Cyan economy

By: Mohammed Ahmed al-Feelabi

You may not have heard of the concept of the “cyan ” economy, but it exists alongside other economic models. For instance, the white economy is sometimes called ‘two-dimensional’ and involves using ICT applications that intersect with all sectors, enabling recovery from economic downturns, as seen in London after the 2008 financial crisis.

The red economy centers on government control over means of production and distribution, as in communist central systems. Meanwhile, the black economy refers to illegal activities like drug trafficking, prostitution, and human trafficking that occur in secret. The brown economy relies heavily on fossil fuels which contribute significantly to environmental harm, while the green economy aims to reduce emissions and other environmental hazards.

The gray economy operates outside the framework of labor laws and involves informal work activities. The blue economy, on the other hand, focuses on sustainable management of water resources, protecting seas and oceans, and includes activities like hydropower electricity generation, sustainable fishing, tourism, and extraction of raw materials from the deep sea. However, some argue that the blue economy emphasizes the need to utilize waste products of production and consumption.

Integrated waste management expert Professor Abdul Hakim Banoud explains that ancient humans did not pay much attention to waste disposal because they were always nomadic. However, when they began settling in larger communities, effective waste management became necessary. Eventually, waste management became a science, with integrated waste management as a strategic approach to sustainable solid waste management. This approach emphasizes the steps of waste production, separation, sorting, transportation, treatment and recovery, reuse and recycling, with the goal of maximizing resource efficiency.

Therefore, we can combine blue and white to produce “cyan,” a color with high symbolism. This illustrates the need to incorporate information technology in waste disposal.