A major report has outlined the challenges that Saudi Arabia, currently hosting this year's Middle East and North Africa Climate Week, could face in a world that warms by 3°C.
The “Climate Futures Report” examines how the country is experiencing climate change at a much faster pace than the rest of the world, potentially hurting ecosystems and stressing environments if action is not taken to counteract it.
The study outlines how a 3°C rise by the end of the century could also result in heat-related health issues, reduced agricultural productivity, rising sea levels, increased electricity demand for cooling and intensified desertification.
"The climate futures report fills a major gap, offering a comprehensive overview of the interlinked and cascading consequences that climate change will have on different sectors in Saudi society including the degradation of natural ecosystems, the increasing stress on urban environments and the direct impacts on human health," said Matthew McCabe, professor of remote sensing and water security at Kaust, and coordinating editor of the report.
The 130-page study is compiled by the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (Kaust), the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Centre, and the Aeon Collective, a Saudi Arabian non-profit endowment fund.
It outlines how Saudi Arabia could face hotter temperatures that could cause crop failure due to heat stress, while erratic rain could put pressure on water.
The impact on agricultural production, said Prof Yoshihide Wada, a world-leading expert on water scarcity at Kaust, must be highlighted.
He pointed to the fact Saudi Arabia grows crops, such as wheat, which is water intensive. And it uses major amounts of water to irrigate its millions of date palms. Just one date palm, for example, can use up to 300 litres of water a day.
“We have to highlight the challenge food production is facing,” said Prof Wada, a professor in plant science, environmental science and engineering, and one of the authors.
No silver bullet to solve problem
Prof Wada told The National there was “no silver bullet” when it came to solving the problem and that a multifaceted approach was needed from policy decisions to individual action such as ceasing food waste.
The study also found that groundwater extraction, used to support agriculture, could be “severely compromised or even exhausted within the next 50 years” with desalination now providing 50 per cent of the nation’s drinking water, which itself can have knock-off effects of more warming emissions.
“When combined with expected increases in evaporative demand, any decrease in rainfall (or even changes in its distribution), could lead to reduced water resources, affecting agricultural production and domestic supply, as well as increased competition for water among different sectors,” it notes.
The report, released on Wednesday at the conference, also shows how warmer temperatures could lead to intensified coral bleaching, increased desertification and unbearable summers.
There will also be a toll on human health. Deteriorating air quality exacerbates respiratory issues and there's a growing concern that climate change might lead to more favourable conditions for vector-borne diseases, such as malaria and dengue, the report suggests.
Under the 2015 Paris deal, countries agree to “pursue efforts” to limit the global rise in temperatures to 1.5°C. But the world remains off track and could be headed for around 2.5°C of warming, the UN has said.
The report notes that for “each degree of global warming, the corresponding increase in regional temperatures is significantly more pronounced for the Arabian Peninsula, which has already warmed at a rate 50 per cent higher than other landmasses in the Northern Hemisphere”.
Under extreme scenarios the Middle East could experience warming of more than 5°C, scientists believe.
“There is still a lot of uncertainty, but we know for sure things are going to change,” said Hylke Beck, assistant professor of earth science and engineering at Kaust and one of the report’s authors, who was speaking to The National.
“Our actions and decisions right now will determine how our children are going to live. We cannot wait.”
Hope exists for the future
However, the report finds much hope for the future, with many of the solutions within reach, whether it is through tackling climate change by emissions cuts or scaling up less-water intensive farming methods.
It suggests the implementation of environmental awareness campaigns and urging businesses to embrace sustainability.
It states “urgency” is required to implement water conservation policies and suggests diversifying food imports and the production of alternative food sources.
Turning to the impact of extreme weather events, it highlights the importance of deploying early warning systems to protect citizens from extreme weather events right down to adding green spaces to provide shade and respite from the heat, thus decreasing heat-related illness.
Saudi Arabia has been ramping up efforts to tackle climate change. It announced the launch of a greenhouse gas-crediting and offsetting scheme at the Mena event, as it intensifies efforts to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060.
"Climate change doesn't only challenge our environment, it affects every facet of our lives: our health, food, water, as well as our economy,” said Princess Mashael AlShalan from Aeon Collective, and one of the authors.
“Our actions today will decide whether we can weather these challenges or face."
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The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
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New Zealand 153 & 249
Pakistan 227 & 37-0 (target 176)
Pakistan require another 139 runs with 10 wickets remaining
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Fly Etihad or Emirates from the UAE to Moscow from 2,763 return per person return including taxes.
Where to stay
Trips on the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian cost from US$16,995 (Dh62,414) per person, based on two sharing.
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Manchester United's summer dealings
In
Victor Lindelof (Benfica) £30.7 million
Romelu Lukaku (Everton) £75 million
Nemanja Matic (Chelsea) £40 million
Out
Zlatan Ibrahimovic Released
Wayne Rooney (Everton) Free transfer
Adnan Januzaj (Real Sociedad) £9.8 million
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Singham Again
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
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Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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COMPANY PROFILE
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How to play the stock market recovery in 2021?
If you are looking to build your long-term wealth in 2021 and beyond, the stock market is still the best place to do it as equities powered on despite the pandemic.
Investing in individual stocks is not for everyone and most private investors should stick to mutual funds and ETFs, but there are some thrilling opportunities for those who understand the risks.
Peter Garnry, head of equity strategy at Saxo Bank, says the 20 best-performing US and European stocks have delivered an average return year-to-date of 148 per cent, measured in local currency terms.
Online marketplace Etsy was the best performer with a return of 330.6 per cent, followed by communications software company Sinch (315.4 per cent), online supermarket HelloFresh (232.8 per cent) and fuel cells specialist NEL (191.7 per cent).
Mr Garnry says digital companies benefited from the lockdown, while green energy firms flew as efforts to combat climate change were ramped up, helped in part by the European Union’s green deal.
Electric car company Tesla would be on the list if it had been part of the S&P 500 Index, but it only joined on December 21. “Tesla has become one of the most valuable companies in the world this year as demand for electric vehicles has grown dramatically,” Mr Garnry says.
By contrast, the 20 worst-performing European stocks fell 54 per cent on average, with European banks hit by the economic fallout from the pandemic, while cruise liners and airline stocks suffered due to travel restrictions.
As demand for energy fell, the oil and gas industry had a tough year, too.
Mr Garnry says the biggest story this year was the “absolute crunch” in so-called value stocks, companies that trade at low valuations compared to their earnings and growth potential.
He says they are “heavily tilted towards financials, miners, energy, utilities and industrials, which have all been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic”. “The last year saw these cheap stocks become cheaper and expensive stocks have become more expensive.”
This has triggered excited talk about the “great value rotation” but Mr Garnry remains sceptical. “We need to see a breakout of interest rates combined with higher inflation before we join the crowd.”
Always remember that past performance is not a guarantee of future returns. Last year’s winners often turn out to be this year’s losers, and vice-versa.
