With their freezing temperatures and abundance of ice, the polar regions could hardly offer a greater contrast to the Gulf and its searing temperatures.
But links between the UAE and these parts of the globe have strengthened in recent years through the Emirates Polar Programme, which helps UAE national scientists to become involved in scientific research.
The effects of climate change on the coldest regions of the planet are especially severe, with these areas warming much faster than the global average.
This effect is especially strong in the Arctic, which is heating up well over twice as fast as the planet as a whole, but Antarctica too is warming much quicker than are other regions.
The UAE’s involvement with the polar regions is focused on science rather than on issues related to defence, sovereignty or security.
By contrast, some other nations are jockeying for advantage as the polar regions change because of global warming. Access to the likes of shipping routes and natural resources is opening up, and the regions could also become increasingly important in military terms.
The UAE became the first Arab nation to commit to carrying out scientific research in Antarctica under the Antarctic Treaty System, which freezes territorial claims and reserves the continent for peaceful uses.
Among the Emiratis to have visited Antarctica is Dr Hussain Khansaheb, executive director of marine engineering at Dubai Holding Real Estate, which has launched a National Sustainability Champion programme.
A fascinating article by Shireena Al Nowais discusses Dr Khansaheb’s intrepid visit to Antarctica, a trip that saw him travel deep into the interior of this coldest of continents.
Gulf sea turtles face pressures from human activity, study indicates
Sea turtles in the Gulf already have to cope with some of the warmest waters in the world, but a new study has shown that human activity puts added pressure on the creatures.
Shipping, fishing and oil and gas infrastructure affect the animals, and the research suggests that there is greatest disturbance in UAE waters. Marine protected areas may offer only limited benefits to the animals.
Undertaken by scientists based in Iran and Greece, the work looked at the critically endangered hawksbill sea turtle and the green sea turtle.
However, organisations such as the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi have many initiatives to safeguard the creatures, as outlined in the article here.
Ban on many single-use plastic items takes effect today
Today is a big day for environmental protection in the UAE, as a ban on several types of single-use plastics comes into force.
The rules around plastics have progressively been tightened in recent years, and the new year heralds a further strengthening of regulations, with the import, manufacture and trade of items including cutlery, plates, beverage cups and lids, straws and Styrofoam food containers and boxes outlawed.
Environmental harm caused by plastic has become all-too apparent in the UAE as well as globally, but measures already taken to restrict the use of single-use plastic bags already may already be paying dividends.
As the new laws take effect, John Dennehy’s informative article from last month detailing the changes is well worth checking out again.
The big fact
Since industrial times, the world as a whole has warmed about 1.2 °C, according to material published by the environmental organisation WWF. However, over the same timespan, the Arctic has warmed 3 °C.
Jargon buster
Albedo: This is the proportion of light reflected by a surface. The albedo effect is an important reason why the Arctic and the Antarctic are warming much faster than the rest of the planet.
Ice or snow reflect most of the sunlight that shines on them (snow has an albedo of about 80 per cent), but when they melt, it exposes a greater area of sea or other darker surfaces, which do not reflect so much light (the sea has an albedo of no more than 10 per cent).
As a result, more heat from the sun is absorbed, causing further warming, which, in turn, leads to more melting.
Get the latest climate news here.
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