During the planning stages for a photo exhibition at Masdar City, at first the shooter thought a fitting title for the exhibit may be Where Will They Go?
Quickly, though, he nixed that idea.
“I realised there is no ‘they’ when it comes to this crisis we’re living, this crisis that so many are unaware of and so many deny,” says Kadir van Lohuizen, the Dutch photojournalist whose work is currently on show at Masdar City’s Eco Villa in the capital.
“It’s not only ‘they’ being affected, it’s all of us, it’s ‘we’. All cultural areas in the world are under threat.”
In a collaboration with The New York Times, Van Lohuizen spent more than two years travelling the world researching the global consequences of rising sea levels caused by climate change. The result is a collection of 27 large, hauntingly vivid images portraying people who still live in affected areas, but also those who have already moved to safer ground. The exhibition highlights the immense complexities associated with the forced displacement of people and the human rights implications involved in such displacements.
“I focused on areas where there’s an urgency, where the rising sea level is already happening and affecting places where people live directly, where sea water intrudes at high tides, making once-fertile land no longer viable for crops and water undrinkable.”
He concentrated on nine regions: Greenland with its melting glaciers, Kiribati, Fiji, the Carteret Atoll in Papua New Guinea, Bangladesh, the Guna Yala archipelago in Panama, the United Kingdom, Miami in the United States, and the Boston area.
The Dutch embassy wanted to bring the world’s attention to this environmental crisis, so they decided to exhibit Van Lohuizen’s haunting images in Abu Dhabi.
“Kadir’s work emphasises global concerns that can no longer be ignored,” says Frank Mollen, ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Abu Dhabi. “Our country has for centuries been well aware of the challenges posed by rising water level.
“I hope this exhibition will contribute to a better general understanding of the issues involved, and how to combat them. Dutch expertise will play a role in the mitigation of these global challenges, but a concerted effort from us all will be needed to achieve lasting results.”
Conveying the urgency of the problem visually using a medium like photography was no easy feat, explains van Lohuizen, because he is trying to tell the tale of something that will happen. For example, in certain areas, he had to shoot at high tide. In other areas, it wasn’t just about catching images of flooding, or of sea water and mud oozing into a coastal home.
“In low lying areas like Bangladesh, people are losing their lands to grow crops, land becomes slime, there is sea water in the drinking water reservoirs, people can’t grow crops, can’t drink water. They can’t live there anymore.”
And although the expectation is that Third World countries are most at risk, van Lohuizen points out that the Miami bay area is one of the most expensive zip codes in the United States.
"Miami was included in the project because it's one of the most endangered cities in the world, which people don't realise... Miami is built on limestone and the characteristics of limestone is that it's porous, water will go under it. There is no clear solution for Miami."
At the end of the day all low-lying coastal areas will be affected.
The heart of exhibition, he says, is a multimedia installation running across three giant flat screens, showing videos he had shot in the nine regions he photographed.
"As a journalist, whether you're writing or photographing, you have a responsibility in the stories you tell," he says. "Not only do you need to be original, but the stories have to be relevant. There are nations disappearing, and this hasn't been addressed by the international community. People need help, people should have been evacuated from some of these areas a long time ago. In other areas, there are predictions that people have to be evacuated by 2050 or 2060. Something has to be done."
Maria van der Hoeven, former Minister of Economic Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and former Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) and senior fellow at the Clingendael International Energy Program (CIEP) impresses how important the exhibition is.
"The photos by Kadir van Lohuizen are very confronting... this exhibit in Masdar is an excellent example how more people can be made more aware of the effects of climate change.
Where Will We Go? by Kadir van Lohuizen runs until February 16 at Masdar City’s Eco Villa. It’s open from 1pm to 9pm daily. Entry is free
CREW
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERajesh%20A%20Krishnan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETabu%2C%20Kareena%20Kapoor%20Khan%2C%20Kriti%20Sanon%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
Pearls on a Branch: Oral Tales
Najlaa Khoury, Archipelago Books
Match info
Karnataka Tuskers 110-3
J Charles 35, M Pretorius 1-19, Z Khan 0-16
Deccan Gladiators 111-5 in 8.3 overs
K Pollard 45*, S Zadran 2-18
Racecard
%3Cp%3E1.45pm%3A%20Bin%20Dasmal%20Contracting%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(PA)%20Dh50%2C000%20(Dirt)%201%2C200m%3Cbr%3E2.15pm%3A%20Al%20Shafar%20Investment%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(TB)%20Dh60%2C000%20(D)%201%2C200m%3Cbr%3E2.45pm%3A%202023%20Cup%20by%20Emirates%20sprint%20series%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh84%2C000%20(D)%201%2C200m%3Cbr%3E3.15pm%3A%20HIVE%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh68%2C000%20(D)%201%2C400m%3Cbr%3E3.45pm%3A%20Jebel%20Ali%20Mile%20Prep%20by%20Shadwell%20%E2%80%93%20Conditions%20(TB)%20Dh100%2C000%20(D)%201%2C600m%3Cbr%3E4.15pm%3A%20JARC%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(TB)%20Dh60%2C000%20(D)%201%2C600m%3Cbr%3E4.45pm%3A%20Deira%20Cup%20by%20Emirates%20Sprint%20series%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh76%2C000%20(D)%201%2C950m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Yemen's Bahais and the charges they often face
The Baha'i faith was made known in Yemen in the 19th century, first introduced by an Iranian man named Ali Muhammad Al Shirazi, considered the Herald of the Baha'i faith in 1844.
The Baha'i faith has had a growing number of followers in recent years despite persecution in Yemen and Iran.
Today, some 2,000 Baha'is reside in Yemen, according to Insaf.
"The 24 defendants represented by the House of Justice, which has intelligence outfits from the uS and the UK working to carry out an espionage scheme in Yemen under the guise of religion.. aimed to impant and found the Bahai sect on Yemeni soil by bringing foreign Bahais from abroad and homing them in Yemen," the charge sheet said.
Baha'Ullah, the founder of the Bahai faith, was exiled by the Ottoman Empire in 1868 from Iran to what is now Israel. Now, the Bahai faith's highest governing body, known as the Universal House of Justice, is based in the Israeli city of Haifa, which the Bahais turn towards during prayer.
The Houthis cite this as collective "evidence" of Bahai "links" to Israel - which the Houthis consider their enemy.
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Cricket World Cup League 2 Fixtures
Saturday March 5, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy (all matches start at 9.30am)
Sunday March 6, Oman v Namibia, ICC Academy
Tuesday March 8, UAE v Namibia, ICC Academy
Wednesday March 9, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy
Friday March 11, Oman v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Saturday March 12, UAE v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri, Muhammad Waseem, CP Rizwan, Vriitya Aravind, Asif Khan, Basil Hameed, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Karthik Meiyappan, Akif Raja, Rahul Bhatia
LOVE%20AGAIN
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Jim%20Strouse%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStars%3A%20Priyanka%20Chopra%20Jonas%2C%20Sam%20Heughan%2C%20Celine%20Dion%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
