Slow Food and regenerative farming may be an answer.

FMD doesn’t infect humans, but the damage it causes to livestock—and to farmers’ livelihoods—is severe. The virus spreads quickly among animals like cattle, sheep, pigs, and goats. It causes fever and painful blisters on the mouth and feet, leading to lameness, less milk and meat production, and in some cases, sudden death in younger animals.

Europe, which is usually free of FMD, is now facing its worst outbreak since 2001. Germany detected a case in January 2025 and managed to contain it, but since then the disease has spread to Hungary and Slovakia, and is proving harder to stop. As a result, the UK has banned meat and dairy imports from affected countries, including Austria due to its proximity to Hungary.

The economic fallout from FMD is enormous. Even in countries where the disease is common, it causes an estimated $21 billion in losses every year—mostly from reduced productivity and the cost of vaccines. But when trade bans, culling, and market disruptions are included, the true financial impact is far greater. For small-scale farmers and rural communities, a single outbreak can be devastating.

In response, FAO is calling on all countries to strengthen their prevention and response efforts. This includes increasing public awareness, especially among farmers and market workers; improving on-farm biosecurity by keeping sick animals isolated and stopping the spread of contaminated equipment or people; and making sure that vaccines, where used, are carefully matched to the circulating virus strain.

Vaccination can be very effective, but it needs to be part of a larger strategy that includes active surveillance, testing, and fast action when new outbreaks are detected. Countries should also review their contingency plans to ensure they can respond quickly to new outbreaks. This includes having clear procedures for isolating infected areas, investigating the source, and carrying out targeted vaccinations.

FMD may not pose a health threat to people, but its impact on food systems is real. It affects what we eat, how much it costs, and the stability of trade between countries. The recent outbreaks are a reminder that animal diseases don’t respect borders—and that early detection, clear communication, and coordinated action are the best tools we have to protect both animals and livelihoods.

As the FAO warns, staying alert now could prevent much greater harm later.

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The Arab Energy Fund, previously known as the Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (APICORP), has announced a significant commitment of $1 billion to drive energy transition and decarbonization efforts. APICORP is wholly owned by the ten member states of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC).

The Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries is a multi-governmental organization headquartered in Kuwait which coordinates energy policies among oil-producing Arab nations. Member countries include Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates. (Egypt’s membership was suspended in 1979, but it was readmitted in 1989. Tunisia ceased to be a member in 1987.) The headquarters are in Kuwait.

This investment, revealed at COP28 in Dubai, is what the oil and gas companies say is part of a strategic shift towards environmentally and socially responsible initiatives, including technological advancements for enhanced energy efficiencies and developing new value chains in the region.

APICORP focused on the MENA energy sector  planned investment of up to US $1 billion over the next five years towards advancing energy transition with a focus on decarbonization and related technologies. These could include hydrogen energy and storage breakthroughs and carbon sequestration technologies.

The Arab Energy Fund will rebalance its overall portfolio with continued loan growth and an enhanced focus on equity investments while continuing to innovate to expand its range of financing and direct equity solutions and expert advisory services.

Khalid Ali Al-Ruwaigh, CEO of The Arab Energy Fund announced at COP28: “The Arab Energy Fund transformative strategy marks the institution’s next chapter, deeply rooted in our 50-year legacy and our distinctive role in the MENA energy sector.

“It highlights our commitment to impact-driven solutions, leveraging our deep industry expertise and regional access to enable the evolving energy landscape towards a net-zero world. Our strategy involves diversifying investments by championing technological advancements for enhanced energy efficiencies and driving sustained decarbonization efforts. Additionally, we are extending our investment scope beyond the core value chain, actively cultivating and shaping value chains within the region.”

He added: “Our new strategy and name signify not only our dedication to empowering the region’s energy ecosystem but also resonate with our mission to create a meaningful impact by promoting economic growth, boosting local value chains and local content, through skill development, and fostering knowledge creation.”

Following the establishment of its green bond framework in 2021, the institution set a precedent in sustainable finance by issuing the first-ever green bond issuance by an energy-focused financial institution in the MENA region. The US-denominated five-year benchmark issuance raised an impressive US $750 million, over US $610 million of which has already been allocated to 11 projects in the region.

