We are on the brink of the sixth mass extinction – the first to be caused by humans. This reflects headlines around the globe on 26 October 2016 that highlighted the fast-approaching demise and possible disappearance of more than three-quarters of species as soon as by 2020. The Living Planet Report 2016, published by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), provides a grim picture of the state of the planet, including its biodiversity, ecosystems and our continued and excessive demand for natural

resources. The report highlights the drastic decrease in terrestrial, freshwater and marine life between 1970 – 2012 and paints a dull picture for the future.

As rising global temperatures are accompanied by changes in the weather and climate, many places have seen an increase in flooding, droughts or severe and frequent heatwaves - conditions which affect flora, fauna and humans alike. The planet's oceans and glaciers are also experiencing huge changes - with oceans becoming more acidic, ice caps melting and sea levels rising. Human activities have increased levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, further increasing the Earth's temperature and forcing hundreds of different plant and animal species to become extinct. The choices we make today affects the amount of greenhouse gases we put in the atmosphere in the near future and for years to come - impacting not just us, but everyone living on the earth.

Fellow Ambassadors, on the sidelines of the above a Youth Earth Summit 2017 (YES) was organized on 21 January 2017, in Dubai.

Being an active an environmental enthusiast, willing to help to conserve nature and having the will to take it to start a change towards a sustainable future, YES 2017 was an appropriate place for me to showcase my creativity and voice my opinions. It provides a platform for connectivity for high school students within the UAE and experts from across the country to come together and discuss the importance of conservation in the face of extreme threats to nature. Also, Corporate heads and specialists from the field were to address the Summit. It was a team event. The judges will recognise and felicitate the top three student teams with YES Awards for their scientific contributions to the theme of the summit.

I made my team to represent my school DPS, Sharjah, in the summit. We researched together and spent many days in preparation for the event.

Our team proved their mettle in research at summit. This competition consisted of 10 different teams consisting of intellectual students from schools all over the UAE.

The theme of the Summit was ?The Sixth Mass Extinction- Myth or Near Future??, and highlighted the need for urgent action, regarding various exploitation of resources, and their effects on Biodiversity. Amongst 5 topics, each team had to choose one and give a presentation, along with making a poster. The topic chosen by the Dipsites was ?The Impacts of Climate Change on Bio-Diversity.? My team was represented by Hafsah Areen, Neha Swaminathan [Fellow Eco-Gen Ambassador], Prashasti Saxena, Saad Qadeer and Myself . We thoroughly researched the topic, worked hard on their presentation and made a poster on the same. Our preparation turned out to be fruitful, as we succeeded in our aim, winning First Place in the event. 

Our presentation was made on Prezi, and it was appreciated and applauded by all the 8 judges who were present there, hailing from different walk of life, but under the canopy of environmental preservation. It included an animation, which showcased the results of the surveys they took from the public, their innovative solutions at a federal level, the simple, yet extremely effective measures that can be implemented at a community level, such as planting trees, recycling, etc. and what blew everyone?s mind away was our live demonstration of a pollution catcher.

Our poster, which was artistically created by us, had the caption ?Take the Flora and Fauna out of the Sauna? signifying that the globe is truly like a sauna whose temperature can be controlled by ourselves.  After the presentation was a Q&A session, which the students handled really well. All throughout, we were guided by our mentor and the Environment In-charge of the school, Mrs. Anjum Hasan, and her able mentoring helped us attain this laurel.

All in all, it was an eccentric experience as we saw the Dipsites battle it out and finally win the Gold Medal for our immense effort, shining and making DPS Sharjah proud of them. We have been awarded with a trip of an all guided tour to The EPAA?s sanctuary in Kalba, a site not usually accessible by the public. This visit shall be covered by way of a separate report here.

In a nutshell, we got the bull?s eye and proved to the UAE that Dipsites are capable for aiming for the moon and stars.

Thanks for reading.