Public awareness and co-operativeness are critical for any country to adapt to the challenges that the climate crisis poses today. Accomplishing a collective goal of this nature requires societies’ full involvement.
For this co-operation to materialise, a society’s awareness of its country’s capacities and constraints, the desired destination, and the importance of getting there is crucial. And it is only when there is co-operation based on awareness of these issues that the right means available for adaptation can be applied.
The need for public awareness is also precursory to the need for financing, because without awareness funds can easily be squandered and opportunities lost. Sustainable development requires awareness that climate change is amplifying pre-existing resource stressors, particularly rapid population growth.
Population expansion can be a boon to development in underpopulated societies. However, in the already populous countries in arid and semi-arid regions, further rapid population growth can derail development. The climate crisis, driven by global warming and reducing rainfall in regions that are already hot and dry, is exacerbating the stress that overexploited ecological resources are experiencing, particularly arable lands and fresh water.
While rapid demographic expansion pushes infrastructure and natural resource systems to the limits, the climate crisis undermines these systems further, raising uncertainty about their present and future viability, durability and productiveness.
Without appropriate adaptation to a crisis that is aggravating economic and environmental challenges and weakening vulnerable communities, economic development objectives become more difficult to achieve. Worse, losses in gross domestic product and even de-development also become real risks.
Agriculture has a strategic role globally. In numerous countries, it is a vital core around which economic development occurs.
It is an employment and livelihood source, a food security pillar, and an input provider to other sectors. In the best circumstances, agricultural activity also supports healthy human and socio-cultural development due to its physiological and psychological benefits, and due to the systems of co-operation in production, trade and conflict resolution that are often integral to a flourishing, well-established agricultural community.
Sustainable development requires awareness that climate change is amplifying pre-existing resource stressors
Sustainable arable land and freshwater resources are the foundations of agriculture’s viability. But human overexploitation and the climate crisis are challenging this viability.
In arid and semi-arid regions, the agricultural sector is doubly vulnerable to distress: it is exposed to the adverse impact of climate change on top of the ramifications of rapid population expansion. Even some humid countries face similar serious risks. Some countries in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, where the ecological resource base and agriculture remain central to development, appear to be less resilient to the climate crisis than where these strenuous conditions don’t exist.
The consequences of climate change for the ecological capacities of countries, particularly where agricultural dependence is significant, could reverberate across all other sectors.
Raising awareness of these issues in affected countries is imperative to mobilise populations towards co-operative adaptation efforts and avoid the worst outcomes of the climate crisis on vulnerable communities and areas. Diminished awareness is an obstacle to adaptation.
Two contrasting cases can illustrate this point.
The economies of the US and Egypt are vastly different in size, degree of sophistication and average per capita income levels.
In 2020, the US had a population of about 331.5 million, three times Egypt’s 107.5 million. From 2010 to 2020, America’s population grew by just 7.4 per cent, while Egypt’s grew by 23 per cent.
The total land area of the US is almost 10 times that of Egypt. Population density is much lower in the US than in Egypt, resulting in lower levels of stress on natural resources and infrastructure. With an uninhabitable desert dominating more than 95 per cent of its land area, Egypt’s actual population density is much higher than the reported data. Resource, infrastructural and service pressures are much more pronounced than what the data implies. The sheer geographic spread of the US also grants it several climate zones that support diverse agricultural production throughout the year.
Due to the significance of agriculture in a country like Egypt, the relative balance of eco-agricultural resources and population is relevant not just to the state and outlook of agriculture but to sustainable development broadly.
Egypt’s arable land area is about 3.4 million hectares, which presently allows for an extremely meagre per capita share of 0.03 hectares. In the US, the per capita share of its arable land that exceeds 157.7 million hectares is about 0.475 hectares. The cultivated area in the US is four times that of Egypt’s, and the potential for further expansion in the former is much greater still.
Egypt is also water-scarce, while the US is not. The average per capita share of the total annually renewable freshwater supply in Egypt is now below 570 cubic metres, nearing absolute scarcity. Although droughts occur in the US, its per capita share of this resource is 9,271.8 cubic metres.
Ecological and agricultural production constraints in Egypt relative to its population size are clearly extreme compared to those in the US. That Egypt’s population would grow three times as fast as America’s, even it has fewer eco-agricultural resources than the latter, appears to reflect – among other things – a low level of public awareness of existing resource constraints in the North African country.
Raising public awareness of these constraints, and of the burdens that rapid population growth places on arable land and freshwater, is overdue.
Struggles of an agricultural sector that is central to development would inevitably extend to other sectors and population groups outside rural communities.
