Global warming is known as the increase in earth's average temperature and research has revealed that global warming is serving as a gateway to the progression and increase of CO2 emissions in the atmosphere. Due to this fact, Dubai is turning to be an extremely hot country to live in. Global warming has induced tremendous warming in the UAE and the time to reduce emissions is finally here.

Causes

 

The reasons as to why global warming occurs are plenty. One is mainly greenhouse emissions.. Imagine a balloon filled with very warm air. Sadly, that is how Dubai is today. The level of global warming in this region is excruciatingly unbearable and if not for air conditioning, it would be hard for the citizens and visitors to tolerate the heat.  

The age on industrialization has contributed severely to high level of air pollution. If you consider the other different reasons as to why global warming occurs, the most general one is deforestation. Deforestation is the most powerful reason as to why there is an increase and accumulation of carbon dioxide on the earth's surface. As a result of the wide expansion and growth of man's business activities, construction projects and development of infrastructure, most rainforests are replaced by commercialized areas that let out carbon emissions very bad to the environment. Trees are necessary to absorb carbon dioxide, and without them it becomes tough or an impossible job to do so. As our nation strives hard to build a fully industrialized and urbanized city with all sorts of high end facilities to it, we sometimes never consider the importance and balance of Mother Nature.  Amidst all the selfish business activities, one aspect that deserves a pat on the back is the green nurseries located in Dubai. These educationalists dedicated towards inculcating a sense of priority towards the environment are doing a commendable job by educating the young ones to take care of the earth at least in the next generation and the dire consequences that will be faced as a result of an imbalanced ecology.

 Negative Effects :

Some of these negative effects of global warming are weather patterns which will guarantee scorching hot and dry temperatures, and in worst cases, cause drought and increase the risk of wild fires. Drought can cause vegetation to fail, cause starvation and diseases in under developed countries where the main source of food and income is agriculture, and heavy rainfall and flood in areas that are on the other side of the imbalanced ecology. As man continues to pollute the air, our health becomes a serious problem, exposing us to viruses and serious illnesses. The existence of air borne diseases can be highly hazardous for us and those of the next generation. Another disadvantage that is so unfavorable is the extinction of species.

Projected impacts of 'Global Warming' on  key sectors

Higher Sea levels

Water resources and natural disaster

Agriculture

Threats to UAE's coastline

Human Health

Animals and Plants

Cities

Heat and work in Dubai : Extreme high temperatures /heat made UAE government to restrict work in noon time especially outdoor work by introducing 'Midday break rule'. By 2030-2040 it is expected to be extremely hot event at nights.

UAE's action on Climate Change

During the COP21, UAE committed to addressing climate change from an economic, social and environmental point of view. It includes implementing commercial clean energy projects, making investments into clean technologies and also expanding development assistance by making clean energy accessible to all.

The UAE has established a government body to deal with climate change and global warming issues at the UAE level. It has been working hard to help the international community to tackle global warming.

In order to reduce its carbon footprint, the UAE monitors the emission of gases that lead to the greenhouse effect and has reduced its per capita carbon emissions. The UAE's CO2 emissions increased from 52,009.0 (thousand metric tons) in 1990 to 167,597 in 2010. Due to better technology and transition to more natural gas in power plants, emissions of CO2 per capita have decreased. In 1990, the UAE emitted 32.6 tons of CO2 per person per year. In 2010, the figure dropped to 21.9 tons per person per year.

Under "Green Economy for sustainable development" initiative, UAE aims to maintain a sustainable environment to support long term economic growth. It includes wide range of programmes and policies in the areas of energy, agriculture, consttuction, environment  and investment in sustainable transport.

Peaceful Nuclear power : the UAE views peaceful nuclear energy as a significant contributor to meet increasing future electricity demand and as part of it's strategy for overall reduction in carbon emissions. With it's nearly zero carbon footprint and high availablity factor, it complements the UAE's other renewable and low carbon energy sources such as solar. A sizeable nuclear energy sector is being developed in the UAE.

