mazin b. qumsiyeh and zuhair s....
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http://www.palestinenature.org
Research, education, and conservation in developing countries in a networked global ecosystem
Mazin B. Qumsiyeh and Zuhair S. Amr
UN 2030 goals
1) Thriving lives and livelihoods
2) Sustainable food security.
3) Sustainable water security.
4) Universal clean energy.
5) Healthy and productive ecosystems.
6) Governance for sustainable societies.
Everyone has the right freely to.. share in scientific advancement and its benefits
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, UN 1948
Case study from Palestine
Unique area with significant challenges today but rich diverse history
Fertile Crescent
الهالل الخصيب
Photo Anton Khaliliehhttp://www.palestinenature.org
(أوروبا إلفريقيا)مليون طائر مهاجر يمر من فلسطين سنويا 500500 million migrating birds pass over Palestine on annual migrations Europe to Africa
(C) PMNH Prof. Mazin Qumsiyeh
Center of Early Civilizations
Where modern alphabet evolved
A heritage that is threatened
• Cultural heritage
• Natural heritage
• Linguistic heritage
• ……
A future that is uncertain
• Colonialism and conflict (including potential nuclear)
• Climate change
• Population growth
• Habitat and environmental destruction
• ………
Thinking Globally and Acting LocallyPMNH/PIBS as model case study
Mission: Research, educate about, and conserve our natural world, culture and heritage and use knowledge to promote responsible human interactions with our environment.
Motto: Respect For ourselves, for others, and for nature
Always start with RESEARCH
Our research since founding 2014
• Published over 25 peer reviewed articles (and many others in magazines etc)
• Now publishing average 2 papers/month
• How did we do this with hardly any financial resources? The shortest answer is leveraging students, faculty, and local, regional, and international collaboration
Research that is applied towards environmental justice
Jabal AbuGhneim in 1997 and how it was transformed to the colony of ‘Har Homa’
http://www.palestinenature.org
(C) PMNH
http://www.palestinenature.org
Environmental education and awareness for behavioral change in a developing country under the stresses of occupationKhawla Abualia, Reena Saeed, and Mazin B. Qumsiyeh*Palestine Museum of Natural History (PMNH), the Palestine Institute of Biodiversity and Sustainability (PIBS), Bethlehem University
Pacific Ecologist
Bioscience
Challenges: Mega projectsتحويل مياه حوض األردن-تحديات
Case study Success in midst of Challenge
• 25 publications in <3 years, now 2/month with minimal budget and mostly volunteer effort
• A simple google search for Palestine Museum of Natural History yields 603,000 hits highlighting other accomplishments and this is for a project that is less than three years old
Ministry of Health – Forming Technical Committee
Internationls: volunteers and interns
Educational
Panels based on
research
http://www.palestinenature.org
Learning by doing التعلم عن طريق العمل
Keys to success• Bottom-up approach
• Collaboration: Local and international
• Leverage students (undergraduate and graduate, local and international)
• Focus on needs of people (e.g. environmental justice, sustainable agriculture) not abstract research or ideas
• Respect (including for human diversity, diversity is strength)
• Maximum use of IT (brief below)
Good news/bad newsScholar.google.com
Keywords Hits
Israel biodiversity 93,800
Palestine biodiversity 10,700
Israel sustainable agriculture 102,000
Palestine sustainable agriculture 22,800
https://www.earthobservations.orghttp://www.geoportal.org/
Cheaper linear book scanner by Dany Qumsiyeh
Brings knowledge in
developing countries
Many books and journals donated + library of over 10,000 digital texts established
Developed webpage, Facebook,
Instagram, and Twitter linked
accounts.
Library, Website, and IT
Biggest challenge: space for volunteers/workers
And for exhibits
Plans going forward for Garden, Museum and Institute of Biodiversity and
Sustainability
Botanical Gardens not common in Arab World
Looking forwardUses of PIBS - Disciplines
• Geology / Paleontology
• Geography
• Ethnology
• Archaeology
• Mammalogy
• Herpetlogy
• Ichthylogy
• Ornithology
• Malacology
• Arachnology
• Entomology
• Parasitology
• Botany/Plant Taxonomy
• Agrobiodiversity
• Biological Control
• Permaculture
Vision: Palestine Institute of Biodiversity and Sustainability (PIBS)
• Stage 1: Palestine Museum of Natural History (PMNH) focused on Research, Education, Conservation – Opened April 2017
• Stage 2: Botanical Garden and Integrated Ecosystem – Opening April 2018
• Stage 3: 2000 square meter green building with facilities – Opening April 2019
Overlapping: PIBS Academic programs (diplomas, BS, MS, later PhD) in ecosystems, museology etc.
Final Recommendations
• Use IT
• Network
• Collaborate
• Innovate
• Motivate