Bee'ah, a leading integrated environmental and waste management organisation, has joined forces with Expo Centre Sharjah to host 'Green Middle East 2011' exhibition from October 17 to 19.

The event aims to address waste, pollution, recycling and alternative energy issues by featuring the latest in environmental management systems and sustainable technology.

The expo will take a holistic approach of the environmental issues, affecting Sharjah, the UAE and the wider Middle East, said the duo.

It will feature five highly-focused areas of sustainability namely, solid waste, waste water, air pollution, scrap metal, alternative energy and green buildings.

Comprising an exhibition, conference, seminars and workshops, the sustainable showcase will feature the technology equipment and products that go into environment conservation and protection, offering participants a platform to access the region’s multi-million dollar spending in environmental protection.

“The best countries in the world are the ones already implementing effective environmental solutions and being at the forefront of positive environmental change. It is Bee’ah’s ultimate vision to position the UAE as a model for an environmentally sustainable future,” said chairman Saalim Bin Mohammed Al Owais.

According to him, dealing with solid waste is a particularly acute issue. The UAE has the dubious distinction of being the world's largest per capita producer of waste.

'Sharjah itself generates 2,200 T of municipal solid waste daily. About 2.2 kg of waste is produced per person per day (803.5 kg per person per year) in Sharjah.'

'About 2,500 to 3,000 T of construction and demolition waste is received at its landfill daily, which amounts to approximately 1,095,000 T a year,' Al Owais pointed out.

In comparison, Dubai generates more that 10,000 T of general waste per day and Abu Dhabi generates about 4.2 kg of garbage per person per day.

This is much higher than the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries' average of 1.54 kg per person per day. Each day, 1,500 T of municipal waste and 12,000 to 15,000 T of construction waste ends up in Abu Dhabi landfills.

“If Gulf countries, reliant on revenues from oil and gas, want to diversify and grow their economies, it is essential they find ways to manage waste and use energy more efficiently,' said Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, director-general of Expo Centre Sharjah.

'Sustainability is one of the fastest growing industries in the region, billions of dollars has and will continue to be allocated from government budgets, providing a myriad of business opportunities,” he added.-TradeArabia News Service