Energy efficiecny and conservation : From new standards for appliances to the cutting edge green technologies. The UAE is putting energy efficiency and conservation at the heart of it's domestic energy strategy.  The UAE has launched several innovative programs to increase energy efficiency. In 2014, Dubai launched the 'Smart City' strategy, focusing on 1,000 government services and development in six main areas including transportation, infrastructure, communications, financial services, urban planning and electricity. The strategy lays out steps toward optimizing energy, smarter transport and recreational areas. Demand-side management of electricity will play a role, as will increased public transportation.  In 2011, the Dubai Government issued a set of 'Green Building Regulations' for private sector construction in order to reduce energy and resource consumption as well as improve public health and general welfare. The code is mandatory for all new buildings.

Renewable energy: The UAE  has no potential for hydroelectric power or tidal power  and relatively little biomass. However it is blessed with abundant sunshine. The UAE is looking to increase its target for power generation from clean energy to 30 per cent by 2030, at least 25 per cent [of electricity] is going to be from both nuclear and solar.

Sustainable transport: UAE has invested in 'Dubai Metro', Tram system, high speed rail system, light rail system in addition to cycling projects.

Dubai Carbon center of excellence: Dubai has established this entity that works with the government on clean development mechanism.

Building Design : New energy effeciency standards for building are set. In addition, the Urban Planning Council has developed the 'Estidama' label for sustainable buildings.

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) :  It is a means of mitigating Climate Change by capturing carbon dioxide from large point sources such as power plants and storing it safely undergound instead of releasing it into the atmosphere. The potential impact of CCS is huge. The intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says CCS could contribute between 10% and 55% of the cumulative worldwide carbon mitigation effort over the next 90 years. The UAE is developing a major CCS project.

Reduced Flaring of Natural Gas : The UAE is also committed to reducing emissions from flaring, which involves burning off waste gas or oil during petroleum testing or production. Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) has zero-flaring as a strategic objective. From 1995 to 2010, ADNOC reduced gas flaring by up to 78 percent.

The Masdar Initiative: Masdar city is sustainable and zero carbon car-free city as it relies entirely on solar energy and other renewable energy sources.

The UAE's largest Emirate, Abu Dhabi, has committed more than $15 billion to renewable energy programs through the Masdar Initiative. Masdar underscores twin commitments to the global environment and diversification of the UAE economy. Masdar focuses on the development and commercialization of technologies in renewable energy, energy efficiency, carbon management and monetization, water usage and desalination.

 

IRENA(International Renewable Energy Agency): Reflecting the UAE's commitment to sustainability, the International Renewable Energy Agency opened its permanent headquarters  in Abu Dhabi's Masdar City in June 2015.The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is an intergovernmental organisation that supports countries in their transition to a sustainable energy future, and serves as the principal platform for international cooperation, a centre of excellence, and a repository of policy, technology, resource and financial knowledge on renewable energy.  IRENA promotes the widespread adoption and sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy, including bioenergy, geothermal, hydropower, ocean, solar and wind energy in the pursuit of sustainable development, energy access, energy security and low-carbon economic growth and prosperity.

 

With a mandate from countries around the world, IRENA encourages governments to adopt enabling policies for renewable energy investments, provides practical tools and policy advice to accelerate renewable energy deployment, and facilitates knowledge sharing and technology transfer to provide clean, sustainable energy for the world's growing population.

 

The United Arab Emirates is one of the top countries which emit carbon dioxide and cause global warming. After two years of signing the Kyoto protocol the UAE is starting to build many green communities around the UAE. People started to know more about global warming because before many people in the UAE did not know much about global warming and they were not aware of the problems that the earth is facing. The UAE is trying many different ways to help stop global warming, like growing trees, using hybrid cars, using solar power. The UAE is trying to find another substitute source of energy than oil. We , the younger generation as well as other residents, corporates and every stakeholder is doing his best to reduce his carbon footprint to be able to contribute towards reduction in national carbon footprint and subsequently the global carbon footprint, thus trying to fight global warming.