Moroccan Researcher Karima El Azhary Wins Green Talents Award

Moroccan Karima El Azhary has won the prestigious German Green Talents Award 2019 for PhD research focusing on developing new sustainable construction and insulation materials, based on alimentary and agricultural waste.

Her goal is to improve thermal insulation and energy efficiency of buildings predominantly in underprivileged areas. Karima has been rewarded for her efforts seeking to improve the energy efficiency of buildings, while providing the necessary thermal comfort without using any heating and air conditioning systems.

She is developing new ecological, sustainable construction and insulation materials based on local waste. Karima’s idea is to process waste generated in agriculture in order to create ecological bricks and coating materials, using different mixtures and formulations, employing thermo-physical characterization and thermal optimization.

According to experts, buildings use about 40 pc of global energy, 25 pc of global water, 40 pc of global resources, and they emit approximately 1/3 of GHG emissions.

Yet, buildings also offer the greatest potential for achieving significant GHG emission reductions, at least cost, in developed and developing countries.

The Green Talents program is organized by the German federal ministry of education & research in a bid to promote the international exchange of innovative green ideas.

The award honors young researchers for their outstanding achievements in sustainable development. Selected by a jury of German experts, the winners gain access to the German scientists with whom they will exchange new ideas and to lay the foundations for future cooperation.