Water security is being moved to the top of the agenda at Cop29 as nations come together to address a growing threat to communities around the world.
Innovation is being embraced and funds are being provided to combat the pressing issue – with desalination and recycling seen as cutting-edge ways of capturing precious water and maintaining its security.
Delegates at the Baku talks say water scarcity is finally receiving the attention it deserves, after being downplayed during previous summits. It is thought that more than 1 billion people lack access to clean drinking water.
Dani Gaillard-Picher, senior policy adviser at Stockholm International Water Institute told The National that “unfortunately, in 2015 when the Paris Agreement was ratified, there was no mention of water”.
Significant strides were taken at Cop28, as the Food, Agriculture and Water Day saw crucial announcements on global water scarcity and food security. That momentum is being carried into this year's conference in Baku.
“This year, we see that there is going to be a voluntary declaration on water that a number of countries are endorsing,” said Ms Gaillard-Pacher.
Taking action
The Baku Dialogue on Water for Climate Action is set to be launched on Thursday. It is expected to see countries and partners endorse the Water Declaration, a call on stakeholders to collaborate when combating the effects of climate change on water ecosystems.
“The Cop29 presidency this year, has put forward the Baku Dialogue on Water for Climate Action – that is intended to serve as a Cop to Cop continuity process, to continuously keep water in focus at climate platforms,” said Kamala Huseynli, who works for the Azerbaijan Cop29 presidency.
Why is water scarcity an issue?
According to statistics from the World Wildlife Fund, only 3 per cent of the world's water is freshwater, and two thirds of that is locked in frozen glaciers.
At the same time, it is estimated that 1.1 billion people lack access to clean drinking water. The number is expected to be exacerbated in the future due to climate change.
The latest report from the Global Commission on the Economics of Water has highlighted that the effects of climate change on water scarcity could result in the GDP of high-income economies shrinking by about 8 per cent by 2050, while lower-income countries could face declines of about 15 per cent.
Innovative water solutions highlighted at Cop29
Significant investment is flowing through to water solutions. The Aim for Climate initiative – a multibillion-dollar UAE-US partnership supporting innovative environmental action -on Monday announced investment into projects that address the effects of climate change on agriculture and water security. A total of 129 innovations have received investment under the initiative.
Projects such as Sand to Green aim to tip the scales. The collaboration with Mascara Osmosun and Access Impact aims to convert 50 hectares of barren desert into fertile, productive land by next year. The initiative uses solar-powered desalination technology to generate a sustainable water source, boosting crop yields by up to 30 per cent.
The project looks to use sustainable hydroponic and aquaponic systems designed to address water scarcity and improve food security. By integrating AI, the project's solar-powered systems reduce water use by up to 70 per cent and increase crop yields by 30 per cent. Focused on empowering smallholder farmers in Africa, the innovation sprint aims to have about 50 systems by December next year.
Looking ahead to Cop30, Raoni Rajao, from Brazil's Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, said when it comes to the water agenda, he hopes talks build on the success of past summits, from Cop28 to Cop29 and beyond – “water, either floods or droughts, is one of the main impacts of climate change”.
“Rather than just passing the hot potato from one Cop to the other, we need to build solutions and pass them on, and build also learning capacity as we move forward,” said Mr Rajao.
The UAE has been championing the sustainable water agenda. Earlier this year, the UAE pledged to place water scarcity on the global agenda at the first council meeting of the Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative.
The next UN Water Conference will be held in Dubai in 2026. It will be co-hosted by the UAE and Senegal.
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
THREE
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The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
Company%C2%A0profile
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Thursday (All UAE kick-off times)
Sevilla v Real Betis (midnight)
Friday
Granada v Real Betis (9.30pm)
Valencia v Levante (midnight)
Saturday
Espanyol v Alaves (4pm)
Celta Vigo v Villarreal (7pm)
Leganes v Real Valladolid (9.30pm)
Mallorca v Barcelona (midnight)
Sunday
Atletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid (4pm)
Real Madrid v Eibar (9.30pm)
Real Sociedad v Osasuna (midnight)
RoboCop%3A%20Rogue%20City
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETeyon%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENacon%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsole%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20PlayStation%205%2C%20Xbox%20Series%20X%2FS%20and%20PC%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Your Guide to the Home
- Level 1 has a valet service if you choose not to park in the basement level. This level houses all the kitchenware, including covetable brand French Bull, along with a wide array of outdoor furnishings, lamps and lighting solutions, textiles like curtains, towels, cushions and bedding, and plenty of other home accessories.
- Level 2 features curated inspiration zones and solutions for bedrooms, living rooms and dining spaces. This is also where you’d go to customise your sofas and beds, and pick and choose from more than a dozen mattress options.
- Level 3 features The Home’s “man cave” set-up and a display of industrial and rustic furnishings. This level also has a mother’s room, a play area for children with staff to watch over the kids, furniture for nurseries and children’s rooms, and the store’s design studio.
Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Basquiat in Abu Dhabi
One of Basquiat’s paintings, the vibrant Cabra (1981–82), now hangs in Louvre Abu Dhabi temporarily, on loan from the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
The latter museum is not open physically, but has assembled a collection and puts together a series of events called Talking Art, such as this discussion, moderated by writer Chaedria LaBouvier.
It's something of a Basquiat season in Abu Dhabi at the moment. Last week, The Radiant Child, a documentary on Basquiat was shown at Manarat Al Saadiyat, and tonight (April 18) the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is throwing the re-creation of a party tonight, of the legendary Canal Zone party thrown in 1979, which epitomised the collaborative scene of the time. It was at Canal Zone that Basquiat met prominent members of the art world and moved from unknown graffiti artist into someone in the spotlight.
“We’ve invited local resident arists, we’ll have spray cans at the ready,” says curator Maisa Al Qassemi of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi's Canal Zone Remix is at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Thursday April 18, from 8pm. Free entry to all. Basquiat's Cabra is on view at Louvre Abu Dhabi until October
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE results
Lost to Oman by eight runs
Beat Namibia by three wickets
Lost to Oman by 12 runs
Beat Namibia by 43 runs
UAE fixtures
Free admission. All fixtures broadcast live on icc.tv
Tuesday March 15, v PNG at Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Friday March 18, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium
Saturday March 19, v PNG at Dubai International Stadium
Monday March 21, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich 1
Kimmich (27')
Real Madrid 2
Marcelo (43'), Asensio (56')
