Hello, The first climate week of the year has begun in Panama City. Speaking at the event, the UN's climate chief warned that global trade is under strain due to the effects of <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/climate/" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/climate/">climate change</a> and failing to act risks worsening food insecurity, economic instability and humanitarian crises. <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/climate/2024/04/10/uns-stiell-sets-up-two-year-climate-race-to-save-the-planet/" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/climate/2024/04/10/uns-stiell-sets-up-two-year-climate-race-to-save-the-planet/">Simon Stiell</a> used the <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2025/04/27/egyptians-reject-trumps-demand-for-free-suez-canal-passage/" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2025/04/27/egyptians-reject-trumps-demand-for-free-suez-canal-passage/">Panama Canal</a> as an example of how climate change has affected trade. Once a symbol of global connectivity, the canal's water levels have dropped due to prolonged droughts, which has disrupted shipping routes and slowed the flow of critical goods. That has created a ripple effect that extends far beyond logistics, Mr Stiell said. You can read more about Climate Week <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/climate/2025/05/20/green-policies-can-restore-stability-to-global-trade-un-climate-chief-says/" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/climate/2025/05/20/green-policies-can-restore-stability-to-global-trade-un-climate-chief-says/">here</a>. A Dh120 million AgriTech hub, measuring 100,000 square metres, has been announced for <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/uae/2024/09/03/from-lamborghini-chicken-to-boer-goat-emirati-is-behind-farming-feast-in-al-ain/" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/uae/2024/09/03/from-lamborghini-chicken-to-boer-goat-emirati-is-behind-farming-feast-in-al-ain/">Al Ain</a>. The project is a collaboration between Silal, an Abu Dhabi agri-food and technology company, and Shouguang Vegetable Industry Group (SVG), a Chinese firm specialising in vegetable seed breeding and counter-seasonal production. The facility represents a move to transform the <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/uae/2024/10/08/how-plant-the-emirates-is-part-of-a-wider-strategy-to-strengthen-food-security/" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/uae/2024/10/08/how-plant-the-emirates-is-part-of-a-wider-strategy-to-strengthen-food-security/">agricultural sector</a> from water-intensive and climate-vulnerable to data-driven and climate-resilient. It will serve as a test bed for “smart farming” under extreme conditions – a challenge of increasing importance. Read the full story <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/climate/2025/05/19/china-uae-agritech-dh120-million-megaproject-to-launch-in-al-ain/" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/climate/2025/05/19/china-uae-agritech-dh120-million-megaproject-to-launch-in-al-ain/">here</a>. A drier and warmer start to spring has led to “unusual” <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/us/2025/01/17/la-fires-bollywood-sister-home-burnt/" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/us/2025/01/17/la-fires-bollywood-sister-home-burnt/">wildfires</a> in the <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/uk" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/uk">UK</a>, and a risk of drought across north-western <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/europe" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/europe">Europe</a>, the continent’s climate service has warned. Most of the region, which also encompasses the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, has been put on “watch” or “warning” for drought – with some areas being placed on the higher “alert” – by the EU’s climate monitoring service Copernicus, which has a drought observatory. Nearly 30,000 hectares of forest in the UK had been burnt by May 6, which is an “absolute record” for the region, according to Copernicus. Read Lemma Shehadi's full story <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/uk/2025/05/16/early-drought-and-wildfire-warnings-for-northern-europe/" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/uk/2025/05/16/early-drought-and-wildfire-warnings-for-northern-europe/">here</a>. World Bee Day was celebrated on May 20. These tiny pollinators are critical to our food supply chain. The UN estimates that one in three spoonfuls of food consumed depends on bees. <b>Cold Dunkelflaute: </b>This German term has been borrowed to describe a weather phenomenon that presents a major challenge for renewable energy systems. It describes periods when both wind and solar energy production drop dramatically due to overcast skies, short daylight hours and low wind. A full guide to understanding climate jargon is <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/climate/cop28/2023/11/09/cop28-net-zero-15c-our-guide-to-climate-change-jargon/?utm_source=The+National+newsletters&utm_campaign=0a087136ba-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2024_07_09_02_20_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-138f6bcf16-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D" target="_blank">here</a>. <b>READ MORE</b>
