KSA waiting for breakthrough in solar technologyJEDDAH — Grass roots level education and involvement of all citizens and residents through awareness campaigns on issues of conservation, recycling and waste management are vital for successfully implementing sustainable and eco-friendly projects, Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, Consul General of India, has said. Kidwai was speaking at a seminar on Engineering Transformation for Sustainable, Eco-Friendly and Affordable Solutions (SEAS) organized by the Indian Youth Welfare Association (IYWA) here at the weekend. Consul General Kidwai himself played a major role in implementing the “Roshni” (light) project at the Presidential Palace in India as a paradigm of sustainability through conservation, bio-waste management and the utilization of solar energy as an alternate source of energy before coming to the Kingdom. He said environmental concerns and conservation principles should be imparted to children in schools while college and university students should be encouraged to take up sustainable, eco-friendly, waste management and alternate sources of energy projects on their campuses and the surrounding areas. Dr. Abdul Basit Serafi, Deputy Director Presidency of Meteorology and Environment (PME), who was chief guest on the occasion, said Saudi Arabia is waiting for a breakthrough in solar energy technology to use it as an alternate source of energy since the current technology is less efficient and financially not viable in terms of installation and maintenance in the country's sandy climatic conditions. He said that the Kingdom, due to its commitment to alternate sources of energy, has already commenced construction of a desalination plant completely run on solar energy. The plant will be operational by next year, he said. Dr. Hazem Sabbagh, Director of Design at Saudi Diyar Consultants who created award winning designs and has been promoting sustainability through urban design for the past decade, talked about “Promises of ecologically responsible designs”. He said the shift toward urbanization has placed increasing strain on existing cities and their infrastructure. To counter this, cities and communities should optimize their infrastructure to provide modern, efficient, people-oriented services and developments while contemporary designs should cater to sustainability while maintaining ecological equilibrium and the topography of the region. Speaking about the challenges and contribution of engineers, Ramesh Tharwani, head of the Engineering Dept. of Jizan Development, said that it's time to anticipate possibilities for the profound transformation toward inclusive societies with equitable growth and more responsible behavior of consumption to minimize, stop and reverse the stresses on the environment by planning a sustainable development. Dr. Ahsanullah Khan, senior adviser and consultant at the PME, spoke about the global energy scenario with focus on the Kingdom.
