Negotiations of Climate Change-Climatic Strategies in Abu Dhabi - Case Study Example

Name: Institution: Tutor: Date: Negotiations of Climate Change-Climatic Strategies Introduction Climate change continues to form the subject or hot debates around the world. On one side are those of the opinion that human activities fuel climate change and efforts should be made to stop this phenomenon. On the other hand, there are those with a contrary opinion that human activities have almost negligible impact on climate. As the debate continues to unfold, the impacts of climate change have been wrecking havoc on cities and human settlements across the globe. The increasing cases of droughts, floods, low precipitation, and rising temperatures are the signs of a bleak future should they persist. As one of the major Asian cities, Abu Dhabi needs to learn from such events in order to guarantee its prosperity in the future. This paper highlights how climatic changes could impact Abu Dhabi’s economy before passing recommendations on how to anticipate them. Increased living standards Abu Dhabi ranks among the cities with high cost of living in the gulf region and the entire Middle East. It is a relatively new and rapidly expanding city with a robust economy. The high cost of living results from the modernization of the economy in the quest by the authorities to transform it into a financial and economic hub. However, climate change stands to push the cost of living higher than many residents can afford. The city is situated in a harsh arid region that does not support agriculture. Very minimal agricultural activities take place in the city and the exceptional cases are those involving costly modern farming techniques. Therefore, Abu Dhabi relies on food supply from abroad. The bulk of its supply comes from Egypt, Europe, China, and India among other countries. This fact adds up to the cost of food in the city since the high transportation costs have to be factored in and passed on to the final consumers. With all signs pointing towards a rapid changing global climate, the city residents have to brace themselves for tough times. Climate change would impact negatively on the production process in the countries that supply the bulk of Abu Dhabi’s food stock (Sivakumar, 583). This could lead to diminished agricultural produce for which Abu Dhabi and other net food importers would have to scramble for. Furthermore, this scarcity could push the food prices through the roof. Already the prices are a little higher in Abu Dhabi. However, this situation could cause the cost of living to rise. Rise in temperatures As mentioned, Abu Dhabi is situated in desert environment. As a result, it has some of the highest temperatures all year round for a city of its caliber. Originally an Arab inhabited region, Abu Dhabi has transformed into a cosmopolitan place where people from all walks of life are to be found. The native Arabs are accustomed to the high temperatures and have little trouble with the high temperatures. On the other hand, the immigrants find the city to be hotter than their motherlands. Some even take months or years to get accustomed to the high temperatures (Pautasso, 295). One of the negative consequences of climate change is rise in global temperatures. Normally, it is the tropical regions that shoulder the greatest burden. Abu Dhabi lies within the tropical region and could see its temperatures rise significantly in the coming years. With the prevailing high temperatures, an additional rise could make the city hostile to human habitation. Already, the city spends highly on air conditioning to keep its beautiful building at room temperature. Further rise in temperatures will spell doom on its future even as it aspires to transform into a world class city. Furthermore, rising temperatures would predispose Abu Dhabi residents to heat waves which could lead to increase in disease outbreaks or fatality (Pautasso, 295). Rise in sea level Another effect of climate is the rise in sea level. As the world temperatures continue to soar, the polar ice masses have been melting. The most significant melting would be the Antarctica, which is an entire continent covered with ice averaging five kilometers in depth. The melting of such ice against the backdrop of rising temperatures could release large amounts of water into the oceans. In the end, this would lead to a rise in ocean level. Global maritime stakeholders have already sounded the alarm on the increasing sea level (Becker, 29). They have been advising individuals in coastal areas to make arrangements to move to higher grounds since the effects are irreversible. However, the ports will be the most affected by this rise in sea level. it would cause them to overflow thus becoming irrelevant to the docking of marine vessels. Some of the ports in Abu Dhabi include Free Port, Zayed Port, Musaffah Port, and the massive Khalifa port. The authorities in the have invested heavily in the Khalifa port and are hopeful that it would become the largest contributor to its economy after the oil sector. Furthermore, it has been paired up with the Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD) to further increase its efficiency. However, climate change could interfere with the plans that authorities have drawn up for this mammoth port. A significant rise in sea level could submerge this modern port which could catastrophic to the economy of the entire emirate. In the event that the authorities decide not to abandon this investment, customization of the port in line with the rising sea level could be costly. Furthermore, it cannot be an absolute guarantee because the sea levels could rise further. Massive exodus from Abu Dhabi More than two decades ago, like much of the entire UAE, Abu Dhabi was virtually unknown to the rest of the world. It was Arab inhabited and a sparsely populated place. However, it took a change of policy by the authorities to embark upon a globalization quest. The country, with its massive oil reserves, made initiatives to improve its economy. Toward this end, it also sought to diversify its economy away from the dominant oil sector. It created sectors such as tourism, education, manufacturing, construction, and transport among others to support its rapidly growing economy. In the end, there were more jobs than the local population. To make up for this labor shortfall, the country opened its door to foreign workers. The massive opportunities in the country saw an influx of immigrants so much that their numbers surpass that of the natives. Therefore, the major factor keeping these foreign workers in Abu Dhabi is the availability of massive job opportunities in the emirate. These individuals are in search of greener pastures and leave their loved ones back home. As mentioned above, climate change has direct negative consequences on the economy of Abu Dhabi. This implies that it threatens to eradicate the very factors that keep the city and entire running. Any decrease in opportunities in Abu Dhabi would cause the city to lose its attractiveness to