Water resources

    UAE team wins $1m funding for climate-boosting corals plan
    29 Jan 2024

    UAE climate researchers have secured a $1 million funding boost to support vital efforts to protect coral reefs against the impact of surging ocean temperatures. The key investment will enable the Mubadala Arabian Centre for Climate and Environmental Sciences, based at New York University Abu Dhabi, to carry out two years of work on a marine project focused […]

    Atlas of ocean life unveiled by Saudi Arabian university

    An extensive catalogue of ocean life has been unveiled by university researchers in Saudi Arabia. The index provides a baseline for monitoring the effects of global warming, pollution and other human-induced changes to marine environments, enabling scientists to form targeted research questions about specific habitats and microbial classes. It also offers a new perspective to […]

    Flame-retardant chemicals found in TVs and cars ‘pose global threat to wildlife’

    More than 150 species of wildlife around the world, ranging from belugas to butterflies, are at risk due to contamination from chemicals used in flame-retardant materials, a study said. Research carried out by the Green Science Policy Institute found that these chemicals have reached wildlife across every continent, affecting species on land and in the oceans, such as killer whales, red […]

    UAE initiative boosts access to clean water for 9,000 in Ethiopia

    A major UAE initiative has been praised for improving lives after boosting access to safe drinking water for 9,000 people in Ethiopia. Beyond2020, a humanitarian drive supported by local and international organisations, installed six shallow wells with solar pumps to serve three needy villages in the Dirashe district of the African country. The assistance aims to reduce […]

    Iraq will only be able to meet 15% of its water needs by 2035, UN official warns

    Iraq will only be able to meet 15 per cent of its water demands by 2035 if current trends continue, a top UN official said on Thursday, warning that water scarcity has become the country’s most critical environmental issue. The dire situation is made worse by the fact that 90 per cent of Iraq’s rivers are contaminated, leaving […]

    Oceans changing for the worse, says Indian sailor after round-the-world race

    An Indian sailor who completed a gruelling 236-day solo race around the world with no technological support said he saw first-hand the devastating impact of climate change on our oceans. “I have been to the sea three times in the past 10 years in attempted circumnavigations. I can tell you that the sea is changing for the […]

    UN members reach historic ocean treaty to protect marine environment

    UN member states have reached agreement on the first international treaty to protect the high seas following years of talks, a step that environmental groups say will help reverse marine biodiversity losses and ensure sustainable development. “The ship has reached the shore,” conference chair Rena Lee announced at the UN headquarters in New York on Saturday […]

    Researchers in Europe turn to microscopic algae for answers to our environmental problems

    Every drop of seawater is teeming with microscopic life. But researchers in Europe believe that one particular kind could be the answer to the planet’s most pressing problems. Microalgae, which is invisible to the human eye, has the potential to make farming more sustainable and be an alternative to plastic. Microalgae can be natural pesticides […]

    Outlook for the blue economy

    A handful of hyper-productive fisheries provide sustenance to a billion people and employ tens of millions. These fisheries occur on the eastern edges of the world’s oceans — off the West Coast of the U.S., the Canary Islands, Peru, Chile, and Benguela. There, a process called upwelling brings cold water and nutrients to the surface, […]

    Abu Dhabi launches Middle East’s most advanced marine research vessel

    Abu Dhabi has launched the Middle East’s most advanced marine research vessel that will help in efforts to safeguard marine life in the emirate. The vessel Jaywun ― a term that symbolises one of the finest and most valuable types of pearl ― will enable the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD) to monitor and assess the marine environment and biodiversity. […]