Dr. Ahmed Motlak Higazy is an associate researcher at the Environmental and Sustainability Research Center, the Open University of Israel. He holds a PhD in Political Science from Haifa University, with an expertise in administration and public policy and local government. Dr. Higazy is an affiliated lecturer at the Open University, Ono College, Emek Jezreel College, and has also lectured at the Department of Political Science Haifa University. Dr. Higazy's research interests include community involvement in building a local agenda, the crisis in the Arab municipal authorities, and the preparedness of the Arab municipalities in Israel for the climate crisis. In the past Dr. Higazy served as deputy mayor of the Municipality of Tamra and as the CEO of the Water and Sewage Corporation of the Shafaram Region, and continues to serve as an active consultant to municipalities today.