foreign workers. This could go a long way to reduce the rate immigration into the city and country in general. Further decrease in job opportunities as a result of climate could result in unemployment which is unheard of in Abu Dhabi. The immigrants would have to return home or relocate elsewhere in search of job opportunities. In the end, these events will set Abu Dhabi on a downward spiral since its economy runs on foreign labor. Recommendations The following are some measures that authorities and other stakeholders in Abu Dhabi should put in place in anticipating the impacts of climate change on the economy of UAE. Modernize the agricultural industry As mentioned, climate change could impact the quantity and price of food finding its way into Abu Dhabi. As an arid region, there is very little that the city can do to alter its climate. However, the progress made in technology have proven that indeed arid regions can become self sustaining or even exporters of food and agricultural products. Abu Dhabi could learn from its peers in the vicinity including Egypt and Israel. The two nations face similar climatic conditions as Abu Dhabi but have defied odds to become food exporters. This is as a result of their modern agricultural techniques which rely very little on natural weather aspects. By infusing technology into agriculture, Abu Dhabi could develop a robust industry like it has done with others such as tourism, transport, and communication among others. It will no longer rely on imports from far away locations which only serve to increase price (Lynn, 545). This could be one of the ways to arrest the escalation of living costs in the city. Twenty four hour economy The possible rise in temperatures could have consequences to the traditional workplace. Most of Abu Dhabi employees work throughout the day. Whereas there are sectors with twenty four hour operations, a majority of the industries are active during day time. These employees put up with the high daytime temperatures to make a living. However, further rise in temperature could affect the comfort of employees at the workplace thus decreasing their productivity. Abu Dhabi does not want to see slow economy growth and this could be the case with unproductive workforces around the city (Kumar and Amsalu, 39). Therefore, the best way to shield its economy from such a possibility would be to make the workplace comfortable. Currently, organizations are spending heavily on air conditioning but this will not be enough with an additional rise in temperature. Therefore, the only way forward is to transform into a true twenty four hour economy. With such a system, the bulk of economic activities can occur at night leaving the day time for resting and a few engagements. The city will have beaten the projected rise in temperature and will not have to incur high costs to keep building cool. Infrastructure customizations The authorities in Abu Dhabi deserve recognition for their efforts in globalizing the city’s economy. Out of a desert, they have erected a city teeming with a cosmopolitan population and high class infrastructure. However, the climate change threatens to impact on the infrastructure by way of submerging various ports including the Khalifa port. What this implies is that it could eradicate livelihoods of residents that rely on such infrastructures directly and indirectly for employment. There is very little that the city authorities can do about the rising sea levels. It is a global phenomenon that will impact on all ports around the world. However, it can put measures in place to secure its investments in infrastructure. For instance, it could raise the port surface prior to the expected rise in sea level. On the other hand, it could set a policy for new infrastructure projects to conform to expected changes in not only the rising sea level but every climate aspect. This way, it will elongate the lives of such infrastructure beyond the occurrence of the effects of climatic changes. In addition, it will not have to incur additional costs in customizations in the future. Embrace sustainability Whereas it is advisable to anticipate the foreseen effects of climate and make adequate plans, it is prudent to make preventive efforts. The causes of climate change through human activity might seem irreversible. However, the world should not resign to fate but make attempts to slow down the pace of climate change or prevent the emergence of new causes. Currently, the UAE and China are on a similar situation in that they are fast growing economies. The two countries are modernizing their economies in the quest to join the league of industrialized countries in the world. Whereas UAE has shown flexibility and willingness to embrace sustainability concepts, China has been on an all-out quest to industrialize. For instance, it does not care about the impact of its industries on the environment and others (Piao, 43). Already, Beijing has some of the highest levels of air pollution. The UAE should not follow in its footsteps but take an alternative route. Already, Abu Dhabi and UAE in general have set in motion the projected realignments and economic growth in the developing nations in Asia and Africa in this century. A majority of the developing world look up to the UAE following its successful efforts to modernize and grow its economy. Any major concept that the country embraces will go a long way to impact on these countries. Therefore, by embracing sustainability, Abu Dhabi and UAE will have shown the developing world the best way to grow a sustainable economy (Kotir, 605). The impact of human activities on climate will reduce thus decreasing the pace of climate change. Conclusion Climate change is real and those denying this phenomenon do not need additional evidence beyond the increasing cases of droughts, floods, and global warming. The prevailing situation calls for rapid measures to minimize the impacts of climate change. Abu Dhabi should be very quick to embrace the above proposed measures. This is because it has a lot to lose bearing in mind it has yet to recoup the resources channeled toward infrastructure development. To ensure that the city continues on its growth path will require commitment and additional resources towards conforming to a changing world. The authorities do not have to bury their heads in sand but wake up to this reality. However, total implementation of the recommendations will put the city at a secure position against the backdrop of a changing global climate. Works Cited Becker, Austin, et al. "Climate Change Impacts on International Seaports: Knowledge, Perceptions, and Planning Efforts among Port Administrators." Climatic Change 110.1-2 (2012): 5-29. ProQuest. Web. 4 Apr. 2016. Kotir, Julius H. "Climate Change and Variability in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Review of Current and Future Trends and Impacts on Agriculture and Food Security." Environment, Development and Sustainability 13.3 (2011): 587-605. ProQuest. Web. 4 Apr. 2016. 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