UAE well placed to predict rising sea levels
ABU DHABI: A new study led by NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) and three other UAE universities finds that the UAE’S access to the coast, and commitment to a sustainable future, makes it uniquely positioned to lead scientific advancement for sea-level rise adaptation.
The paper is the first academic output from the UAE Climate Change Research Network, established by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, and provides recommendations on key challenges for sea level science including policy coordination, data collection, and funding.
Titled A roadmap for policy-relevant sea-level rise research in the United Arab Emirates published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science, the paper lays out a potential roadmap for the UAE to capitalise on its strengths to create relevant sea-level projections for the region, which includes several coastal cities that are similarly vulnerable to rising sea levels.
By consolidating ideas from scientists within the UAE, the paper identifies promoters and barriers to data gathering, information sharing, science-policy communication, and funding access.
Furthermore, it proposes pathways forward for the UAE to integrate sea-level science with coastal development and form best practices that can be scaled across climate science and throughout the region.
Some of the paper’s key findings include: Despite the UAE being susceptible to flooding from sea level rise, with over 85 per cent of the population and more than 90 per cent of infrastructure within several metres of present-day sea level, it is very well positioned to lead scientific advancement for climate adaptation due to its long-term policy horizon, financial capital, and vision for a sustainable knowledge-based economy.
The single most important step for developing accurate flood projections is overcoming the Arabian Gulf’s data gap for ocean, land, and atmospheric measurements.
Universities can drive cost-effective science by sharing equipment, connecting with private sector funders, and participating in multinational expeditions.
Establishing an Antarctic research programme would make the UAE the first in the region to grapple with the core uncertainties, driving global sea level change.
Lead author and researcher at NYUAD’S centre for Global Sea Level Change Hannah MelvilleRea said: “The UAE is no stranger to investing in ambitious science, as seen by our success in space exploration.”