Currently, 18% of the institution’s US $4.5 billion existing loan portfolio, is dedicated to supporting environmentally and socially responsible initiatives, fostering collaboration between the public and private sectors, and pioneering a path toward more sustainable financing.

The Arab Energy Fund is also in the process of enhancing its ESG Policy Framework, also introduced in 2021, demonstrating the institution’s strong commitment to incorporating responsible business practices into its operations. This effort reflects the institution’s leadership in shaping a more sustainable and responsible future for all.

As the MENA region’s only multilateral impact financial institution, The Arab Energy Fund is also committed to backing the 2050 net zero commitments made by its member countries. The institution has publicly affirmed the imperative need for collective climate action to align with the significant goals laid out in the UN Paris Agreement.

In line with this commitment, the institution introduced several innovative financial solutions that are considered regional firsts, including its pioneering US $75 million Murabaha facility for voluntary carbon offsets and financing of distributed power portfolios.

The Arab Energy Fund stands among the highest-rated financial institutions in the MENA region, boasting ‘AA’ rating from Fitch, alongside ‘Aa2’ from Moody’s and ‘AA-‘ from S&P. This strong endorsement from the rating agencies and the robust regional support from member countries, along with substantial backing from the region’s energy ministries, underpinned by strong liquidity and credit profiles, positions the institution as a key player in championing a pragmatic and sustainable energy future.

The Arab Energy Fund – formerly the Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (APICORP) – is a multilateral impact financial institution focused on the MENA energy sector established in 1974 by the ten Arab oil-exporting countries.

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Kuwait enjoys a strategic location in the Arabian Gulf with a coastline spanning about 200 miles if you include the islands dotted along the region. Like Dubai it also has a series of artificial islands with some of them bringing new bird species to the region. However, this beautiful coastline like many others is a victim of marine pollution. 

Marine Pollution in Kuwait

Despite the efforts of the Kuwaiti government to protect Kuwait’s marine environment, there are several issues we need to tackle when it comes to marine pollution in Kuwait:

Declining Fish Stocks 

There has been an apparent decline in marine life in Kuwait waters over the last few years. Coral reefs, marine turtles, and vulnerable fish such as shrimp, silver pomfret, suboor, hamoor, and frush are some of the most affected animal species.  

Marine Pollutants in Kuwait

Most research conducted on marine pollution in Kuwait reveals a number of marine pollutant sources:

Sewage discharge

This is the biggest source of pollution for the Kuwaiti Ocean. Traces of oil, petroleum, hydrocarbons, trace metals, residual chlorine, and other suspended particles have been found in the ocean. The most probable cause for these is oil and petrochemical industry, power plants, and other sewage dumping activities. 

Oil spills

With the Arabian Gulf being a major shipping point for oil transportation, oil spills are unavoidable. It is estimated that around 2 million barrels of oil are spilled in the Arabian Gulf annually as a result of tank washing and dirty ballast waters. And there is more spillage from military operations and oil production operations. 

Ship waste dumping

Ships often dump their chemical and vessel waste in the ocean. This includes domestic waste, sewage waste, oil, and even fishing gear.

Dredging

Due to land reclamation, the Kuwaiti waters are also a victim of dredging. This destroys fish spawning grounds and makes the river banks unstable. 

Fresh water shortage

The ocean along the coast of Kuwait is extremely salty. This is because fresh water from the Shat Al-Arab and Karon River is restricted due to the water dams along these rivers. 

What Can We Do To Protect Kuwait’s Ocean?

When we hear that our ocean is in trouble, it’s easy to feel powerless. While most of the action rests at the hands of businesses and government, there’s still a lot we can do to help save our ocean: 

Check The Label

When buying anything, opt for sustainable businesses. These businesses are making a conscious effort at helping our environment by taking steps to reduce their carbon imprint. 

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. 

You can help decrease the effects of climate change by reducing your own carbon footprint. This can be done by reducing energy use. Turn off the lights when not in use. Unplug electronics and opt for walking and riding a bike. 

