Public awareness and co-operativeness are critical for any country to adapt to the challenges that the climate crisis poses today. Accomplishing a collective goal of this nature requires societies’ full involvement.
For this co-operation to materialise, a society’s awareness of its country’s capacities and constraints, the desired destination, and the importance of getting there is crucial. And it is only when there is co-operation based on awareness of these issues that the right means available for adaptation can be applied.
The need for public awareness is also precursory to the need for financing, because without awareness funds can easily be squandered and opportunities lost. Sustainable development requires awareness that climate change is amplifying pre-existing resource stressors, particularly rapid population growth.
Population expansion can be a boon to development in underpopulated societies. However, in the already populous countries in arid and semi-arid regions, further rapid population growth can derail development. The climate crisis, driven by global warming and reducing rainfall in regions that are already hot and dry, is exacerbating the stress that overexploited ecological resources are experiencing, particularly arable lands and fresh water.
While rapid demographic expansion pushes infrastructure and natural resource systems to the limits, the climate crisis undermines these systems further, raising uncertainty about their present and future viability, durability and productiveness.
Without appropriate adaptation to a crisis that is aggravating economic and environmental challenges and weakening vulnerable communities, economic development objectives become more difficult to achieve. Worse, losses in gross domestic product and even de-development also become real risks.
Agriculture has a strategic role globally. In numerous countries, it is a vital core around which economic development occurs.
It is an employment and livelihood source, a food security pillar, and an input provider to other sectors. In the best circumstances, agricultural activity also supports healthy human and socio-cultural development due to its physiological and psychological benefits, and due to the systems of co-operation in production, trade and conflict resolution that are often integral to a flourishing, well-established agricultural community.
Sustainable development requires awareness that climate change is amplifying pre-existing resource stressors
Sustainable arable land and freshwater resources are the foundations of agriculture’s viability. But human overexploitation and the climate crisis are challenging this viability.
In arid and semi-arid regions, the agricultural sector is doubly vulnerable to distress: it is exposed to the adverse impact of climate change on top of the ramifications of rapid population expansion. Even some humid countries face similar serious risks. Some countries in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, where the ecological resource base and agriculture remain central to development, appear to be less resilient to the climate crisis than where these strenuous conditions don’t exist.
The consequences of climate change for the ecological capacities of countries, particularly where agricultural dependence is significant, could reverberate across all other sectors.
Raising awareness of these issues in affected countries is imperative to mobilise populations towards co-operative adaptation efforts and avoid the worst outcomes of the climate crisis on vulnerable communities and areas. Diminished awareness is an obstacle to adaptation.
Two contrasting cases can illustrate this point.
The economies of the US and Egypt are vastly different in size, degree of sophistication and average per capita income levels.
In 2020, the US had a population of about 331.5 million, three times Egypt’s 107.5 million. From 2010 to 2020, America’s population grew by just 7.4 per cent, while Egypt’s grew by 23 per cent.
The total land area of the US is almost 10 times that of Egypt. Population density is much lower in the US than in Egypt, resulting in lower levels of stress on natural resources and infrastructure. With an uninhabitable desert dominating more than 95 per cent of its land area, Egypt’s actual population density is much higher than the reported data. Resource, infrastructural and service pressures are much more pronounced than what the data implies. The sheer geographic spread of the US also grants it several climate zones that support diverse agricultural production throughout the year.
Due to the significance of agriculture in a country like Egypt, the relative balance of eco-agricultural resources and population is relevant not just to the state and outlook of agriculture but to sustainable development broadly.
Egypt’s arable land area is about 3.4 million hectares, which presently allows for an extremely meagre per capita share of 0.03 hectares. In the US, the per capita share of its arable land that exceeds 157.7 million hectares is about 0.475 hectares. The cultivated area in the US is four times that of Egypt’s, and the potential for further expansion in the former is much greater still.
Egypt is also water-scarce, while the US is not. The average per capita share of the total annually renewable freshwater supply in Egypt is now below 570 cubic metres, nearing absolute scarcity. Although droughts occur in the US, its per capita share of this resource is 9,271.8 cubic metres.
Ecological and agricultural production constraints in Egypt relative to its population size are clearly extreme compared to those in the US. That Egypt’s population would grow three times as fast as America’s, even it has fewer eco-agricultural resources than the latter, appears to reflect – among other things – a low level of public awareness of existing resource constraints in the North African country.
Raising public awareness of these constraints, and of the burdens that rapid population growth places on arable land and freshwater, is overdue.
Struggles of an agricultural sector that is central to development would inevitably extend to other sectors and population groups outside rural communities.
Awareness depends on both positive and negative influences. Understanding the risks that affect different communities, and previous experiences of adverse impacts, are perception-building factors that can motivate transformational adaptation. Appreciation of opportunities associated with adaptation also supports similar behavioural changes.
