Natural Built Social Environment Health

Water and the Future of the Middle East & North Africa (MENA)

Michael Brett-Crowther — 2026-08-25

Water is central in the “world problematic”, linking food, energy, poverty, migration, conflict, and development within a deeply interconnected ecological system. The water crises affecting the Middle East and North Africa merge with geopolitical tensions, national
ambitions, demographic pressures, and the technocratic planning that accompanied dam policies and agricultural expansion. Examples such as the Nile and the Tigris and Euphrates, Morocco, Ukraine, the African Green Wall, and major hydraulic projects in Ghana and Ethiopia show that technical solutions often exist, yet fail because of political inaction, economic interests, and the absence of genuine cooperation. There is a need for new forms of conservation, recycling, and water reuse — including wastewater recovery, ablution water reuse, drip irrigation, fog harvesting, and rainwater collection — in order to adapt societies to water scarcity. If governments continue to ignore the interdependence between environment, justice, and human survival, ecological disasters, mass migration, and conflicts over water may become the normal condition of the future world.

Water Flow in the Tigris-Euphrates Basin: Challenges to LongTerm Solutions Under State Sovereignty, Political Instability, And Climate Change Uncertainties

Salam Abdulqadir Abdulrahman — 2026-08-25

The Tigris and Euphrates rivers and their tributaries are the lifeline of Iraq and parts of Syria, and they are significant water resources in Türkiye and Iran. Iraq is known in historical texts as the land between two rivers, or Mesopotamia, which illustrates the importance of the rivers to this country. Recent hydraulic structures in upstream states, along with climate change factors, have caused interruptions to the flow of the rivers and reduced their waters, thereby creating a huge water deficit in downstream Iraq. This paper reviews the profound significance of the rivers for Iraq. It argues that state sovereignty, political instability, and increasing fluctuations in precipitation because of climate change pose considerable challenges to the natural flow of the rivers, making short-term bilateral solutions more practical.

Drying of the Panama Canal: Causes, Impacts and Mitigation Measures

Varghese Mathew — 2026-08-25

The Panama Canal is facing severe operational challenges because of declining freshwater availability. Mass felling of trees in the watershed area of the Canal has drastically reduced the region’s ability to retain water and attract rainfall. Rising global temperatures and irregular precipitation patterns caused by climate change have disrupted the Canal’s freshwater supply significantly. This has resulted in lower water levels in Gatún and Alajuela Lakes, freshwater sources for the operations of the Canal. These declining water levels have led to shipping restrictions, increased transit fees, and economic strain on Panama's economy. Local communities are suffering from water shortage, forced displacement, and socio-economic instability because of conservation projects and alternative water management strategies. This study examines the underlying causes, consequences, and mitigation measures related to the
drying of the Canal. Some interventions are identified: large-scale reforestation, improved water conservation techniques, and enhanced governance to mitigate this crisis. The Canal requires an integrated approach to secure its future in sustaining global maritime trade.

Rare Events: Are Outliers Negligible?

Olivier Sire — 2026-08-25

Do rare events merely sit at the margins of statistical distributions, or do they shape the evolution of complex systems? This work explores how asymmetry and fluctuations, especially in nonequilibrium conditions, redefine system behaviour. Numerical simulations show that as particle density decreases, distributions become increasingly skewed, revealing the growing role of extreme, lowprobability configurations. These “outliers”, often overlooked in favour of mean behaviour, emerge as dynamically distinct components. Through
entropy analysis and simple interaction models, the study demonstrates how local fluctuations and initial heterogeneities can lead to structured, asymmetric organizations. These effects extend beyond physics, offering insight into biological and systemic transformations driven by rare configurations. A simplified electro-driven molecular model further illustrates that rare trajectories can trigger nonlinear instabilities, leading to trapping, convection, and enhanced transport. In such regimes, fluctuations are amplified rather than damped, reshaping global dynamics. Overall, rare events are not negligible anomalies but active drivers of system evolution, steering complex systems beyond predictable averages.

Geological and Pedoclimatic Controls on Soil Evolution and Degradation in the Humid Tropical Gabon: Insights from Ferralitic and Coastal Sedimentary Terrains

Rolf Gäel Mabicka Obame — 2026-08-25

This study investigates how lithology and pedoclimate control soil evolution and degradation across two contrasting systems in humid tropical Gabon. The research compares ferralitic soils formed on ancient granito-gneissic basement at Koula-Moutou to younger coastal sedimentary sands at Kango. Physicochemical analyses revealed divergent trajectories: ferralitic soils exhibited extreme acidity (pH < 4.5), low cation exchange capacity, and severe base depletion, rendering them highly degraded but less vulnerable through persistent weathering. Conversely, coastal sands showed moderate nutrient retention but greater vulnerability to nutrient loss. These findings highlight the fact that lithological inheritance governs fertility dynamics. There is a need for site-specific management, such as liming and organic inputs, to restore Congo Basin soils.

