CMU-Q grad named regional finalist for UN Young Champions of the Earth

Dina Altarawneh has been named one of five finalists for the UN Young Champions of the Earth competition for the West Asia region. Altarawneh graduated from the CMU-Q Biological Sciences Program in May 2019.

UN Young Champions of the Earth is a competition hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme to foster new ideas and leadership in the area of conservation and the environment. Seven winners are selected, one from each of seven global regions, to receive seed funding, training and mentorship to bring their environmental ideas to life.

Altarawneh’s idea is to reduce single-use plastics in Qatar’s grocery stores. She proposes a zero-waste, bulk grocery store that would be the first of its kind in the Middle East to address the issue of plastic waste by providing a convenient, affordable alternative. The shop would go hand in hand with a small studio for community development and wellbeing workshops.

Altarawneh is dedicated to issues of conservation and sustainability in Qatar. She is the co-founder of Green Mangroves, a non-profit project that offers kayaking trips to clean up Qatar’s mangroves. Green Mangroves is a Qatar-based program of Qatar Foundation International, a member of Qatar Foundation.