Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company, has launched the second edition of its international blogging contest ahead of next month’s Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) 2014, the region’s largest gathering on sustainability.

Launched under the theme “Cities and Sustainable Development,” the Engage Blogging Contest asks contributors to discuss their views of the critical role our cities play in driving sustainability.

The blogging contest will contextualise the role played by technology, innovation, energy and water efficiency.

It also takes into account the advancement of building materials, and opportunities for entrepreneurship and social innovation in the current debate about the role played by cities to enable sustainable development. Submissions will craft a compelling narrative, offering recommendations on how to balance urbanization with resource management.

ADSW, the five-day sustainability gathering, hosted by Masdar, takes place from January 18 to 24, 2014, and is anchored by the seventh World Future Energy Summit, the second International Water Summit, the sixth Zayed Future Energy Prize award ceremony and EcoWaste.

“With 67 per cent of the world’s population expected to reside in cities by 2050, we can anticipate a greater strain to be placed on cities as they become denser and require more water and energy,” said Omar Zaafrani, strategic communications manager at Masdar. “Such urbanization will oblige us to adapt and become smarter about the way we manage our resources.”

“Through this blogging competition we aim to create a dialogue and debate the role of cities in achieving sustainable development. The competition will also offer a platform for the global community to voice their ideas and innovative solutions to tackling the urbanization challenge,” he added.

Last year’s international blogging contest received more than 70 entries and engaged thousands of readers as it sparked worldwide discussion of sustainability issues in advance of the inaugural ADSW. This year’s winning post will again be awarded an all-expenses paid trip to attend, report and blog during ADSW 2014.

The competition closes on January 3, 2014. – TradeArabia News Service