Integrated Algal–Microbial Consortia for Wastewater Treatment: Mechanisms, Performance and Future Perspectives

Ikrame Charef — 2026-08-25

Algae, especially microalgae and macroalgae, are photosynthetic organisms that have been used for environmental purposes for a long time, which has been covered in depth through research. The major environmental uses of wastewater treatment, including nutrient recovery and reduction of the organic load, are mentioned in the literature. Microalgae are characterized by a very rapid growth, a huge potential to assimilate nitrogen and phosphorus, and an ability to form symbiotic relationships with other microorganisms, whereas macroalgae are mainly recognized for their high biomass production and their capacity to absorb pollutants in the water environment. This review paper has adopted the PRISMA method to strictly select research papers on biological consortia of the following: microalgae, bacteria, microalgae–fungi, macroalgae, bacteria, and macroalgae–fungi. Assessment of the chosen articles indicates that the cohabitation of microalgae and bacteria is the most favored theme in the literature by far, given its well-documented effectiveness and biological stability. In addition, bibliometric analyses show that there has been increasing attention to microalgae–fungi consortia since 2015, indicating new trends towards biofloc formation, which greatly facilitates biomass separation. On the other hand, consortia involving macroalgae in association with microorganisms (either bacteria or fungi) are still in their infancy in research.

Optimizing the Diagnosis of Tuberculous Pericarditis through the Use of GeneXpert MTB/RIF

Kholoud Maafi — 2026-08-25

This study evaluated the performance of the GeneXpert MTB/RIF® test (Cepheid Inc., USA) for detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Rifampicin resistance in pericardial tuberculosis (TBP), compared to culture, the reference method recommended by the Moroccan National Tuberculosis Control Programme (PNLAT). Conducted prospectively over 36 months, the study analysed 27 pericardial fluid samples from suspected TBP cases at Ibn Sina University Hospital, Rabat. Conventional methods (bacilloscopy and culture) were compared to GeneXpert MTB/RIF. Microscopy showed no positive results, whereas GeneXpert MTB/RIF and culture yielded positivity rates of 14.81% and 11.11%, respectively. Most culturepositive samples were bacilloscopy-negative. The GeneXpert MTB/RIF assay showed 100% sensitivity and NPV, with 95.8% specificity and 75% PPV. No Rifampicin resistance was identified. The findings suggest that GeneXpert MTB/RIF is a rapid and reliable first-line diagnostic tool for pericardial tuberculosis and may replace smear microscopy and culture, which require prolonged incubation.

Paucibacillary Cutaneous Tuberculosis Diagnosed Using GeneXpert MTB/RIF Ultra: A Case Report

Kholoud Maafi — 2026-08-25

Cutaneous tuberculosis is a rare form of extrapulmonary
tuberculosis, often paucibacillary and with a polymorphic clinical
presentation, making diagnosis difficult. We report the case of a 32-
year-old immunocompetent woman, vaccinated with BCG, with a
history of treated neuromeningeal tuberculosis, who developed a
progressively worsening left cervicothoracic skin lesion. Clinical
examination revealed an isolated inflammatory nodule without any
alteration in her general condition. Conventional microbiological
tests, including sputum smear microscopy and culture, were
negative. But, molecular analysis by GeneXpert MTB/RIF Ultra on
a skin biopsy detected Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA at a low
load, without rifampicin resistance, confirming paucibacillary
cutaneous tuberculosis of the secondary scrofuloderma type.
Standard antituberculosis treatment resulted in a favourable outcome
without relapse. This case highlights the value of molecular
techniques in the early diagnosis of atypical forms of extrapulmonary
tuberculosis.

Impact of storage temperature and duration on rRT-PCR Cycle Threshold (Ct) values in SARS-CoV-2-positive nasopharyngeal Samples: A study at a provincial hospital in Morocco

Oumaima Mallouk — 2026-08-25

Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is the gold standard for SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis of infection. Pre-analytical factors such as storage temperature and duration may affect RNA stability and, consequently, RT-PCR performance. This study aimed to assess the impact of these factors on cycle threshold (Ct) values to ensure reliable diagnostic results. Eighteen SARS-CoV-2–positive nasopharyngeal swab samples were stored at +4 °C and −20 °C and analyzed by RT-PCR over a period of 1 to 7 days. Detection of the S (Spike) and RdRp (RNAdependent RNA polymerase) genes was performed, and Ct values were compared before and after storage. All analyses were conducted using the same standardized protocol for RNA extraction, amplification, and result interpretation. All initially positive samples remained positive after storage. Ct values showed only minor variations, with mean decreases of −1.02 cycles for RdRp and −1.05 cycles for the S gene after storage. Variations of up to 2–3 Ct cycles were observed in some samples. These findings suggest that short-term storage under standard conditions is unlikely to affect SARS-CoV-2 detection by RT-PCR. Because of the limited sample size, the analysis was mainly descriptive. Therefore, shortterm storage of SARS-CoV-2 samples under routine laboratory conditions did not alter RT-PCR qualitative results.

Book review-Grounded Theory in Action: Voices from the Field

Nadia Boutaleb — 2026-08-25

No Abstract

Book review: Advances in Temperate Agroforestry

Rajaa Tesse — 2026-08-25

No Abstract

Book Review-When Worlds Quake: The Quest to Understand the Interior of Earth and Beyond

Nadia Boutaleb — 2026-08-25

No Abstract