Increasing Rain & Storms in UAE Due to Climate Change
March 27, 2017 By: Amruta Kshemkalyani

Hello Tribe, I have a sad news to share. Tomorrow’s Mangrove field trip organized by Sustainability Tribe to celebrate Earth Hour 2017 is canceled due to weather & heavy rains!

Over a few discussions with Emirates Marine Environmental Group management since morning, together we have taken this decision. EMEG reserve is struck by the storm, rain, wind over the last few days. They found out Mangrove Village is destroyed, the wooden structures & shades at the reserve are not in place. So it is not safe to take our kids there.

This is a practical example of how Climate Change is affecting our daily life! While I was busy learning how Mangrove reserve is devastated by recent storm & rains, one email came to my inbox this morning from EWS-WWF attached with a report ‘UAE Climate Change Risks & Resilience: An overview of climate change risks to 12 key sectors’. There can not be a better day to share with you all, what the report says!

Climate Change & UAE Weather

The EWS-WWF report states UAE’s current climate extremes are directly linked to Climate Change. While the rest of the world is facing droughts due to climate change, in UAE climate change is bringing heavy rainfalls & frequent dust as well as sandstorms.

The heavy rainfalls occasionally lead to disruption from flash flooding, particularly along wadis. The heavy rainfall experienced in February and March 2016 saw considerable disruption due to a series of intense thunderstorms in the country which resulted in extensive flash flooding

Based on analysis & study done on climate data collected by Abu Dhabi Global Environmental Data Initiative; below predictions are done on UAE’s weather conditions in the future.

TEMPERATURES ARE PROJECTED TO INCREASE BETWEEN 2 AND 3°C DURING THE SUMMER BY 2060-2079
HUMIDITY IS PROJECTED TO INCREASE BY ABOUT 10% OVER THE ARABIAN GULF BY 2060-2079
THE UAE COULD SEE INCREASES OF UP TO 200% IN ANNUAL MAXIMUM 1 DAY RAINFALL BY 2050
SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURES OF THE ARABIAN GULF COULD WARM BY ABOUT 1°C – 2°C BY THE END OF THE CENTURY
A GROWING RISK FOR ‘GREY SWAN’ CYCLONES TO HIT THE UAE

Effect of this climate change will affect many aspects of the UAE’s economic growth and lifestyle of UAE’s residents

The increase in temperature, dust storms & humidity will directly affect the health of residents. 87% of the UAE’s food supply is reliant on agricultural production abroad and thus prone to climate change impacts. This will affect the reliability of international food markets and could contribute to a rise in food prices.

As both temperature & humidity is increasing in UAE, the resulting increased demand for cooling from buildings and industry are likely to create an energy demand-supply gap over time, hamper energy security, increase costs to end-users and produce additional greenhouse gas emissions

What Can You Do in UAE to Change Climate Change?

The UAE has made steps forward on climate change mitigation and green development in recent years, both at the national and Emirate level. However the UAE’s INDC to address climate change in the post-2020 UNFCCC framework, however, was rated “inadequate” by international analysts.

This report by EWS-WWF calls on a wide range of stakeholders in the UAE government, private sector, academia, and civil society to adopt and promote informed decision making with regard to climate change.

We all have a role in changing climate change, we can not just keep commenting on what governments should do or are doing to mitigate climate change! If we want to give our children a safe place to live on this planet then we should start getting involved by following a sustainable lifestyle! Read here how to start your sustainable lifestyle in the UAE and beyond.

In the wake of the cancellation of our Earth Hour Celebration at protected Mangroves in UAE, I explained to my son why our event is canceled. He was looking forward to it for some time. But when I told him how rains, winds struck EMEG reserve, he said he wants to paint things flying in a storm! While saying this he was facing the window so he decided to draw a window flying, then he noticed the clock on the wall above the window so he added a clock to his picture.

Without him knowing Ruhaan’s picture is giving message of climate change, Time is flying, we need to act now!

My readers who were looking forward to attending tomorrow’s Mangrove event along with their kids, I suggest please use this opportunity to discuss with your children about why our event is canceled and topics like climate change, changes in weather patterns. On this day when your daily life is affected directly by climate change, you could even decide to start a sustainable lifestyle and be part of our tribe not just digitally but by taking actions!