Minimize Plastic Use

Cut down on your plastic usage, especially single-use plastics. These plastics usually end up in the ocean which severely impacts our marine life and adds to marine pollution in Kuwait. 

Eat Sustainable Seafood 

When buying seafood, look for eco-certification. If you don’t find one, ask your retailer about the source of your seafood. Demand eco-certified seafood from your retailer and favorite restaurant. This guide on sustainable fish in the region might help –> 7 Gulf fish probably okay to eat.

Be Ocean Aware 

Educate yourself and others. You can do this by watching documentaries, signing up with Ocean Awareness companies, and discussing the impact of marine pollution on the world.

Sign up and Help 

Become an advocate of the ocean. Sign up with NGOs like I AM Ocean Minded, the first-of-its-kind NGO in Kuwait aiming to improve the ocean mindset by creating an ocean-minded community. They conduct beach cleanups, awareness campaigns, and other communal activities to make a difference. 

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One thing you can say about the travel and tourism industry is that it is never static. Yes, there are many evergreen tourism destinations that have stood the test of time, however, the story of modern tourism has been punctuated by change. This is perhaps because newly created attractions have the ability to capture our imagination in unique and interesting ways, a feat that may not be available from older destinations. To see this in action, we’ve turned to the work of Abdulla Al Humaidi. The Kuwaiti European Holding CEO has built a career on creating some of the world’s most exciting new tourist destinations, making his work worthy of further inspection for anyone interested in this ever-changing field.

Abdulla Al Humaidi Background and Expertise

Before we dive into the attractions created by Abdulla Al Humaidi, let’s first look at his background and how that informs his expertise. As head of Kuwaiti European Holding, the business professional is in charge of managing a vast financial portfolio. This has provoked him to build his expertise in a wide range of related areas, including real estate, entertainment, and tourism. This expertise has been developed, at times, due to a need to diversify his company’s assets and ensure that it could weather the natural ups and downs of international financial markets.

The CEO’s focus has also been on creating enduring projects that can be of use to the world at large. While some holding companies seek only to maximize profits, his organization has recognized that the search for stable investments need not have a negative impact on others. In fact, through his access to capital, the business leader has been able to build up a knack for investments that have a positive impact on local communities, the environment, and the economic prospects of global citizens.

We’ll explore this aspect of his work in greater detail below, but in broad strokes, this work has been successful through an understanding that the allocations of funds can be used to create a significant positive impact. This theory has informed the CEO’s work since his early days heading his organization and continues to color the tone and goals of his efforts to the present. As we’ll see, this ultimately has the effect of creating developments that are designed to produce compelling travel destinations that can coexist harmoniously with the world around them.

Aqueous Resort Project

A prime example of the work of Abdulla Al Humaidi has been the Aqueous Resort located on the Red Sea in Egypt. The completion of the resort has been a long-held goal of the CEO and his organization and, with phase one of construction now finished, that goal has now become a reality. The resort itself has been imagined as a way to bring groups together in a location that is both historic and ever-changing. Because of this dynamic nature, the project is a great first example of the ethos of the investment professional when it comes to developing new tourist attractions.

Construction has included an innovative mix of indoor and outdoor spaces that naturally flow into one another. Indoor spaces have been created with a wide range of tasteful modern amenities that can play host to long-term guests or short-term visitors. Throughout the outdoor area of the resort, guests can find numerous spaces to congregate that can handle groups of varying sizes. These spaces are formed through natural and manmade structures that provide alcoves fit for socializing and spending quality time with family and friends. A collection of pools wind through the property allowing for a pleasing diversion for those in attendance and artful lighting allows for the use of the space both day and night.

While the Red Sea has long been considered a place of historical significance, the Aqueous Resort is helping to change how visitors interact with this timeless area. By providing updated access to modern amenities and activities for a wide range of guests, the development exemplifies how the travel industry can change over time. The mix of a historic setting with new development also showcases the norm that many travelers have now come to expect as they seek to access some of the world’s most exciting places while maintaining the convenience of their daily lives.

