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    The UAE’s focus on renewable energy will pay off
    01 Jul 2024

    Imagine a world where summers are relentlessly hot, droughts are commonplace and coastal cities face rising sea levels. This is not a distant future, but a reality based on recent climate data. Statistics from Nasa show 2023 was the hottest year on record, with temperatures around 1.2 degrees Celsius warmer than the 19th-century average. The world […]

    EPI: World ‘failing to address climate crisis’, with Middle East showing mixed progress
    27 Jun 2024

    The world is failing to address the climate crisis as countries veer off track from their goals, although the Middle East appears to be making some progress, according to the latest Environmental Performance Index. The EPI – released on Monday by Yale University’s Centre for Environmental Law and Policy and Columbia University’s Centre for International Earth Science Information Network – […]

    Cop28 Presidency takes action to help farmers affected by climate change
    26 Jun 2024

    An environmental task force to help farmers around the world address critical climate challenges has been set up by the UAE-led Cop28 Presidency. It is part of efforts to achieve the goals of the milestone declaration on sustainable agriculture, made during the Cop28 UN climate summit in Dubai last year. The Cop28 Presidency on Monday said the […]

    New AI tool predicts harvest time six months before crop is ready

    A new artificial intelligence (AI) system can be used to predict crop yields up to six months before harvest, researchers say. The tool counts flowers on fruit trees, which could help farmers to boost crop yields and improve their allocation of resources such as water and labour, and plan harvests and distribution. The system, developed by researchers […]

    Endangered turtles released into wild at Saadiyat Island

    A bale of 57 endangered sea turtles was released into the wild at Jumeirah Saadiyat Island on Thursday. The turtle species consisted of 39 hawksbill, 17 green turtles and one loggerhead. Organised by Environmental Agency Abu Dhabi, the release was attended by volunteers as members of the public watched on, coming after 214 turtles were rescued since the […]

    Can the production of palm oil ever be environmentally sustainable?
    05 Jun 2024

    Palm oil is sometimes seen as a wonder commodity. It is a cheap cooking oil, an ingredient in any number of foods, a biofuel and it is found in numerous consumer products from cosmetics to detergents. But it is often also regarded as an environmental menace, as vast swathes of tropical forests are destroyed so that palm tree plantations can […]

    ‘New normal’ of extreme weather in Gulf will require significant infrastructure investment

    Countries in the Gulf will be required to invest billions of dollars in flood-proofing infrastructure as the region grapples with the “new normal” of extreme weather, a report has found. A briefing document from Oxford Analytica, an analysis and advisory company, warned the region “has not fully adapted” to the challenges posed by climate change and […]

    Gulf’s mangroves could shrink by 45 per cent as climate threat looms, report warns
    03 Jun 2024

    Mangroves in the Arabian Gulf and surrounding regions could shrink by 45 per cent over the next half century if current trends continue, scientists have warned in a study. The assessment, by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), found that the area in the Gulf covered by mangroves has declined by about 14 per […]

    Drawing water from desert air no longer a mirage

    Producing water from air is becoming an efficient and sustainable reality due to scientific advancements in the UAE. Khalifa University is among the leading institutions and companies transforming this concept into practical reality. It has developed solar-powered water generators that offer a sustainable solution to the Middle East’s lack of rain. To mark World Water Day, a day to underline the importance of fresh […]

    Thirst for peace: Effects of climate change in focus on World Water Day 2024

    Ensuring there is enough water to go around will be one of the world’s biggest challenges as temperatures rise and the population grows. By the end of this century, the global population is expected to have increased to more than 11 billion, about three billion more than now, putting greater pressure on what are likely to be increasingly scarce […]