Awareness depends on both positive and negative influences. Understanding the risks that affect different communities, and previous experiences of adverse impacts, are perception-building factors that can motivate transformational adaptation. Appreciation of opportunities associated with adaptation also supports similar behavioural changes.
Raising awareness can be achieved through several channels. Access to information in schools and universities, in public campaigns, in training workshops, and through the visual arts are some of these avenues.
Without sufficient awareness, therefore, we face a steep uphill battle to reduce poverty, improve health conditions and expand inclusive opportunities for a dignified life. We urgently need community actions and public policies that support modifications in habits and expectations affecting resource use and that deteriorate resource quality and deepen resource stress and scarcity.
Amal A Kandeel is principal of Pioneers International, LLC, a US-based consultancy, and formerly the founding director of the Climate Change, Environment, and Human Security Program at the Middle East Institute in Washington
UAE jiu-jitsu squad
Men: Hamad Nawad and Khalid Al Balushi (56kg), Omar Al Fadhli and Saeed Al Mazroui (62kg), Taleb Al Kirbi and Humaid Al Kaabi (69kg), Mohammed Al Qubaisi and Saud Al Hammadi (70kg), Khalfan Belhol and Mohammad Haitham Radhi (85kg), Faisal Al Ketbi and Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)
Women: Wadima Al Yafei and Mahra Al Hanaei (49kg), Bashayer Al Matrooshi and Hessa Al Shamsi (62kg)
Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5
SCORES
Yorkshire Vikings 144-1 in 12.5 overs
(Tom Kohler 72 not out, Harry Broook 42 not out)
bt Hobart Hurricanes 140-7 in 20 overs
(Caleb Jewell 38, Sean Willis 35, Karl Carver 2-29, Josh Shaw 2-39)
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
The bio
Favourite vegetable: Broccoli
Favourite food: Seafood
Favourite thing to cook: Duck l'orange
Favourite book: Give and Take by Adam Grant, one of his professors at University of Pennsylvania
Favourite place to travel: Home in Kuwait.
Favourite place in the UAE: Al Qudra lakes
Results
5.30pm Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m
Winner Spirit Of Light, Clement Lecoeuvre (jockey), Erwan Charpy (trainer)
6.05pm Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner Bright Start, Pat Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor
6.40pm Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (D) 2,000m
Winner Twelfthofneverland, Nathan Crosse, Satish Seemar
7.15pm Handicap (TB) Dh85,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Imperial Empire, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
7.50pm Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (T) 2,000m
Winner Record Man, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
8.25pm Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (D) 1,600m
Winner Celtic Prince, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly
If you go
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl
Power: 153hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: Dh99,000
On sale: now
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 502hp at 7,600rpm
Torque: 637Nm at 5,150rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: from Dh317,671
On sale: now
EA Sports FC 24
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
Jiu-jitsu calendar of events for 2017-2018:
August 5:
Round-1 of the President’s Cup in Al Ain.
August 11-13:
Asian Championship in Vietnam.
September 8-9:
Ajman International.
September 16-17
Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, Ashgabat.
September 22-24:
IJJF Balkan Junior Open, Montenegro.
September 23-24:
Grand Slam Los Angeles.
September 29:
Round-1 Mother of The Nation Cup.
October 13-14:
Al Ain U18 International.
September 20-21:
Al Ain International.
November 3:
Round-2 Mother of The National Cup.
November 4:
Round-2 President’s Cup.
November 10-12:
Grand Slam Rio de Janeiro.
November 24-26:
World Championship, Columbia.
November 30:
World Beach Championship, Columbia.
December 8-9:
Dubai International.
December 23:
Round-3 President’s Cup, Sharjah.
January 12-13:
Grand Slam Abu Dhabi.
January 26-27:
Fujairah International.
February 3:
Round-4 President’s Cup, Al Dhafra.
February 16-17:
Ras Al Khaimah International.
February 23-24:
The Challenge Championship.
March 10-11:
Grand Slam London.
March 16:
Final Round – Mother of The Nation.
March 17:
Final Round – President’s Cup.
UAE%20FIXTURES
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'Midnights'
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Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
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Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Tewellah by Nawal Zoghbi is out now.
The%20specs
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
SHAITTAN
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final:
First leg: Liverpool 5 Roma 2
Second leg: Wednesday, May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
TV: BeIN Sports, 10.45pm (UAE)
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh100,000 (estimate)
Engine 2.4L four-cylinder
Gearbox Nine-speed automatic
Power 184bhp at 6,400rpm
Torque 237Nm at 3,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.4L/100km
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
THE%C2%A0SPECS
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