Abdulla Al Humaidi Sets Focus on Amusement Park

Another exciting example of the way in which Abdulla Al Humaidi is helping to shift world travel norms is through his development of a new themed amusement park in London. The project, which is set to open in 2024, has already been the focus of much anticipation and excitement among international travelers. A good portion of this excitement has focused on the creation of themed lands in the park, drawing comparisons to Disneyland and Universal Studios.

Those themed lands will span a variety of exciting concepts, including a forested land, fantasy land, sci-fi land, and more. Rides will reflect the themes of the lands in which they reside and commercial offerings will also be themed as well. The immersive experience will be further deepened by a number of dramatic offerings, such as shows and other performances, that will tie into the themes present in different areas of the park.

Not only has the park’s adherence to an immersive narrative provoked excitement amongst travelers, but it has also again showcased the manner in which the CEO has sought to move the travel industry forward. The park is already being called one of London’s most anticipated coming attractions and seems ready to become a major landmark in a city already replete with travel destinations. Once again, we see how reliance on innovation and expertise has allowed the business professional to create a sense of dynamic change in an industry famous for innovation.

Building With Positive Intention

As we noted at the beginning of this piece, the mission of the CEO to do good in the world is present in all of his travel developments, and the two explored above are no exception. In the case of the Aqueous Resort, plenty of care has been taken to not only preserve the natural area surrounding the resort but also to improve the economic prospects of local residents. This has manifested through a focus on showcasing local restaurants and vendors and helping to provide easy access for guests to participate in the local economy. In this way, travelers get a chance to experience local cuisines and natural formations, while residents gain a new source of potential income.

In the case of the CEO’s new theme park in London, this idea can again be seen through the efforts made to have a positive environmental impact on the surrounding area. To this end, the business professional has included plans to create protective wildlife refuges that will help to improve biodiversity in the area and maintain the city’s important existing wildlife populations. The development will also incorporate a number of public green spaces to provide access to the area’s natural beauty and allow residents ample opportunities to experience areas of their community that may have otherwise been inaccessible.

While the tourism industry may sometimes feature long-standing destinations, it is also a field that can be marked by change and innovation. This fact can make the sector fascinating for anyone who enjoys travel, development, or the creation of new and interesting business solutions. The efforts of Abdulla Al Humaidi provide a prime example of how this work can be carried out in the real world. Through the creation of resorts, amusement parks, and other developments, the Kuwaiti European Holding CEO is helping to create dynamic change in the field of tourism and allow global citizens to discover the world in new and exciting ways.

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Middle East Records Some of the Highest Global SO2 Emissions 

The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air– CREA and Greenpeace India released their report about Ranking the World’s Sulphur Dioxide Emissions Hotspots 2019-2020, which revealed the emissions of this toxic gas resulting annually from anthropogenic activities in the energy, oil, gas and  smelting sectors.

Despite the general decrease in SO₂ emissions around the world, the Middle East is still one of the worst polluted regions, specifically emissions around the Gulf region which did not witness any significant change between 2018 and 2019. 

Ahmad El Droubi, Senior Campaigner – Greenpeace MENA said: ”We issue this kind of report as we believe that the measurement and tracking of air quality should be a priority. Sulfur dioxide is a colourless air pollutant that is invisible to the human eye, widespread and hazardous to human health. Breathing SO₂ increases the risk of health conditions including stroke, heart disease, asthma, lung cancer and premature death.”

For this CREA/Greenpeace report, researchers used satellite data and a global catalogue of SO₂ emissions sources from the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to detect emissions hotspots. The data was analysed to identify source industries and emissions trends.

“Despite the global drop in emissions by 47.25% since 2005, the Middle East and North Africa region recorded a decrease of only 8.5% in the same period. And the report did not find any significant change between the years 2018 and 2019, and that the Gulf remains one of the most polluted regions with SO₂ and is a major hotspot of global emissions.”

The report revealed that Saudi Arabia recorded the highest levels of sulfur dioxide emissions in the Middle East and North Africa in 2019, followed by Kuwait, the UAE, Iraq and Morocco.

The UAE and Iraq witnessed a decrease in the emissions levels between the years 2018 and 2019, however this change was within the range of annual variability. The levels of emissions of this gas in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait did not record any significant change in the same period. Morocco recorded an increase of 15% in the levels of emissions of sulfur dioxide between 2018 and 2019.

