Queen Rania has urged nations and communities to rise up to tackle climate change before it is too late.
The Jordanian royal said the nations of the Middle East can already feel the looming threat, with hotter temperatures and increasingly erratic weather.
Queen Rania spoke online at a ceremony at Expo 2020 Dubai for the Earthshot award, which sets out to identify and fund start-ups that can bring solutions to tackle climate change.
Queen Rania, a member of the Earthshot Prize Council, told an audience including Prince William that the pandemic had already shown what was possible when countries acted together, and when flights and traffic were reduced.
"For just a moment, our planet healed," she said.
"The streets were quieter, the air was cleaner, the water clearer. But that didn't last.
"Today, our shared environment is under strain. Here in the Middle East, temperatures are rising, while water supplies are shrinking. And we're not alone."
She said: "When it comes to the environment, every region is under threat. The question now is what will be our future.
"And I'm hopeful. Because the future is these finalists and so many like them around the world.
"They remind us that human ingenuity is the ultimate human resource.
"The fuel we need to save our planet rests in our own heads, hearts and hands. And when we tap it, as these young leaders have, we see such possibility."
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Prince William plants mangrove seedlings with pupils. Victor Besa / The National -
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, visit the UAE pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. After the tour, they were due to hold a private bilateral meeting. Getty -
Prince William visits the UK Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. Victor Besa / The National -
Visitors outside the UK Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. Victor Besa / The National -
Prince William greets Expo visitors outside the UK Pavilion. Victor Besa / The National -
The UK Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. Victor Besa / The National -
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, right, and Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth, accompany Prince William on the tour. Getty -
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, right, and Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth, accompany Prince William on the tour. Getty -
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed and Prince William chat inside the UAE pavilion. Getty -
Prince William watches a display inside the UAE Pavilion, accompanied by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed and Noura Al Kaabi. Getty -
The Duke of Cambridge signs the pavilion guestbook. Getty -
Prince William speaking in the DP World Pavilion, EXPO 2020 Dubai. Victor Besa / The National -
Prince William speaking in the DP World Pavilion, EXPO 2020 Dubai. Victor Besa / The National -
Prince William speaking in the DP World Pavilion, EXPO 2020 Dubai. Victor Besa / The National -
Prince William speaking in the DP World Pavilion, EXPO 2020 Dubai. Victor Besa / The National -
Prince William, centre, visits Jebel Ali Port in Dubai. AFP -
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, chairman and chief executive of DP World, speaks to the prince about work to tackle the illegal wildlife trade. Getty -
The duke’s visit to the port is part of a busy tour of the UAE. Getty -
Prince William's visit will build on the strong bond between the UK and the UAE. Getty -
The duke travelled from Abu Dhabi to Dubai to visit one of the world’s busiest ports. John Dennehy / The National -
Prince William sees how goods are monitored in and out of the port. John Dennehy / The National -
Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, member of Abu Dhabi Executive Council and chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Office, visits Jubail Mangrove Park with the prince. Photo: Abu Dhabi Media Office -
Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed and Prince William at the mangrove park in Abu Dhabi. Photo: Abu Dhabi Media Office -
Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed with Prince William. Photo: Abu Dhabi Media Office -
Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed with Prince William and pupils at Jubail Mangrove Park. Photo: Abu Dhabi Media Office -
The prince and companies in the UAE are working together to protect flora and fauna. Victor Besa / The National -
Children tend to seedlings after meeting Prince William. Victor Besa / The National -
The seedlings were planted at Jubail Mangrove Park in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National -
Lilly-Rose Mayall and Amaan Haider of the British School Al Khubairat plant mangrove seedlings. Victor Besa / The National -
The view from Prince William's plane as he arrives in Dubai. Photo: Kensington Royal -
Prince William during a visit to Edinburgh, Scotland, last year. The Duke of Cambridge is visiting the UAE for his first official trip to the Emirates. Getty -
Pupils at Victory Heights Primary school thought of some burning questions for Prince William before his visit to Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National -
Prince William visited Expo 2020 Dubai. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai
From harnessing the power of the Sun to generating low cost or free energy, Queen Rania said we must ensure that "no waste goes to waste".
"But as exciting as these bold initiatives are, we're all in a race against time. To realise the hopeful future before us, we need to work as one," she said.
"If community-based projects such as the ones we saw today had more capital behind them, together we'd realise that problems that seemed overwhelming are actually manageable. Together, we'd see that we can heal our planet. Earth is our home and this is our shot."
