The UAE’s fragile natural habitat and animal life are likely to be put under more strain by climate change, leading to economic losses for the growing tourism sector.
The Emirates Wildlife Society and World Wildlife Fund report, UAE Climate Change Risks and Resilience, this week outlined concerns about the effect on coral reefs off the coast.
Some effects of climate change can be predicted through research, such as the effect of a changing marine environment. But many are as yet unknown, including global warming’s influence on certain species’ habits.
“Marine ecosystems and species of the Arabian Gulf already often function at the maximum limits of their environmental tolerance and further changes in climatic conditions are likely to affect them severely,” the report said.
Sabkhas, low-lying sand and salt flats, are also recognised as one of the largest carbon storage habitats of coastal systems.
“The UAE’s sabkhas are internationally recognised as the largest and most geomorphologically interesting examples in the world,” the report said.
“Coastal sabkhas can stand only a few centimetres above high-tide mark, and changes in precipitation and higher sea level could have negative consequences on their halophytic flora and fauna.
“Estimates indicate that with a continuation of current trends in GHG emissions, a significant proportion of the planet’s remaining coral reefs may be lost to bleaching over the next century.”
The Arabian Gulf is already one of the most heat-stressed and saline marine environments in the world due to desalination plants and decades of pollution.
Policies are in place to reverse some of the damage done by rapid urban modernisation, but the shift in sea temperature and increasing ocean acidity have already taken their toll on coral reef habitats and the almost Dh100 billion they bring in annually.
Coral bleaching in 2010 led to the loss of more than half of the acropora corals in Ras Ghanada, Abu Dhabi, a place famous for its reefs. This was important because that species of coral excretes a calcium skeleton, which is the basic building block for reefs.
The Environment Agency Abu Dhabi last month said it planned to increase the percentage of protected marine areas to 14 per cent by 2019, stating that it will benefit coral reefs and boost tourism in making the UAE a more popular diving destination.
It said that coral replenishment programmes were a feasible option for the Gulf to help coral populations that might be at risk.
Apart from the known link to the coral reefs, change in the region’s ocean conditions could have unpredictable effects on turtles.
A recent study by the Emirates Wildlife Society found turtles dive to cooler waters during the summer and that is likely to increase as water surface temperatures are set to rise by up to 2°C in the next 30 years.
On land, most species depend on a healthy and vibrant desert. But increases in temperature could lead to stress for species including the Arabian oryx, the spiny-tail lizard and migratory birds.
Extreme temperatures will also threaten the flora and fauna of mountainous regions, as the scarcity of plants could lead to species degradation and allow invasive species to flourish.
nalwasmi@thenational.ae
The%20specs%20
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RESULTS
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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
Specs
Engine: 3.0L twin-turbo V6
Gearbox: 10-speed automatic
Power: 405hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 562Nm at 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 11.2L/100km
Price: From Dh292,845 (Reserve); from Dh320,145 (Presidential)
On sale: Now
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
More on animal trafficking
ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Scoreline
Arsenal 3
Aubameyang (28'), Welbeck (38', 81')
Red cards: El Neny (90' 3)
Southampton 2
Long (17'), Austin (73')
Red cards: Stephens (90' 2)
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Like a Fading Shadow
Antonio Muñoz Molina
Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez
Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)