The Norilsk smelter site in Russia was the biggest source of anthropogenic SO2 emissions in the world in 2019, the Rabigh oil and gas hotspot in Saudi Arabia ranked second. It is pictured above.

Dangers of sulfur dioxide

SO2 is a toxic gas responsible for the smell of burnt matches. It is released naturally by volcanic activity and is produced as a by-product of copper extraction and the burning of fossil fuels contaminated with sulfur compounds.

Sulfur dioxide causes a range of harmful effects on the lungs, as the EPA’s most recent review of the science concluded: Wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness and other problems, especially during exercise or physical activity. Exposure to SO2 likely makes Covid infections worse or more dangerous.

While sulfur dioxide isn’t a direct greenhouse gas like carbon dioxide or methane, it is considered an indirect greenhouse gas. Sulfur dioxide is regarded as an indirect greenhouse gas because, when coupled with elemental carbon, it forms aerosols.

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Think we know what’s in store for us? Abu Dhabi stands at an average high of about 110F in August, and now Death Valley, California peaks a record hot high at 130 degrees F (or  54.4 degrees Celsius) this month, the highest since 1931.

“The weather station at Furnace Creek in Death Valley, California, reported a temperature of 54.4C, which is 130F, on Sunday 16 August,” said Clare Nullis, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) spokesperson. “If validated, it would be the highest temperature on Earth since 1931, and the third-hottest temperature ever recorded on the planet.”

“All indications” suggest that the extreme temperature reading of 54.4 degrees Celsius recorded in California’s Death Valley on Sunday, is legitimate,” she added.

Tunisia and Kuwait are in the top 3 hot spots

According to the data from the WMO’s Weather and Climate Extremes archive, the hottest temperature ever recorded there or anywhere was in Furnace Creek, Death Valley, California, reaching 56.7C (134.06F) on 10 July 1913. And that’s because someone was checking.

The next highest temperature for the world was then set in Kebili, Tunisia, in July in 1931 reaching 55C (131F).

A few years ago it reached 54C (or 129.2F) in Mitribah, Kuwait, on 21 July, 2016.

The conditions have coincided with a heatwave on the US west coast with heat warnings issued by US government groups.

The development follows repeated warnings from the UN weather agency about extreme high temperatures which are having an impact on sea ice melt, also causing extensive wildfires in places such as the Arctic. Earlier this month climate change science pioneer Konrad Steffen actually fell through a melting glacier at his research station and drowned. This is how depressing the whole climate change situation has become.

Alarm for the Arctic

Siberia is experiencing a prolonged heatwave, with a recorded temperature of 38C (100.4F) on 20 June in the Russian town of Verkhoyansk. If this readout is verified it will be the highest temperature ever recorded in the Arctic Circle.

The glaciers are melting. Carbon is releasing into the air. If you thought Covid was scary, it might just be a taste of the hell to come.

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A few years ago, Jordan launched an initiative called BADIR to support budding young entrepreneurs, eager to contribute to positive change in their communities. Now Kuwait is following suit: the “n-mu” program endows participants with the skills and resources necessary to create real social change.

N-mu? That’s a funny name, you might be thinking. But it’s not a typo. It’s “أنمو” – the Arabic word for “I develop,” written in phonetic English. Through the program, participants will develop a solid grasp on what it means to be an active citizen, and they’ll also be encouraged to develop their own projects as social entrepreneurs.

This is one of several programs developed by a Kuwaiti organization called en.v, which advocates for the trifecta of education, environment and capacity-building. Created as a way to engage youth, n-mu promotes active citizenship through critical reflection, discussion, and action.

The third and final training session of the current n-mu program begins on January 31, and the commitment is meeting twice a week for four weeks. It’s time to apply, if you’re eligible! In order to participate, one must:

• Live in Kuwait
• Be under the age of 30
• Speak Arabic (as this session will be conducted in Arabic)
• Genuinely care about community issues and want to address them!

