By Najib Saab, Issue 25, April 2000

The principal conclusion emerging from the data analysis of the first environmental Arab public opinion survey, released last week by Environment & Development magazine, is that the public concurs that the environmental situation is getting worse and demands that steps be taken to improve it. People also agree that governments are basically to blame for the environmental deterioration and are in turn responsible for repair. Most striking was that respondents indicated their willingness to pay higher taxes if these are allocated to protect the environment. They overwhelmingly showed acceptance to take personal environmentally-friendly action, by changing their life styles and consumption habits.

The survey covered 18 countries and was conducted by Environment & Development, in co-operation with the United Nations Environment Programme and the Arab League, and the results were analyzed by Pan Arab Research Centre (PARC). The majority of respondents (85.6%) feel that the environment where they live has become worse in the past 10 years, mainly due to changes by man (97.8%). One fifth consider that the environment in their country is good, as predominantly stated by those living in the Gulf states. While those living in the Levant countries (Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine) consider the state of the environment fair or bad. In particular, nearly half of the Lebanese respondents (48.7%) consider their environment extremely bad. People are aware of the diverse effects of environmental deterioration on the health of citizens in the Middle East, and think that governments should do much more for the environment.

The great majority of respondents are willing to participate in environmentally safe actions in their every day life in order to improve and preserve their local environment. Moreover, over three quarters of the sample (77%) are further willing to pay somewhat higher taxes if they knew that money would be spent to protect the local environment. The highest positive tendency to pay environmental taxes was indicated by the Lebanese and North African nationals, while biggest resistance to the idea was among Gulf states nationals.

These crystal-clear opinions negate the allegations that the public is largely lacking in awareness. However, awareness is not enough if it does not evolve into action, as major changes with national impact cannot be realized except at the central government level. Even though individuals and organizations have an important and pivotal role, their position becomes effective only when they can affect political decisions. And if we, at Environment & Development magazine, adopt the slogan "A Better Environment Begins With You", it is because we believe that it begins with each individual until it finally reaches decision makers and becomes government policies.

The following general remarks can be drawn from the data analysis:

1.    Respondents who have average income (middle-class) displayed the highest levels of environmental awareness, and were more prepared to personally contribute towards protecting it, including paying higher taxes. Those with above average income were the least interested.

2.    Most of the respondents are aware of the common environmental terminology used on a global level today.

3.    The public expects governments to play a major role in environmental planning and setting environmental policies, as they also expect international agencies to play a bigger and more effective role.

4.    Lebanese reported the highest percentages regarding recognition of environmental terminology. This may be due to the controversy that followed the hazardous waste issue a few years ago, combined with the large number of environmental NGO's in Lebanon, and the fact that the media enjoys freedom to report on these issues. The widespread effect of Environment & Development magazine in the country was seen as another key factor.

5.    Respondents from the Gulf region, particularly from the U.A.E. and Saudi Arabia, are more optimistic regarding the environmental situation in their countries than in any other Arab region. That is because during the past two decades, they were able to achieve great progress in greening vast stretches of the desert, in addition to the low population density, which places less demands on the environment.

6.    Eastern Mediterranean countries have more environmental problems than the Gulf and North African countries, and that is due to a higher population concentrations, mainly in big cities, and less restrictions on industrial pollution.

7.    Lower income levels in North African countries might have had a positive effect on the environment, in the sense that less consumption and industrialization could have limited the pressure on natural resources.

8.    Younger respondents, students, teachers and those with average and below average incomes, constituted the group with the highest level of environmental awareness.

9.    Groups with higher levels of readership also had a higher level of environmental awareness. The most consistent answers came from the readers of Environment & Development magazine.

10. Improving the level of awareness and promoting environmental knowledge are prerequisites for sound environmental policies at the national level.

The findings of this survey constitute a clear message from the Arab populace to the governments that there is a general agreement among the public on protecting the environment. This advanced stand of the public should motivate effective Arab environmental policies and programmes that meet people's expectations. The parties who collaborated in this survey have pledged to use the public's opinions as guidance to develop new programmes and set priorities. That is what we hope will be revealed soon in the work programmes of the Arab League’s Council of Arab Ministers Responsible for the Environment (CAMRE), and the priorities of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in the Arab region.

This time, the Arab public has made its environmental voice heard. Now environmental groups, organizations, NGO's, governments and the media have to work hard to catch up with the public's demands, and immediately launch modern environmental policies capable of matching people’s dreams and aspirations.