The UAE has joined calls for the security impact of climate change to climb to the top of the agenda at Cop26.
Ministers speaking at the Glasgow summit have raised concerns about conflicts triggered by scarce resources as the natural environment worsens.
Many countries which are vulnerable to climate change are also politically and economically fragile, increasing the risk of conflict.
Mariam Al Mheiri, the UAE’s Minister of Climate Change and Environment, said the country was already spending billions of dollars on relief for disasters and conflicts that were “unequivocally worsened by climate change”.
She said the UAE’s partners had described displacement, damaged infrastructure and even extremism in their countries as resources become scarcer.
“It is accordingly time for climate security to assume a place at the top of the international agenda, especially here at the Cop”, she told a panel co-hosted by the UAE.
She set out four priorities: investing in fragile countries, innovation in agriculture, pre-emptive humanitarian aid, and the impact on women and girls.
Her proposals for farming included solar-powered irrigation systems, drought-resistant seeds and better coastal management.
She spoke on the day that more than 40 world leaders at Cop26 promised to bring clean technology to farmers in vulnerable countries.
It was one of numerous agreements on the second day of the summit, which saw dozens of leaders agree to cut methane emissions and tackle deforestation.
“We cannot overstate the security implications of the collapse of rural economies”, the minister said.
Decisions at Cop26 “must be informed by the fact that many countries are experiencing climate change as a form of violence”.
Military concerns
Nato countries increasingly see climate change as a security threat and agreed a 10-point action plan at a summit in June. The alliance is represented at UN climate talks for the first time.
Diplomatic efforts will continue after Cop26, with Germany planning to launch an initiative at a conference in February.
Ben Wallace, the UK’s Defence Secretary, said military forces would be dealing with the fallout if climate negotiations fail.
Ministers face the separate challenge of cutting carbon emissions in their own armed forces. Mr Wallace said the British military was looking to go green but could not power down essential technology while it waits for cleaner options.
“As a defence minister, we have to effectively deal with both sides of the coin”, he said.
“We have a strong obligation to make sure that our forces deliver a sustainable deployment and indeed make sure they move from traditional energies and fuel requirements to more modern requirements.
“But also, we will have to deal with the consequences of a failed climate change policy, if that happens.”
Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said troops were preparing for climate change by training in the extreme heat where they might one day have to fight.
“I really believe that security and climate, that is two sides of the same coin”, he said.
“Climate change is making our world more dangerous. Therefore, it matters for security, and therefore it matters for Nato.”
Martha Pobee, a UN delegate to Africa, said eight of the 15 countries most susceptible to climate risks hosted a UN peacekeeping or political mission. This was no coincidence, she said.
“Climate change and armed conflict may represent distinct policy areas, but their consequences increasingly converge in the real world”, she said.
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre V6
Power: 295hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 355Nm at 5,200rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
Price: Dh179,999-plus
On sale: now
Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
The%20Sandman
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World Series
Game 1: Red Sox 8, Dodgers 4
Game 2: Red Sox 4, Dodgers 2
Game 3: Saturday (UAE)
* if needed
Game 4: Sunday
Game 5: Monday
Game 6: Wednesday
Game 7: Thursday
It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
Racecard
5.25pm: Etihad Museum – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,200m
6pm: Al Shindaga Museum – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (Dirt) 1,200m
6.35pm: Poet Al Oqaili – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,400m
7.10pm: Majlis Ghurfat Al Sheif – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,600m
7.45pm: Hatta – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,400m
8.20pm: Al Fahidi – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 2,200m
8.55pm: Zabeel Trophy – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (T) 1,600m
9.30pm: Coins Museum – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,600m
10.05pm: Al Quoz Creative – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,000m
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE results
Lost to Oman by eight runs
Beat Namibia by three wickets
Lost to Oman by 12 runs
Beat Namibia by 43 runs
UAE fixtures
Free admission. All fixtures broadcast live on icc.tv
Tuesday March 15, v PNG at Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Friday March 18, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium
Saturday March 19, v PNG at Dubai International Stadium
Monday March 21, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium
UAE%20SQUAD
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Kamindu Mendis bio
Full name: Pasqual Handi Kamindu Dilanka Mendis
Born: September 30, 1998
Age: 20 years and 26 days
Nationality: Sri Lankan
Major teams Sri Lanka's Under 19 team
Batting style: Left-hander
Bowling style: Right-arm off-spin and slow left-arm orthodox (that's right!)
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
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
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 specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 258hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,550-4,000rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.1L/100km
Price: from Dh362,500
On sale: now
The team
Videographer: Jear Velasquez
Photography: Romeo Perez
Fashion director: Sarah Maisey
Make-up: Gulum Erzincan at Art Factory
Models: Meti and Clinton at MMG
Video assistant: Zanong Maget
Social media: Fatima Al Mahmoud
Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press