Even if you’re aware of the issues, addressing them is easier said than done. Luckily, the n-mu program doesn’t merely provide training; it also allocates funding! The grants will kickstart approved community projects proposed by ambitious and inspired participants.

The latest news on En.v’s twitter page is of GreenBagQ8, an “n-mu initiative” advocating for reusable shopping bags, which is slated to be featured in a documentary that will be broadcast by Kuwait’s Al-Arabi TV.

This kind of offer doesn’t surface every day…if you’re eligible, go for it! You can not only be the change you wish to see in the world, but also make it happen.

And if you’re not eligible, like me, you can just smile because you know that programs like this exist!

Photo of seminar from n-mu training session #1 from the En.v website.

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Bahrain, in the Middle East is one of the most wasteful nations on earth, according to the World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) 2014 Living Planet Report (download the PDF here), published recently. Bahrain as the ninth worst offender in terms of the environmental impact it has on the planet, per head of population.

But Bahrain is not lonely among its neighbors: Kuwaitis, the report highlighted had biggest “ecological footprint”. They consume more resources per person than any other country in the world followed then by Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

“We are on a totally unsustainable path … and are living beyond our boundaries,” says Marco Lambertini, general director for the WWF.

The rest of the top 10 offenders were Denmark, Belgium, Trinidad and Tobago, Singapore and the United States, with Bahrain and Sweden listed in ninth and tenth place, respectively. Funny, because Swedes consider themselves so eco-conscious. Maybe due to a bad conscience.

“The size and composition of a nation’s per capita ecological footprint reflects the goods and services used by an average person in that country, and the efficiency with which resources, including fossil fuels, are used in providing these goods and services,” the report summed up.

It continued: “If all people on the planet had the footprint of the average resident of Qatar, we would need 4.8 planets. If we lived the lifestyle of a typical resident of the US, we would need 3.9.”

Many of the poorer countries on the list, countries like India, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Congo had an ecological footprint that our world could sustain.

Resources monitored were based on trees being felled, groundwater pumped and CO2 being emitted faster than the earth can deal with it.

Ways Muslims can deal with excessive waste can include reusing water from prayer rituals by recycling it in gardens (for pious plants!), demanding more efficient modes of public transport and buying less packaged foods.

ChameleonsEye / Shutterstock.com

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In another “interesting’ move for the planet, Kuwait decided to boycott an international energy event in Abu Dhabi because Israelis would be there. This news comes hot on the trails of a Kuwaiti official banning gays from entering his country, and its fish markets serving up “extinct” and illegally caught sharks.

According to reports online, Kuwait officials decided to boycott the annual gathering of IRENA (Green Prophet is there!) with its headquarters in Abu Dhabi.

One of the conditions for the international energy body to be HQ’ed in Abu Dhabi was that it must allow any nation to participate in its annual meetings, even  those with which Abu Dhabi or the United Arab Emirates has no diplomatic ties.

But Kuwait took it upon itself to boycott Israel, a country which hands down has done more remarkable things for the clean tech world than all the other Middle East countries combined. (Read here about Israeli clean tech).

Israel’s Energy Minister Silvan Shalom flew into Abu Dhabi for the event at IRENA, The International Renewable Energy Agency. He’s not a favorite among green groups in Israel, but he still has a right to attend IRENA as an elected official from Israel.

“The decision not to participate in the IRENA meeting is in line with Kuwait’s commitment to boycott all forms of interaction with the Zionist regime,” a spokesperson for Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity and Water said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the UAE, like many Arab countries in the Middle East do not have diplomatic ties with Israel. Its Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Mohammad Gargash said on Twitter that there will be no ties to Israel without a peace deal:

“The UAE has been able, through a delicate balance, to differentiate between Israel’s membership in IRENA and the normalization of bilateral ties which Israel has been seeking,” Mr. Gargash said on his Twitter page.

If we want to move ahead in this world ecologically, people, it’s time to start getting young, vibrant people in government in the Middle East – the people who we speak with us all the time at Green Prophet. We are talking about people who don’t care if you are a Sunni or a Sufi. A Christian, or a Jew. An Armenian or a Turk, Israeli or Lebanese. Petty actions by governments who do not speak for our planet is not the way to steer the future.

