadmena.org/userfiles/file/Resources/Story_of_Maha_Legal_Photo_...

Working Paper | June 2014
Climate Change in Lebanon: Higher-order Regional Impacts from Agriculture by Nadim Farajalla, Eduardo A. Haddad, Marina Camargo, Ricardo Lopes, and Flavio Vieira
This working paper analyzes the susceptibility of agricultural outputs to future climate change in Lebanon, and the extent to which it propagates to the economic system as a whole. A methodological framework in which physical and economic models are integrated for assessing the higher-order economic impacts of projected climate changes is used. The researchers then quantify the broader economic impacts in the...

Research Report | April 2014
Impact of Population Growth and Climate Change on Water Scarcity, Agricultural Output and Food Security
This research project brought together several teams from across multiple countries to conduct a review and analysis on a wide range of complex, interconnected topics. Any one of these issues (e.g. climate change, population dynamics, food security and water security) can allow for vast and deep exploration. Seeking to integrate the concepts into unified analysis that is comprehensive and coherent is both exceptionally challenging and incredibly necessary. By...

Research Report | April 2014
Impact of Population Growth and Climate Change on Water Scarcity, Agricultural Output and Food Security
This research project brought together several teams from across multiple countries to conduct a review and analysis on a wide range of complex, interconnected topics. Any one of these issues (e.g. climate change, population dynamics, food security and water security) can allow for vast and deep exploration. Seeking to integrate the concepts into unified analysis that is comprehensive and coherent is both exceptionally challenging and incredibly necessary. By...

هذا هو العدد 21 من "موارد"، المجلة المتخصصة بالتربية على حقوق الانسان، التي يصدرها المكتب الإقليمي للشرق الأوسط و شمال أفريقيا بمنظمة العفو الدولية في بيروت. نخصص هذا العدد لموضوع اللاجئين والأشخاص النازحين داخليا، ويوفر العدد في هذا السياق مجموعة واسعة من الموارد.

This briefing note presents facts about violence against women (VAW) and discusses the repercussions that it has on development.

Having limited legal status has direct negative consequences for Syrian refugees’ access to protection and assistance during their stay in Lebanon. Limited legal status also increases the risks of abuse and exploitation. Lebanon is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, hence the limited legal protection for refugees and asylum seekers in Lebanon, although it is bound by the customary law principle of non-refoulement and by the obligations of the human rights treaties which it has signed and which are incorporated into its Constitution. International standards under these obligations...

The Mid-way Transition House (Al Dar) is a free, safe, supportive temporary house for women at risk or survivors of Gender Based Violence (GBV), both single women and teen adolescent girls, and women with their children. In this confidential safe environment, women can gather information and explore options with the assistance of trained, professional staff. Crisis counseling, information on legal rights, mental health support and access to resources are available. Attached is portfolio about the mission of Al Dar and its services.

Working Paper | September 2013
Policy-making in Lebanon: Potential Offshore Oil and Gas Discoveries by Jeremy Arbid
This report follows the conclusion of the thesis research entitled “Policy-making in Lebanon: Potential Offshore Oil and Gas Discoveries” carried out with support from the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs, United Nations in the Arab World Program at the American University of Beirut. The research aimed to clarify the inner workings of the policy-making process in Lebanon. Using the multiple streams framework of John Kingdon (2003), the research...