Rain enhancement will play a major role in reducing the impact of droughts and rising temperatures, as the world grapples with water shortages, a UAE minister has said.
Abdullah Al Nuaimi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, warned that by 2050 at least 40 per cent of the world’s population is projected to live under severe water stress, including almost the entire population of the Middle East.
Speaking at the International Rain Enhancement Forum in Abu Dhabi on Monday, Mr Al Nuaimi said climate change would exacerbate the situation but research into cloud seeding was crucial in tackling the issue.
“Climate change will not only make the situation worse in currently water-stressed regions, but also generate water stress even in some of those regions that have sufficient water resources today,” he said.
Addressing water security is a priority for the UAE, said the minister. He said this was part of the country's commitments under the 2015 Paris agreement.
The UAE also aims by 2036 to reduce consumption of drinkable water by 20 per cent and increase reuse of treated water to 95 per cent.
Authorities have also been running initiatives to reduce water loss and consumption such as the introduction of green building standards, retrofit initiatives, water tariff reforms and public awareness campaigns to encourage responsible water use.
The forum is being held online this year because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The two-day event brings together leading experts, researchers and scientists to tackle pressing water security issues worldwide along with scientific advancements in cloud seeding.
In remarks delivered on his behalf by Abdulla Al Mandous, director of the National Centre of Meteorology, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, said water security was an urgent global issue and the UAE would play its part.
"This situation requires concerted national, regional and international action to promote research and development and attract investment in new technologies as well as establishing effective partnerships," said Sheikh Mansour.
Organisers also launched the fourth iteration of a $1.5 million grant programme at the forum. The prize is awarded to pioneering researches in the field and those interested can submit their pre-proposals before March 18. It was also announced on Sunday that the forum will now run every two years. It will next beheld in 2023.
The UAE’s seeding programme began in the 1990s and is run by the NCM. Hundreds of missions are conducted every year.
Cloud seeding essentially tries to wring more water out of a rainy cloud. Salt, which naturally attracts water, is attached to flares that are then fired into clouds in the hops of inducing more rain.
In an arid country with less than 100mm of a rain a year, it is not hard to see why seeding is a tempting proposition.
Seeding experts at the NCM have speculated that it can boost rainfall by as much as 30 to 35 per cent in a clean atmosphere, and by up to 10 to 15 per cent in a dusty one.
But research is pouring into the field to understand more about its success rate, with advancements in the science discussed in Abu Dhabi over the next two days.
UAE squad to face Ireland
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri (vice-captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmad, Zawar Farid, CP Rizwaan, Aryan Lakra, Karthik Meiyappan, Alishan Sharafu, Basil Hameed, Kashif Daud, Adithya Shetty, Vriitya Aravind
The Case For Trump
By Victor Davis Hanson
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
MATCH INFO
Chelsea 1 (Hudson-Odoi 90 1')
Manchester City 3 (Gundogan 18', Foden 21', De Bruyne 34')
Man of the match: Ilkay Gundogan (Man City)
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Ibrahim's play list
Completed an electrical diploma at the Adnoc Technical Institute
Works as a public relations officer with Adnoc
Apart from the piano, he plays the accordion, oud and guitar
His favourite composer is Johann Sebastian Bach
Also enjoys listening to Mozart
Likes all genres of music including Arabic music and jazz
Enjoys rock groups Scorpions and Metallica
Other musicians he likes are Syrian-American pianist Malek Jandali and Lebanese oud player Rabih Abou Khalil
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Turkish Ladies
Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
The biog
Name: Mariam Ketait
Emirate: Dubai
Hobbies: I enjoy travelling, experiencing new things, painting, reading, flying, and the French language
Favourite quote: "Be the change you wish to see" - unknown
Favourite activity: Connecting with different cultures
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