Don’t like the way Kuwait has acted at IRENA? Have your say and write IRENA directly here. And as for boycotting Kuwait for its backwards environmental and societal decisions, I say the opposite: head to Kuwait if you can and liberate like minded individuals like this gal (who exposed illegal weir traps using Google) so more youngsters can change society from the ground up.

Y’alla.

Above image of sharks being sold in Kuwait market

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Commercial and private real estate development in the United Arab Emirates threaten whales, dugongs, coral reefs and all marine life in the Arabian Gulf. Now some 80 regions in the Arab world are being tracked by satellite to show us how much environmental destruction happening is man-made. 

See the photo above and what has changed in the UAE in just 10 years, from 1999 to 2009. Consider the building projects in the UAE: with artificial islands and archipelagos, such as The World and Palm Island projects off the coast of Dubai.

The progress of the UAE’s rapid development during the past two decades has recently been documented by the UN Environment Program, which has examined the changes at more than 80 locations using historical photographs and satellite images.

Their new “Atlas” project not only shows us stark images, it is suggesting ways that we can repair the earth.

Stark photos and before and now images give light  to the rate of development and wide-ranging change in land use, urban growth, and depletion of marine and coastal areas.

Loss of natural habitat has been characterized by altered and shrinking coastal water areas, loss of  wildlife habitats; and the impact of climate change in the UAE, the UN has found. But the study looked well beyond the UAE to regions in Morocco, Egypt, and even the Palestinian Authority.

The UN’s Atlas uses a combination of on-the-ground photographs, current and historical satellite images, with a narrative based on extensive scientific evidence.

The Atlas studies clearly demonstrate the pace of development in the region, offering compelling examples of wide-ranging environmental change, including land use change, urban growth, degradation of marine and coastal areas, altered hydrology and shrinking water bodies, loss of habitats and impacts of climate change.

The Atlas images serve to highlight the distinctive environmental circumstances and challenges faced in the Arab region, from limited freshwater resources, rapid urbanization, depletion of natural resources, and the vulnerability of many Arab settlements to environmental risks and natural disasters.

Dammed river in Morocco, for hydropower, before and after

For example, water scarcity is a key environmental issue in 19 of the 22 countries. Very low and highly variable annual rainfall makes the region particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts, and per-capita water availability is expected to halve by 2050. Coupled with increases in temperature, these changes will intensify pressure on natural and physical systems.

Desertification and land degradation afflicts 17 of the countries, placing limited arable lands at further risk (only 14.5 per cent of the total land area is arable). This can cause transboundary issues such as food insecurity and human migration.

Biodiversity is declining due to habitat degradation and loss. The total number of known threatened species in the region stands at 1,746, with a majority of them critically endangered.

Many of these major issues are interrelated and most are a direct consequence of increasing populations and environmental conditions associated with climate change.

Additionally, the Arab region is subject to a variety of natural hazards—the arid to hyper-arid climate lends itself to frequent drought, which is the region’s most-pressing natural hazard.

Consider that between 1980 and 2008, droughts, earthquakes, floods and storms affected more than 37 million people in the region and caused damage estimated at US$20 billion.

Coastal erosion of the land around the tip of the Nile, 1968 to 2005. Some 16 square kilometers of land is lost from development over this time

The Arab region has faced 276 disaster events in the past 25 years and more than 40 per cent of these natural disasters occurred in the past five years.

The Atlas brings to light stories of these environmental changes through images showing visual evidence of changes taking place in the land, water and atmosphere, and covering trans-boundary issues like river basins, transboundary conservation areas and pollutants.

It also illustrates how humans have positively or negatively altered their surroundings and continue to make observable and measurable changes to the Arab region and its environment.

Although the challenges depicted are striking, the atlas examines the opportunities that these challenges present, as well as some of the innovative responses that are being implemented in the region.

Development on a mountain in the West Bank, Palestinian Authority, 1963 to 2009

For example, many Arab nations have established special institutions for environmental management and sustainable development, and improvements in health and education create building blocks for accelerating this sustainable development.

