Earthna Summit

Vital water sources are vanishing. What's life going to be like for over 2 billion people in countries threatened by the global water crisis? Stark warnings that half the world’s population could face water scarcity in just a few years means we must find solutions now.​

For centuries, local populations in hot and arid regions, countries like Qatar, have thrived in some of the planet's harshest climates. They developed innovative water management systems that withstood the test of time. Traditional knowledge provides us with a legacy of ingenuity and resilience; however this is not sufficient and we must integrate technological solutions that build on this knowledge . This session will explore how the combination of these practices could shape practical solutions and adaptation strategies of the future.

This panel aims to provide a regional perspective on the pathways to a low-carbon future in the context of the scenarios to achieve the Paris Agreement goals. Panelists will discuss LNG as a transition fuel for displacing coal, the potential role of hydrogen as a clean energy carrier, new geographies of production and its multiple applications across sectors, as well as the role of renewable sources of energy. 

Rapid urbanisation and globalisation are reshaping urban landscapes, challenging the scalability of traditional architecture. Despite the rise of contemporary design, traditional architecture remains vital for its cultural significance, craftsmanship, and sustainable practices. This session will explore the integration of traditional design principles with today’s urban needs, aiming to create environments that respect tradition while addressing contemporary demands. Architects, urban planners and designers are essential in adapting traditional urbanism to contexts without compromising authenticity.

Cities are growing at an unprecedented rate—by 2050, nearly two-thirds of the world’s population will live in urban areas. As urbanization accelerates, there’s a renewed interest in the traditional urban design principles that have shaped cities for centuries, offering solutions to modern challenges like climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss.​

This session brings together experts to explore how traditional urban design—such as mixed-use neighborhoods, walkable streets, human-scale architecture, local materials, and community-driven planning—can help create more sustainable cities, especially in hot, water-scarce environments.

As cities rapidly urbanize, traditional architecture and urbanism, rooted in local materials and passive design strategies, offer significant long-term economic, environmental, and social benefits. Unlike urban models that prioritize short-term financial returns, traditional approaches promote infrastructure resilience, cost efficiency, and sustainable urban growth. By integrating traditional urbanism into contemporary development, cities may reduce costs, enhance public health, and attract private investment. This session will critically examine the economic value of traditional architecture in today’s rapidly urbanizing world, focusing on cost efficiency, resilience, and social returns.

Over 2.4 billion people (30 percent of the global population) were moderately or severely food insecure in 2023 and it is projected that close to 600 million people will be chronically undernourished in 2030. How can global cooperation strengthen food security in arid regions? What can we learn from the experience of ancestral and traditional approaches to food security? And what role is technology playing in enhancing food security?​

This panel will convene leading experts and policymakers to engage in a critical discussion on harnessing food resilience in arid regions as well as explore pathways to combining traditional knowledge with technological innovations to ensure the implementation of durable, comprehensive, and adaptable solutions. 

With rapid urbanization—especially across Asia and Africa—cities face both immense challenges and exciting opportunities. How can we make urban spaces more liveable, efficient, and climate-resilient? This session explores the different strategies shaping sustainable cities, recognizing that government planners, private developers, and local communities often have distinct visions for the future. Through discussions on energy efficiency, urban mobility, green spaces, air quality, and waste management, this session will examine how these ideas take shape in real-world projects. The discussion will dive into the role of technology, nature-based solutions, and circular economy principles in creating cities that are not only adaptable and thriving but also inclusive and just. With a particular focus on hot and arid regions—where climate resilience is especially urgent—this session will highlight what’s working, what’s challenging, and where we go from here.

As momentum grows around the nature-positive movement, efforts to restore ecosystems and reverse species loss are gaining traction. Yet, arid regions—covering 40% of the Earth—remain largely overlooked in this conversation. This session explores how nature-positive strategies can be applied to arid landscapes, offering real-world solutions for restoring fragile ecosystems, combating desertification, protecting habitats, and building resilience to climate change and water scarcity. Join us for a solutions-focused discussion on how arid regions can play a vital role in global sustainability efforts.

This high-level panel celebrates the pivotal role of women catalysts in advancing SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals, as part of Earthna’s Women in Sustainability Series. It brings together distinguished female pioneers from government, diplomacy, and development fields, driving sustainability through innovative collaboration, strategic financing, and enlightened policymaking. The discussion will showcase how women at the helm of regional and global initiatives are forging resilient partnerships for environmental and social impact. From fostering education and regional alliances that address development challenges, to pioneering financing mechanisms and economic models that unlock resources for the 2030 Agenda, these leaders exemplify the power of inclusive leadership in sustainable development. The panel will also explore how coherent policies and cross-sector alignment can accelerate the implementation of SDG 17, ensuring that partnership efforts are effective and mutually reinforcing. By sharing their strategies and success stories, contributing panelists will underscore the transformative impact of women’s leadership in building a more sustainable, collaborative future.

This session will feature a screening of the Mangrove documentary, produced by Earthna in collaboration with Azzam Al Mannai. Following the screening, Azzam Al Mannai will engage in a dialogue with local and regional experts to explore the vital role of mangrove ecosystems in protecting biodiversity, mitigating climate change, and supporting coastal communities. Participants will gain insights into the ecological, economic, and social benefits of mangroves, as well as the essential conservation efforts needed to safeguard these critical habitats.

Current policy frameworks often reinforce modernist urban development models, thereby impeding the integration of traditional architecture and urbanism in urban planning. This session critically examines how policies prioritizing short-term economic gains over long-term sustainability exacerbate this divide. The effective scaling and revitalization of traditional architecture demand an enabling policy environment, one that addresses regulatory barriers, fosters governmental and institutional intervention, and promotes policies conducive to a balanced approach to urban development. This session will investigate the roles that policy reform, stakeholder involvement, and cross-sector collaboration play in revitalizing traditional architecture in today’s rapidly urbanizing context.

• Critically assess the limitations of current architectural education and its failure to adequately integrate traditional design principles.
• Identify the role of educational stakeholders, universities, vocational institutions, and ministries, in advocating for the inclusion of traditional architecture in curricula at all levels.
• Discuss potential  curriculum reforms to bridge the divide between traditional craftsmanship and modern urban planning.

Cities in arid, semi-arid, and desert regions face a range of pressing challenges, including water scarcity, extreme heat, limited resources, and fragile ecosystems. These unique conditions demand innovative solutions and collaborative efforts to ensure sustainable urban living. This session will introduce the Arid Cities Network (ACN), a collective of urban centers dedicated to addressing these challenges through shared knowledge, cutting-edge technologies, and strategies for sustainable resource management that foster resilience and empower cities to thrive amidst the unique demands of arid environments.