I was drawn to study science because it represented a way of decoding and making sense of the world. It has always been about discovering the underlying reasons behind things.
Our cars, our homes, and our smartphones owe a debt to science. The energy that powers every aspect of our modern world, from the clothes we wear to the food we eat. All of these were developed and improved through, and because of, the contribution of science and scientists.
In fact, one of the aspects about my job as a scientist that I loved the most was that I spent my time expanding the bounds of human knowledge. But importantly, I have always thought of science as a verb, not a noun. It is something you do, not something you know. It is practical. One can improve the lives of people around the world through science.
That ethos is one I have sought to put at the heart of my leadership of the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment. At the ministry, we deliberately draw on scientific data to inform our national climate strategies. Collaboration with scientists has led to strategies and policies that not only align with the Paris Agreement but are unique to our country’s specific environmental opportunities, strengths and vulnerabilities. Our Nationally Determined Contribution and Net Zero 2050 Strategy, for example, are policies rooted in data and analysis.
Culturally, armed with evidence, information and expertise, I want our team to become active and curious problem solvers, challenging themselves to address issues across the breadth of our brief – including, but not limited to, food security, desertification, the health of oceans and species conservation.
At the ministry, we understand that science is our ally. Science is mankind’s response to societal needs and global challenges. And no challenge requires science more that the challenge of climate change.
The environmental programmes we promote and invest in internationally are rooted in science. Take the Mangrove Alliance for Climate, for example. Because we understand the science behind the natural world, we have been able discover that mangroves could be a secret weapon in helping to turn the tide on climate change.
Scientific research has helped us understand that mangrove trees act like a carbon bank – capturing four times more carbon than rainforests and locking it deep in their roots or vaults. What’s more, they then keep that harmful gas from entering the atmosphere for millennia. That discovery has led our ambition to plant huge swathes of new mangroves to guard our shores and waterways, but also to encourage other nations to follow and grow mangrove habitats throughout the world.
But my scientific education teaches me that innovation and investigation should never sleep. And that is why the UAE continues to fund and invest in scientific research that will deepen our understanding of mangroves.
Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of being in Bali to unveil the Mohamed bin Zayed-Joko Widodo International Mangrove Research Centre, which will be built on 2.5 hectares of land in Bali's Ngurah Rai Forest Park.
Backed with $13 million of investment from the UAE, the centre will be an ideal platform for scientists and researchers to join forces and exchange knowledge to improve our ability to counter current and future environmental challenges. The work environmental scientists conduct there will help humanity understand more about how the process of carbon sequestration works to stem the tide of climate change and even reverse the seemingly inexorable journey to disaster.
The mangrove alliance is emblematic of our commitment to science. Science is the beating heart of all the global, regional and domestic programmes that the ministry supports. My exceptional colleagues across the ministry, who lead programmes such as our Extended Product Responsibility Initiative, Biological Risk Predictor, the National Animal Health Plan, Palm Pest Control Project, and the National Carbon Registry, will tell you how much their work is informed by scientific rigour.
My team is committed to achieving sustainable and effective solutions, and they know that we must continue to use evidence-based decision-making at a strategic level. To do this, we must empower the scientific community to drive transformative solutions for a sustainable future, because collaboration is critical in enabling science to govern our climate action.
The beneficiaries of science are all around us – every community in the UAE and beyond. The old, the young and the generations to come.
Before putting pen to paper on this piece, I turned to a member of the next generation. On the school run, I told my son that I wanted to explain to people why I was putting science at the heart of my vision for the ministry, and I asked him what he would say about science.
“That’s easy, Mum,” he replied. “It’s the foundation of everything.”
He is right.
