This is why it is important to build a green force of volunteers to help to protect our society, environment and infrastructure.Īs we move towards carbon neutrality by 2050, we will implement measures to develop climate resilience. Few places in the world are likely to be spared this problem.
According to a study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, temperature-related deaths in the UK are expected to increase by more than 250 per cent by 2050. In the years to come, climate change is expected to have a telling impact on human health. To reinforce our leadership in pollutant-free air quality management, our agency is already focused on implementing an integrated air quality control and monitoring system across all economic sectors. We will track and calculate the movement of water both inside and outside the emirate within specific sectors, determining a fixed total volume of water supply for these sectors with the help of smart hydrological monitoring networks. We will also create a governance system that considers all concepts and interrelationships between water, environment, energy and food elements based on research and best practices. We will outline a framework for sustainable land use, supported by monitoring programmes that will help reduce soil degradation and drive innovation in soil rehabilitation technology and practices. In 50 years, Abu Dhabi needs to have sustainable soil and water management systems that support different life forms. Moreover, they are valuable for societal, cultural and tourism purposes. This is vital for climate resilience, given that almost 15 per cent of the world's terrestrial carbon is stored in these networks. We will also expand the area that comes under the Sheikh Zayed Protected Areas Network with the aim of securing the species, habitats and ecosystems that are threatened. This will further reduce pressure on “capture fisheries” and meet our food security needs in line with the National Food Security Strategy. We will also develop sustainable aquaculture to increase its contribution of the wild catch to 50 per cent by 2030, up from 31 per cent today. We aim to increase that to 90 per cent over the next two decades. About 62 per cent of our stock is currently harvested sustainably. To maintain fish stock, for instance, we intend to eliminate unsustainable fishing practices through tighter regulations. Our plan is to increase conservation efforts, both on land and at sea, to protect biodiversity and rebuild and restore our ecosystems. We, therefore, need to deal with the problem from the get-go. Unfortunately, Abu Dhabi, and the UAE for that matter, won’t be immune to these trends. People plant mangroves during an event organised by Companies for Good on Jubail Island, Abu Dhabi. The world will also witness a general deterioration in biodiversity and ecosystem services. By 2050, terrestrial biodiversity is estimated to decrease by 10 per cent and plastic in oceans will outnumber fish. So why, it is fair to ask, have we launched such an ambitious undertaking?Īs is evident in the document, we have looked at future mega-trends on a global scale and determined that, as the human population continues to grow for the foreseeable future, our basic needs – food, water and shelter – will grow as well, thereby producing more waste and putting an enormous burden on the environment. This means that the UAE's long-term ambitions serve as the bedrock for what we want to achieve at the local level. Our initiative is aligned to the "UAE Centennial 2071" vision to be the best country in the world in the next half century. We have also incorporated some of the 1,000-plus ideas we received from a wide cross-section of society, thereby making the vision document richer, more diverse and more inclusive. We have broken down these objectives into 12 pillars, 33 goals and 76 programmes, all of which have been conceived and developed in collaboration with eight government entities and in consultation with the private sector, NGOs and academics. "Centennial 2071", as our initiative is called, includes three broad objectives: creating a thriving natural world, building a "green force" that is resilient to climate change, and fostering a team of environmental enablers to lead the future. When I joined the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi more than two decades ago, I didn't imagine we would one day launch a 50-year masterplan to make the emirate a world leader in conservation.