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Applications Open for Second Edition of Goumbook’s Regenerative Agriculture Venture Programme

by rachel 6 months ago

written by rachel

In a bid to empower and up skill researchers, students and innovators with entrepreneurial expertise to tackle challenges in food and water systems, biodiversity loss and climate change, Goumbook, a social enterprise accelerating sustainability in the MENA region, has announced that applications are now open for the second edition of the MENAT Regenerative Agriculture Venture Programme.

The Programme has been opened for its second edition in continued partnership with the Saudi Awl Bank, HSBS Bank Middle East, and the European Institute of Technology (EIT) Food and the Climate Champions Team.

The programme seeks to bridge the gap between academia, research and the business sector, by transforming research, science and nature- based solutions into accessible, scalable, and sustainable outcomes tailored to the needs of small to medium farm holders. This initiative will catalyse a regional regenerative agriculture movement, addressing the unique agricultural challenges posed by the region’s arid climate, saline soils, desert landscapes, and water scarcity.

Innovators, researchers, and students focusing on regenerative agriculture are encouraged to apply by the 6th January 2025 on the programme website. Applicants will be able to present their ideas and receive support to develop their regenerative solutions addressing pressing issues such as food security, water management, and ecosystem restoration.

The programme’s judging committee will select 20 participants for intensive boot camps and mentorship, culminating in a pitch event where three winners will receive $20,000 grants each and additional support to further develop their proof of concepts and scale their projects for environmental and social impact.

History of the Programme

“The programme’s continued support reflects a dedication to empowering regional researchers and innovators to advance impactful solutions that address both local and global environmental priorities”, said Samantha Kayruz, Goumbook’s Strategy and Sustainability Impact Director.

“By welcoming a new cohort of change-makers, we aim to further the journey begun last year, where talented researchers laid the groundwork for agricultural solutions that actively combat food, water and climate issues and improve livelihoods across our region. With the continued support of our partners, we are creating pathways for innovators to move from research concept to impact, shaping a regenerative agricultural future for the MENAT region.”

Last year’s inaugural cohort attracted 158 registrations from 18 countries, representing 19 universities and research institutes across the MENAT region. Highlighting the importance of local solutions to the MENAT region’s unique agricultural challenges, participants achieved significant milestones, transforming their research into actionable solutions that enhance climate resilience and food security.

“This initiative is part of our strategy to build global partnerships and support climate-resilient innovations”, said Sabrin Rahman, Head of Sustainability for HSBC in the Middle East, North Africa and Türkiye region. “Last year’s cohort demonstrated the potential for transformative change in regenerative agriculture, and we are excited about the potential these pioneering ideas bring to the table.”

6 months ago 0 comments

Environment Innovation & Education Latest News

Leading Scientists Hosted by Second ADIA Lab Symposium

by rachel 7 months ago

written by rachel

ADIA Lab, the independent Abu Dhabi-based institute dedicated to basic and applied research in data and computational sciences, hosted its second annual symposium in Abu Dhabi in November, with an agenda focussed on the power of research and technology to address global challenges.

The event took place at Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) as part of ADIA Lab’s commitment to playing an active role in the international data and computational science community, contributing to Abu Dhabi’s digital ecosystem and raising opportunities for collaboration between the UAE and global organisations.

The event brought together some of the world’s most respected scientists, thought leaders and researchers to confront critical issues like climate change and the need for trustworthy AI, while discussing how AI is transforming key industries.

“At the symposium, some of the world’s brightest minds in science and technology, will explore how AI and data science can be harnessed to solve critical societal issues”, said Dr Horst Simon, Director of ADIA Lab, ahead of the event.

“This year’s symposium has expanded not only in scope, but also in our potential impact, as wee look deeper into the technological advances and innovations that are shaping our future.”

The 2024 symposium explored three themes over three days, such as trustworthy AI, which explored the need to address the urgent need for secure and reliable ecosystems. The event also included discussions based on the environment, with a focus on sustainability in AI, and topics ranging from climate monitoring to risk modelling.

7 months ago 0 comments

Environment Latest News

Climate Change is Making Days Longer, New Study Finds

by Madaline Dunn 11 months ago

written by Madaline Dunn

A NASA-funded study has found that climate change is making our days longer as polar ice melts. While researchers say the change is in the milliseconds, they also note that this change is accelerating and could have implications for “precise timekeeping” and space navigation.

Alongside this, another NASA-funded study on the impact of climate-related redistribution of ice and water on the Earth’s rotation has found that this melting of ice sheets and glaciers is also causing the planet to “wobble” as it spins, and its axis to shift in location.

In fact, in the past 120 years, its rotational axis has moved around 30 feet (10 metres)

According to the day-length study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, in recent decades, the melting of glaciers and polar ice sheets has accelerated, and this is shifting mass from the poles toward the equatorial ocean.

This, it was explained, causes Earth to decelerate and the day to lengthen.

From 2000 to 2018, the rate of length-of-day increase was 1.33 milliseconds per century, which, it was explained is faster than at any period in the prior 100 years. If emissions continue to rise, this could increase to as much as 2.62 milliseconds per century.

This would overtake the effect of the Moon’s pull on tides, which has been increasing Earth’s length of day by 2.4 milliseconds per century, on average.

However, if emissions were to be “severely reduced,” the lengthening could decelerate by 2100, the researchers outlined.

11 months ago 0 comments

Environment Special Reports

New research suggests Atlantic Ocean circulation is “on tipping course”

by Madaline Dunn 1 year ago

written by Madaline Dunn

A new study published in the journal Science Advances warns that a critical system of Atlantic Ocean currents is “on course” to a tipping point that would dramatically impact global temperatures and sea levels.

The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) effectively transports heat and salt through the global ocean and strongly modulates regional and global climate, the study explains.

It is part of the thermohaline circulation, otherwise known as the “great ocean conveyor belt,” a system of currents that circulate throughout the oceans and is driven by temperature and salinity. It plays a key role in distributing heat and energy.

Further, from proxy records, it is suggested that the AMOC is currently in its weakest state in over a millennium.

The study used a supercomputer to run climate models, whereby scientists simulated the gradual increase of freshwater to the AMOC over a period of years, a simulation that has not been conducted before with a complex global climate model (GCM).

It found that the gradual increase of freshwater, for example, from river runoff from swelling, increased rainfall or ice melt, could result in an abrupt AMOC collapse.

The researchers said that this provided a “clear answer” that an abrupt shift is possible.

“This is bad news for the climate system and humanity as up till now one could think that Amoc tipping was only a theoretical concept and tipping would disappear as soon as the full climate system, with all its additional feedbacks, was considered,” the study said.

The tipping point, it was shared, could result in extreme weather in the Northern Hemisphere and significantly disrupt rainfall, with the southern hemisphere witnessing accelerated warming. There could also be a 100cm rise in European sea levels.

Read the full study here.

1 year ago 0 comments