Vol. 24 Issue 4
Faraj Al-Awar, Mohammad Jamel Abdulrazzak and Radwan Al-Weshah
Water ethics has only recently emerged in academic and development arenas as an independent field of professional discussion. Concerns over water conservation and adequate access to basic needs of water and sanitation pose a difficult ethical dilemma that should be addressed based on societal and ethical frameworks. Issues such as water allocation and pricing, privatization of various water services, and efficient water management need to be contested within an ethical framework according to principles of equity and social justice. This paper presents the basic integrated water resources management (IWRM) in the Arab Region, which suffers from one of the fastest growing water deficits in the world. The deteriorating status of the water resources situation in the Arab Region is no longer tolerable due to the high costs in terms of negative environmental consequences and deteriorating livelihoods of of poor populations associated with lack of access to clean water and sanitation. Nevertheless, most of the national efforts for IWRM implementation in the Region have been dominated by neo-liberal economic policies stressing privatization of various water services, cost recovery through different pricing and tariffication schemes; as well as sectoral water (re)allocation. However, many negative impacts due to the shift to neo-liberal market-led economies have surfaced throughout the developing world in the past decade and a half, especially with respect to the increased levels of poverty and worsening environmental degradation. It is therefore, critical to adopt IWRM approaches in the Region within an ethical framework that takes full consideration of all social implications regarding the poor, and that could be used as a means to achieve water-related international goals of poverty reduction. Finally, the paper also shows that there is no contradiction between Islamic beliefs, which constitute the chief cultural and ethical source of most Arab societies, and worldwide accepted IWRM principles and associated ethical frameworks.
Sharif Hossain, Fusao Mizutani and Amru Nasrulhaq
A field experiment was conducted to investigate the interstock grafting effect as a dwarfing component on peach tree development and fruit quality. The study was made at the Ehime University Experimental Farm located in south-eastern Japan during the period 2001-2005. The results of the field experiment indicated that pruned branches weight and flowers number were lower in interstock than in control trees. However, percent fruit set was a little higher in interstock treated than in control trees. Fruit yield and fruit weight were lower in interstock treated than control trees. Soluble solids content and maturity index were higher in interstock treated trees than control, with an increasing trend in the period from 2001 to 2005, while titratable acidity showed an opposite trend. The results of this study showed that the interstock grafting is a useful dwarfing component for controlling the size of peach trees and improvement of fruit quality.
Jehan Saud Rashid Al-Brahim
Honey was found to have a curing effect on bacterial species known to cause wound infections. The aim of this research was to some of the factors related to the antibacterial activity of a variety of Saudi honey. Honey samples from different floral sources, geographic locations, and production season were used. The tested organisms represented both gram positive and gram negative bacteria causing wound infection. A zone of complete inhibition of all bacterial species was observed with honey types Samra (S-W), Samra (W-S), Saha (W-S), Samra (S-S), Sidir (S-S), and Sidir (S-W). and a larger zone of partial inhibition of growth was observed in all tested honey types. It can be concluded that osmolarity is involved in the antibacterial activity of the honey. Acidity might be regarded as being of primary importance. On the other hand, hydrogen peroxide was found to play a major role in the bacterial activity of honey.
Faisal Mohamed Alotaibi, Ahmad Hamed Alghamdi and Hassan Mohamed Alswaidan
The determination of the total content of fifteen elements in soil samples collected from 29 different schools playgrounds in Riyadh metropolitan environment was carried out by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) combined with microwave digestion technique. According to the results of the concentration at 29 schools' playgrounds in the selected districts, the average of the metals were determined at 25.91, 29.36, 147.73, 8.02, 17.45, 9.92, 43.72, 2.83, 0.64, 0.5, 0.12, 0.92, 0.45, 27.95, and 1.04 mg/kg (dry soil) for V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Mo, Ag, Cd, Sn, Sb, Pb, and U, respectively. Most school playgrounds with elevated heavy metals concentrations were found in Manfuhah, Al Shifa, Al Yamamah, Sultanah, An Namuthajiyah, Al Wurud and Al Shamaisi residential districts due to their proximity to main traffic roads, industrial areas, and high density residential areas. On the other hand, schools playgrounds with lower heavy metals levels were found in An Nuzhah, Al Aqiq and Al Jazirah residential districts, which may be attributed to less traffic emissions, low residential density, and their distant location from the industrial areas. The measured concentrations levels of the heavy metals in the soil, except for Pb, were below the allowable concentration limits. The Pb concentration exceeded these limits in Manufuhah school playground, The enrichment coefficient values (Mobs /Mcrust) for V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, and Cu were less than unity at 0.32,0.47, 0.25, 0.51,0.44, and 0.36, respectively, suggesting that the origin of these elements is mostly the local soil. The enrichment coefficient values for Zn and Pb were more than unity at 1.66 and 8.47, respectively. suggesting that these elements are anthropogenic in origin, for example, from the traffic emissions.
Ghazi Al-Karaki, Nehad Abu-Qobah and Yahia Othman
A field study was conducted to determine the effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi inoculation on bulb yield and mineral acquisition of two onion (Alium cepa L.) cultivars (Giza 20 and Texas Grano) grown under well-watered and water-stressed conditions. Onion seedlings were transplanted into planting furrows after treatment with or without the AM fungi Glomus mosseae or G. fasciculatum. Root colonization with AM fungi occurred in both cultivars under water-stressed and well-watered conditions, but the extent of AM fungi root colonization was higher under well-watered than under water-stressed conditions. Water stress had significantly reduced bulb yields and mineral acquisition in both cultivars either inoculated or un-inoculated plants. However, inoculation with AM fungi has improved onion bulb yield and mineral acquisition (P, Cu, Fe and Zn concentrations) respective soil moisture. The results indicated that Texas Grano cultivar benefited more than Giza 20 cultivar from AM fungi inoculation especially under water-stressed conditions. The improved yield and mineral acquisition due to AM fungi inoculation demonstrated the importance of mycorrhizal inoculation to reduce the effects of drought stress on onion grown under field conditions in dry and semi-dry areas.
Shehab Fouad Hussain Hosny
The length-weight relationship for 73 fish species inhabiting the territorial waters of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the Arabian Gulf was investigated and determined using results from a three-year field study (March 2000 and March 2002). These species belonged to 28 families and 8 orders, of which 57 species are studied for the first time in this area. All the calculated length- weight equations (W=aL^b) had high correlation; the constant (b) ranged between 4.38 and 1.44. An isometric growth of weight against length was prominent in 29% of the studied species, and only 15% had allometric growth, while the majority of the studied fish species (56%) showed and inferometric relation between weight and length. These results suggest that environmental conditions in the Gulf are not favorable for the optimal growth in length and weight within the studied length range. Compared with results from previous studies, significant differences in the constants of the length-weight relationship were found for 50% of the species previously studied.