World

COP28: Ten countries most affected by climate change ahead of the UAE summit

The UAE is set to host the annual UN climate change summit, COP28, in November where world leaders are expected to set goals to manage the effects of global temperature increases.

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Here is a look at ten countries that are most affected by climate change.

Chad:

The landlocked country in central Africa has suffered from repeated droughts, as well as flooding, that has become worse with climate change.

Repeated droughts have had “substantial impacts” on the country’s agricultural production and have affected up to 2.4 million people, according to the World Bank.

“Persistent drought has also aided in the acceleration of desertification in the northern part of the country, causing agro-pastoral areas to decline and livestock grazing areas to shift further south,” the World Bank said.

Fatime Tchari, 34, a nomadic woman cuddles her malnourished sick horse and cattle, in a temporary nomad camp, in Lake Chad province, Chad, September 11, 2022. (Reuters)

NASA has also predicted that Lake Chad in the south-west of the country could disappear in 20 years.

As well as being hit by drought, the country has also being hampered by floods.

“Unprecedented torrential rains in Chad since early August 2022 have caused significant damage to houses, key infrastructure and agricultural land in the capital, N’Djamena, and surrounding provinces,” the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent says on its website.

Nearly 750,000 people have been affected by the floods, the NGO said, putting communities at risk of water borne diseases such as cholera.

Bangladesh:

The Asian country “continues to face severe and increasing climate risks,” the World Bank said near the end of 2022.

The average tropical cyclone that the country experiences every year costs the country around $1 billion annually, and by 2050, a third of agricultural GDP could be lost and 13 million people could become internal climate migrants, the World Bank said.

By 2050 some 17 percent of the country could also be submerged by rising sea levels and leave 20 million people homeless, according to UN estimates.

Somalia

Somalia, situated in eastern Africa, is crippled by drought devastating the country’s crop production and leading to years of failed harvests.

The country, which is grappling from famine as a result, is now seeing hundreds of thousands attempt to migrate or move to camps or cities or to neighboring Kenya or Ethiopia.

“Human-caused climate change has increased the frequency and severity of droughts, and decades of conflict have significantly eroded the country’s ability to respond to crises,” the International Rescue Committee said at the end of 2022.

Kenya

The country, like many affected by rising global temperatures, is also suffering from severe droughts.

The east African country is suffering from a loss of livestock while the country’s drought management authority has designated 11 areas of the country at an “alarm stage” which means they are suffering the worst kind of drought emergency.

Kenya head of tourism also said that between February and October 2022, the country lost 205 elephants. The country also lost 512 gnus, 381 zebra, 12 giraffes and 51 buffalo.

“The adverse effects of climate change on human societies and the natural environment are unprecedented,” the UN said in a blog post in 2023.

Haiti

Haiti is the most vulnerable country in Latin America and the Caribbean to climate change, according to Climate Links – a website set up for climate change information for USAID staff.

More than half of Haiti’s population live in densely populated cities on the coast near floodplains and in areas susceptible to landslide. Deforestation in the country has increased the country’s vulnerability to hurricanes and flooding, as well as increasing temperatures during Haiti’s dry months, Climate Links said.

Increased rainfall variability is leading to more frequent intense flooding and drought, the UN said, adding that one in three Haitians does not have access to safe drinking water.

Kiribati

Kiribati is an island republic in the central Pacific that is made up of 33 atolls and islands that stretch along the equator.

The group of islands has experienced historical warming of between 0.1°C–0.2°C per decade since 1950.

Kiribati, which is home to around 100,000 people, sits just six feet above sea level and scientists believe that at some point this century these islands may become uninhabitable as ocean levels rise due to climate change, according to Human Rights Watch.

A woman uses a fork to dig for shellfish on the reef-mud flats of a lagoon at South Tarawa in the central Pacific island nation of Kiribati. (Reuters)

South Sudan

“The effects of climate change in South Sudan have led to unusually intense rains: flood waters have forced people from their homes, leaving them without sufficient food and water,” Caroline Sekyewa, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) country director in South Sudan said in a statement on the NGOs website.

Floods in late 2022 and early 2023 affected more than 900,000 people and led to outbreaks of cholera and malaria, the IRC said.

Floods, combined with periods of severe drought in the country, have exacerbated food insecurity for many residents.

Ethiopia

A mixture of severe drought coupled with extreme flooding have increased poverty and food insecurity in the eastern Africa country.

For Ethiopia’s pastoral and agro-pastoral communities in drought prone areas, increasing aridity and recurring drought conditions present the most significant climate-hazard, according to the World Bank.

A man walks past carcasses of cows in Kura Kalicha camp for the people internally displaced by drought near Das town, Oromiya region, Ethiopia March 7, 2023. (Reuters)

India

India has now overtaken China to have the world’s largest population at 1.4 billion and is one of the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitters.

A heat wave lasting for weeks in 2022 caused temperatures to soar above 110 degrees, with some areas hitting 115 degrees, according to the Climate Reality Project. Researchers found that between 2000 to 2004 and 2017 to 2021, India saw a 55 percent increase in deaths due to extreme heat.

The country is also facing widespread drought, as well as flooding, having a significant impact on agriculture and crop production in certain parts.

The Philippines

The Philippines, a set of islands in south-east Asia is “highly vulnerable” to the effected of climate change, according to Climate Links.

Climate risks to the islands include rising sea levels, increased frequency of extreme weather events and rising temperatures.