And that is why scientific research deserves our steady commitment and support, and why science is the basis for the decisions we take and the investments we make at the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
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Engine: 2.3-litre, turbo four-cylinder
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Power: 300hp
Torque: 420Nm
Price: Dh189,900
On sale: now
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US PGA Championship in numbers
1 Joost Luiten produced a memorable hole in one at the par-three fourth in the first round.
2 To date, the only two players to win the PGA Championship after winning the week before are Rory McIlroy (2014 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational) and Tiger Woods (2007, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational). Hideki Matsuyama or Chris Stroud could have made it three.
3 Number of seasons without a major for McIlroy, who finished in a tie for 22nd.
4 Louis Oosthuizen has now finished second in all four of the game's major championships.
5 In the fifth hole of the final round, McIlroy holed his longest putt of the week - from 16ft 8in - for birdie.
6 For the sixth successive year, play was disrupted by bad weather with a delay of one hour and 43 minutes on Friday.
7 Seven under par (64) was the best round of the week, shot by Matsuyama and Francesco Molinari on Day 2.
8 Number of shots taken by Jason Day on the 18th hole in round three after a risky recovery shot backfired.
9 Jon Rahm's age in months the last time Phil Mickelson missed the cut in the US PGA, in 1995.
10 Jimmy Walker's opening round as defending champion was a 10-over-par 81.
11 The par-four 11th coincidentally ranked as the 11th hardest hole overall with a scoring average of 4.192.
12 Paul Casey was a combined 12 under par for his first round in this year's majors.
13 The average world ranking of the last 13 PGA winners before this week was 25. Kevin Kisner began the week ranked 25th.
14 The world ranking of Justin Thomas before his victory.
15 Of the top 15 players after 54 holes, only Oosthuizen had previously won a major.
16 The par-four 16th marks the start of Quail Hollow's so-called "Green Mile" of finishing holes, some of the toughest in golf.
17 The first round scoring average of the last 17 major champions was 67.2. Kisner and Thorbjorn Olesen shot 67 on day one at Quail Hollow.
18 For the first time in 18 majors, the eventual winner was over par after round one (Thomas shot 73).
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The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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1. India - 270 ranking points
2. England - 265 points
3. Pakistan - 261 points
4. South Africa - 253 points
5. Australia - 251 points
6. New Zealand - 250 points
7. West Indies - 240 points
8. Bangladesh - 233 points
9. Sri Lanka - 230 points
10. Afghanistan - 226 points
Yahya Al Ghassani's bio
Date of birth: April 18, 1998
Playing position: Winger
Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda
Gran Gala del Calcio 2019 winners
Best Player: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
Best Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta)
Best Referee: Gianluca Rocchi
Best Goal: Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria vs Napoli)
Best Team: Atalanta
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Serie B Best Young Player: Sandro Tonali (Brescia)
Best Women’s Goal: Thaisa (Milan vs Juventus)
Best Women’s Player: Manuela Giugliano (Milan)
Best Women’s XI: Laura Giuliani (Milan); Alia Guagni (Fiorentina), Sara Gama (Juventus), Cecilia Salvai (Juventus), Elisa Bartoli (Roma); Aurora Galli (Juventus), Manuela Giugliano (Roma), Valentina Cernoia (Juventus); Valentina Giacinti (Milan), Ilaria Mauro (Fiorentina), Barbara Bonansea (Juventus)
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if you go
The flights
Etihad flies direct from Abu Dhabi to San Francisco from Dh5,760 return including taxes.
The car
Etihad Guest members get a 10 per cent worldwide discount when booking with Hertz, as well as earning miles on their rentals (more at www.hertz.com/etihad). A week's car hire costs from Dh1,500 including taxes.
The hotels
Along the route, Motel 6 (www.motel6.com) offers good value and comfort, with rooms from $55 (Dh202) per night including taxes. In Portland, the Jupiter Hotel (https://jupiterhotel.com/) has rooms from $165 (Dh606) per night including taxes. The Society Hotel https://thesocietyhotel.com/ has rooms from $130 (Dh478) per night including taxes.
More info
To keep up with constant developments in Portland, visit www.travelportland.com
