Labworx

Due to their ability to reach remote locations and their imperviousness to the kind of errors that make humans unreliable, drones can play an important part in helping the environment. That potential is being taken advantage of in the UAE, where the Abu Dhabi Environment Agency (EAD) is planning to use these remotely piloted machines to plant thousands of mangrove seeds along the country’s coas...

In a country like the UAE, water scarcity is a real concern. Due to its sizzling temperatures and dry climate, there is barely enough water in the Emirates for the personal use of its citizens and the cultivation of its agricultural crops, let alone for the purposes of gardening or landscaping.

With that difficulty in mind, environmentalist and entrepreneur Chandra Dake has launched “Breatha...

One silver lining incurred by the coronavirus pandemic is the catalysing effect it has had on many people’s attitudes towards the environment and how their own daily habits can impact upon it. As well as prompting individuals to reassess their daily routine, it has also encouraged governments to plough a more sustainable furrow.

The UAE is a case in point. At present, the country is forced t...

Globally, the aviation industry is responsible for approximately 2% of all anthropogenic carbon emissions, meaning its environmental footprint is not a negligible one. However, airline companies have become increasingly conscious of the role they must play in curbing their emissions and helping to care for our ailing planet.

Etihad Airways, the UAE-based airline, are leading by example in th...

As one of the world’s busiest and most strategic maritime junctions, the Strait of Hormuz understandably sees a high amount of shipping traffic each and every day. This passage is integral not only to maintaining the Emirati economy, but also to ensuring that global supplies of oil remain adequate to meet demand.

However, there are downsides to such prolific activity. The vessel traffic caus...

While the Arab Gulf may be synonymous with fossil fuels, many countries in the region are making strides towards transitioning to cleaner forms of energy generation. Indeed, the renewables movement is gathering pace in the Middle East, even despite the economic struggles caused by the coronavirus pandemic and the falling prices of oil and gas.

That represents excellent news for a part of the...

The UAE has returned impressive results in the most recent edition of the Institute for Management Development (IMD) World Competitiveness Yearbook for 2020. The Gulf nation came out top of the global pile in eight different environmental categories, including environmental laws, marine protected areas and sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions.

The news was announced by the Ministry of Climate Cha...

Scientists from the UAE University (UAEU) are working alongside Abu Dhabi Municipality to find solutions to the emirate’s rising groundwater problem. Each year, the lowlands of Abu Dhabi can find themselves flooded underneath excess groundwater for as much as 10 months out of every 12.

Of course, the national capital is far from the only city in the Middle East that must grapple with similar...

While coronavirus continues to devastate economies and prematurely claim countless lives across the globe, the crisis has incurred one small silver lining – the concurrent effect it has had on air pollution. With industry and transportation coming to something of a standstill, carbon emissions are projected to be down by 8% in 2020 compared to last year.

However, research conducted by the Un...