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World

Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi meets with CEOs of leading Norwegian companies

H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, has met with a group of CEOs from leading Norwegian companies, as part of their participation in the UAE-Norway Investment Forum, held alongside his official visit to the Kingdom of Norway.

During the meeting, H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed underscored the UAE leadership’s commitment to strengthening economic cooperation with its international partners.

He highlighted that investment in innovation and knowledge is a cornerstone for achieving sustainable development, noting that enhancing collaboration with Norwegian companies across key sectors will open new avenues for mutual economic growth between the two countries.

The UAE-Norway Investment Forum, taking place in Oslo, aimed to highlight available investment opportunities and strengthen trade relations between the UAE and Norway, fostering shared interests and supporting innovation and knowledge-based economic visions.

-wam

World

At the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS inaugurates 10th global office, releases four books

As part of its Asian research tour, partnership with Aletihad News Center, and
primary sponsorship of the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS
Research & Advisory inaugurated its office in Jakarta, marking its 10th location
worldwide. It also released four books in Indonesian.
The inauguration event was attended by ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, and
Jordan to Indonesia, chairpersons of the UAE and Indonesian Publishers’
Associations, the Director of TRENDS’ Jakarta office, and a group of researchers
and academics.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali, CEO of TRENDS
Research & Advisory, stated that TRENDS’ international offices—set to reach 15
by the end of 2024—aim to enhance the Center’s research efforts and deepen its
role in disseminating knowledge, thus serving as a global knowledge bridge.
He emphasized, “At TRENDS, we believe in the importance of cooperation
between think tanks and prioritize this endeavor. We believe the TRENDS office in
Jakarta will enhance the exchange of knowledge and ideas between think tanks in
Asia and the Middle East, opening new horizons for collaboration in various
fields.”

Four books in Indonesian
As part of the Jakarta office’s inaugural activities, four books were released in
Indonesian, including the 11th and 12th books of the Muslim Brotherhood
Encyclopedia and Global Trends in AI and Automation and the Future of
Competition between Man and Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision.

Hostility to Arab states
The 11th book of the Muslim Brotherhood Encyclopedia, The Concept of the State
According to the Muslim Brotherhood, highlights its hostile stance toward Arab
states since its inception. The group views them as an obstacle to its ascent to
power. It opposed the modern principles upon which these states were built,
considering them incompatible with the group’s unique interpretation of Islam,
which it claimed to embody exclusively.

Exclusion of nonconformists
The 12th book, The Muslim Brotherhood: Rejection of Tolerance and Exclusion of
Nonconformists, examines the Muslim Brotherhood’s stance towards
nonconformists, individuals, and entities. The book reveals the group’s binary view
of the world, categorizing others as allies or adversaries. It ties these relationships
to the Brotherhood’s internal power struggles and self-serving interests.

Global Trends in AI
The third book, Global Trends in AI, explores significant developments in AI and
its impact on various aspects of life, including the economy, society, and
governance. It also offers a comprehensive analysis of technological advancements
in AI, its applications across sectors, the ethical and social challenges it presents,
and its future trajectory.

Automation

The fourth book, Automation and the Future of Competition between Man and
Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision, addresses the growing challenges
faced by the human workforce in the face of widespread automation and AI
applications. The book concludes that while automation presents a significant
challenge to the labor market, it simultaneously creates new opportunities. It
emphasizes the importance of preparing for this shift through skills development,
continuous education, and adopting economic and social policies that support the
workforce.

Prominent pavilion and active presence
The TRENDS’ pavilion at the Indonesia International Book Fair has attracted
numerous visitors, including academic researchers and officials, such as the
ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, and Turkey. Additionally,
chairpersons of Arab and Indonesian publishers’ associations, authors, publishers,
and students visited the pavilion. All were impressed with and praised TRENDS’ diverse, valuable publications. They also commended TRENDS’ active
international presence and ability to address global developments with rigorous
analytical research.
Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali honored the esteemed guests, including
ambassadors of the UAE and Bahrain to Indonesia, Wedha Startesti Yudha,
Chairperson of the Indonesia International Book Fair Committee, Arys Hilman
Nugraha, Chairman of the Indonesian Publishers Association, and others,
presenting them with TRENDS’ publications and commemorative shields.
Additionally, he awarded TRENDS’ Research Medal to Ni Made Ayu Martini
Indonesian Deputy Minister of Marketing, Tourism and Creative Economy
It is worth noting that during its current Asian research tour, TRENDS announced
the launch of the TRENDS Research Medal, awarded to individuals who make
significant contributions to the development of scientific research and promote collaboration with TRENDS in strengthening a culture of research across various fields.

World

US determined to prevent full-scale war in Middle East, Joe Biden tells UNGA79

US President Joe Biden highlighted the US Administration’s determination to prevent a wider war that engulfs the entire Middle East region, noting that a diplomatic solution “remains the only path to lasting security to allow the residents from both countries to return to their homes on the border safely”.

In remarks he made today before the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79), the US President said, “Full-scale war is not in anyone’s interest,” adding that a diplomatic solution is still possible.

He also touched on “the rise of violence against innocent Palestinians on the West Bank”, and the need to “set the conditions for a better future”, which he said featured “a two-state solution, where the world — where Israel enjoys security and peace and full recognition and normalised relations with all its neighbours, where Palestinians live in security, dignity, and self-determination in a state of their own”.

President Biden underscored the ceasefire and hostage deal put forth by Qatar and Egypt, which the UN Security Council endorsed. He said, “Now is the time for the parties to finalise its terms, bring the hostages home,” adding that this would help ease the suffering in Gaza, and end the war.

-WAM