Environment
From The Report: Abu Dhabi 2020
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Climate change, population growth and increasing rates of urbanisation have put a strain on the environment in complex and intertwined ways. Encouraging sustainable development and protecting the environment are key to ensuring future growth in Abu Dhabi. The need for solutions has created opportunities for investment and innovation, and pushed the market towards economic diversification. The emirate’s low levels of rainfall and high temperatures have led to large increases in water and energy demand. Further adding to the strain are high rates of per capita resource consumption, rapid development and a sharp population increase. These factors have also led to greater volumes of waste and encroachment into natural habitats. As part of efforts to address these challenges, Abu Dhabi’s overarching policy initiatives seek to balance social and economic development with environmental sustainability, with the underlying understanding that environmental wealth and well-being is crucial to long-term prosperity. This chapter contains an interview with Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary-General, Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

One with nature: Conservation, protection and the sustainable use of natural resources remain central to environmental policy
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Climate change, population growth and increasing rates of urbanisation have put a strain on the environment in complex and intertwined ways. Encouraging sustainable development and protecting the environment are key to ensuring future growth in Abu Dhabi. The need for solutions has created opportunities for investment and innovation, and pushed the market towards economic diversification. Because of Abu Dhabi’s geographic location and climate, it experiences extreme weather patterns, with…

Interview

Targeting sustainability: Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary-General, Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, on implementing efficient solutions to better manage resources and face climate change
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Interview:Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri What steps are being taken to maximise efficiency throughout the emirate’s agro-related activities? SHAIKHA AL DHAHERI: Improving efficiency requires curbing both over-irrigation of crops and over-extraction from groundwater wells. In order to reduce the former, the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi created guidelines on irrigation levels, supported by extensive research into the exact water requirements of a wide range of crops. To prevent over-extraction,…

Analysis

Spring of life: Innovative water sources reduce the strain on supply
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Abu Dhabi is redoubling efforts to conserve dwindling groundwater reserves and boost water conservation. It is especially important as the emirate is mostly hot and arid, and natural freshwater is limited. Around 65% of the emirate’s water supply comes from groundwater, according to the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD). Conserving this resource is a major challenge, with the UAE ranking 63rd out of 67 countries – ahead of Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia – in terms of sustainable…