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