Raising awareness can be achieved through several channels. Access to information in schools and universities, in public campaigns, in training workshops, and through the visual arts are some of these avenues.
Without sufficient awareness, therefore, we face a steep uphill battle to reduce poverty, improve health conditions and expand inclusive opportunities for a dignified life. We urgently need community actions and public policies that support modifications in habits and expectations affecting resource use and that deteriorate resource quality and deepen resource stress and scarcity.
Amal A Kandeel is principal of Pioneers International, LLC, a US-based consultancy, and formerly the founding director of the Climate Change, Environment, and Human Security Program at the Middle East Institute in Washington
The specs: Hyundai Ionic Hybrid
Price, base: Dh117,000 (estimate)
Engine: 1.6L four-cylinder, with 1.56kWh battery
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 105hp (engine), plus 43.5hp (battery)
Torque: 147Nm (engine), plus 170Nm (battery)
Fuel economy, combined: 3.4L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Andor
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MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)
Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?
Some facts about bees:
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony
About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive
Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.
Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen
Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids
Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments
Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts
Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain
Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
Is beekeeping dangerous?
As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
MATCH INFO
RB Leipzig 2 (Klostermann 24', Schick 68')
Hertha Berlin 2 (Grujic 9', Piatek 82' pen)
Man of the match Matheus Cunha (Hertha Berlin
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday
AC Milan v Sampdoria (2.30pm kick-off UAE)
Atalanta v Udinese (5pm)
Benevento v Parma (5pm)
Cagliari v Hellas Verona (5pm)
Genoa v Fiorentina (5pm)
Lazio v Spezia (5pm)
Napoli v Crotone (5pm)
Sassuolo v Roma (5pm)
Torino v Juventus (8pm)
Bologna v Inter Milan (10.45pm)
Checks continue
A High Court judge issued an interim order on Friday suspending a decision by Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots to direct a stop to Brexit agri-food checks at Northern Ireland ports.
Mr Justice Colton said he was making the temporary direction until a judicial review of the minister's unilateral action this week to order a halt to port checks that are required under the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Civil servants have yet to implement the instruction, pending legal clarity on their obligations, and checks are continuing.
Company%20Profile
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Should late investors consider cryptocurrencies?
Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.
They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.
“It has produced eye-watering returns for some, whereas others have lost substantially as this has all depended purely on timing and when the buy-in was. If someone still has about 20 to 25 years until retirement, there isn’t any need to take such risks,” Rupert Connor of Abacus Financial Consultant says.
He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Results
2.30pm: Expo 2020 Dubai – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (Dirt) 1,600m; Winner: Barakka, Ray Dawson (jockey), Ahmad bin Harmash (trainer)
3.05pm: Now Or Never – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: One Idea, Andrea Atzeni, Doug Watson
3.40pm: This Is Our Time – Handicap (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Perfect Balance, Tadhg O’Shea, Bhupat Seemar
4.15pm: Visit Expo 2020 – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Kaheall, Richard Mullen, Salem bin Ghadayer
4.50pm: The World In One Place – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1.900m; Winner: Castlebar, Adrie de Vries, Helal Al Alawi
5.25pm: Vision – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Shanty Star, Richard Mullen, Rashed Bouresly
6pm: Al Wasl Plaza – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Jadwal, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Disposing of non-recycleable masks
Use your ‘black bag’ bin at home
Do not put them in a recycling bin
Take them home with you if there is no litter bin
- No need to bag the mask
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 380hp at 5,800rpm
Torque: 530Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Price: From Dh299,000 ($81,415)
On sale: Now
Napoleon
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Low turnout
Two months before the first round on April 10, the appetite of voters for the election is low.
Mathieu Gallard, account manager with Ipsos, which conducted the most recent poll, said current forecasts suggested only two-thirds were "very likely" to vote in the first round, compared with a 78 per cent turnout in the 2017 presidential elections.
"It depends on how interesting the campaign is on their main concerns," he told The National. "Just now, it's hard to say who, between Macron and the candidates of the right, would be most affected by a low turnout."
ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
The studios taking part (so far)
- Punch
- Vogue Fitness
- Sweat
- Bodytree Studio
- The Hot House
- The Room
- Inspire Sports (Ladies Only)
- Cryo
GROUP RESULTS
Group A
Results
Ireland beat UAE by 226 runs
West Indies beat Netherlands by 54 runs
Group B
Results
Zimbabwe tied with Scotland
Nepal beat Hong Kong by five wickets
Crazy Rich Asians
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeon, Gemma Chan
Four stars
Score
Third Test, Day 2
New Zealand 274
Pakistan 139-3 (61 ov)
Pakistan trail by 135 runs with 7 wickets remaining in the innings
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, semi-final result:
Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona
Liverpool win 4-3 on aggregate
Champions Legaue final: June 1, Madrid
Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5
