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Two women from different parts of the world share the stories of their lives

Two women from different parts of the world, united by a common passion, experience or expertise, share the stories of their lives.

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The Conversation: Women in Beirut: Facing up to the climate crisis

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Women in Beirut: Facing up to the climate crisis

09/10/2023 GMT

BBC World Service - The Conversation, Women in Beirut: Facing up to the climate crisis

Najat Aoun Saliba and Nouhad Awwad empower women to fight climate change in Lebanon.

Lebanon is deeply affected by the climate crisis and by high levels of pollution. Kim Chakanetsa meets two women who work with local communities to change this.

The cedar tree is Lebanon’s national symbol: it can be seen everywhere, on flags, banknotes and souvenirs. But this majestic tree is under threat as a result of climate change and has come to symbolise the greater environmental crisis facing Lebanon: heatwaves, wildfires and an energy crisis that is pushing up already high levels of pollution. Kim Chakanetsa meets two women who work with local communities to bring about change.

Dr Najat Aoun Saliba is a prominent Lebanese scientist who has made significant contributions to the understanding of air pollution and its impact on people’s health. She’s one of the eight women elected to parliament in 2022, where she’s trying to promote the use of clean energy sources. Najat has also been actively involved in promoting science education and women's participation in STEM fields. 

Nouhad Awwad is the founder of the Lebanese national chapter of the Arab Youth Climate Change and a campaigner at Greenpeace MENA. From beach clean-ups to planting trees, Nouhad has been engaging youth in environmental issues since the age of 15. She is currently leading the implementation of the Ummah For Earth project, an initiative working to empower Muslim communities on climate action.

Produced by Alice Gioia. Sound recording by Antonio Nakhoul.

Image: (L) Nouhad Awwad (R) Dr Najat Aoun Saliba. Credit: Alice Gioia/BBC.)

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