The Atlas also sheds light on the unique environmental issues faced by each country, and tracks the individual progress each is making towards achieving the goal of Ensuring Environmental Sustainability, as part of the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals.

The Atlas is the latest addition to a series of atlases coordinated by UNEP that began in 2005 with the launch of a global atlas – “One Planet, Many People.”This new atlas is an important addition to the growing suite of UNEP atlases that aim to contribute to a better understanding of the dynamics of environmental change.

Inland lake in Iraq, from 1989 to 2006

With nearly 140 paired satellite images showing change over time in each of the Arab countries, the Atlas provides visual evidence of sometimes drastic change occurring in the region over a relatively short span of years.

Landscape changes that are noteworthy and common to many of the countries include: the greening of the desert and increased irrigated agriculture; expansion of oil fields; deforestation and vegetation loss, insect infestations or harvesting for fuelwood; unchecked urbanization, development of coastal areas and impacts from severe weather events.

The rise of megacities

The development of countless mega-cities in the Arab region is one of the most striking impressions the atlas provides. Cairo, Algiers, Beirut, Casablanca, Amman, Sana’a, Riyadh have all experienced extensive and rapid development of their urban areas.

Coastal developments such as Mesaieed Industrial City (Qatar), Aden (Yemen), and Qatif and Tarut Islands (Saudi Arabia), have transformed the coastal and marine environments, with at times, grave consequences (oil pollution, destruction of coral reefs, mangroves and seagrass ecosystems).

(Related: Qatar must stop development to save mangroves)

The greening of the desert shown in Al Ain (UAE) and the Kuwait-Iraq Separation Border displaying Kuwait’s conservation and resource protection are testament to efforts in the region to improve environmental conditions and conserve water resources.

Wafra Farms in Kuwait has expanded their food production to include aquaculture of Nile tilapia in order to supplement the fish industry, and has established greenhouses to improve crop production.

Greenhouse agriculture has been implemented at a large scale in Syria—the growth of this controlled agriculture was catapulted by recurring drought, the need to improve agricultural efficiency and to meet increased demands for food production internally and abroad, nevertheless with possible environmental impact.

The Taparura Project in Sfax, Tunisia, is a poignant example of projects that are being launched in the region to revive urban areas and reintegrate their coastlines.

Perhaps the most compelling story of environmental change is the revitalization of the Mesopotamian Marshlands, which suffered a tragic loss of wetlands from 1950 through 1990, nevertheless keeping up the positive development has been a challenge

The images from the Jiyeh Power Plant bombing in 2006 and its resultant oil spill in Lebanon and the oil fires in Kuwait as a result of the 1990 invasion by Iraqi forces, vividly show the environmental impacts of conflict.

It’s not hard to find our own photos on Google, ones that take us back to back then, the 1960’s (see below). We can see a very different landscape in places like Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the period before the massive buildings and island projects were begun.

One British lady, Margaret Holmes, who has been living in Dubai for more than 18 years, told The National in the UAE: “Dubai felt very small when we first came but it’s become a sprawling metropolis now as well as a place people look to for its forward thinking and rapid development.”

Although Ms. Holmes lauded the progress that has been made, including “places to go to like parks and shopping malls,” she did not mention anything about the impact this development has had on the local environment, including severe shoreline erosion and danger to area marine and other wildlife.

The UAE images shown in the UN’s work ‘The Atlas of Our Changing Environment‘ show the pace of modern development and wide-ranging landscape changes, including diminishing fresh water, rapid urbanization, depletion of natural resources and the vulnerability of many towns and cities to environmental risks and natural disasters such as severe storms.

More sustainable development is needed in locations like Dubai.

They should model themselves on other UAE locales like Abu Dhabi, which tries to be involved in more sustainable development.

Link to Atlas is here

Read more about development and impact on the environment:
The Lagoons – Another Waterfront Development for Dubai
Futuristic Dubailand Theme Park City Going Ahead With $55 Billion
Another Sustainable Development Report from Abu Dhabi
Coastal Erosion Threatens Evolutionary Hotspots in Gulf Region

Photo of Old Dubai in 1965 by Marble Eco Systems; other images as screengrabs from the UN Atlas project video

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