A Quinton McMillen Report On Dubai Floods

1. A Quinton McMillen’s Report. A tale of two cities and climate change: What can we learn from the Dubai and Muscat floods? Satellite imagery shows unprecedented pools of water in the khaki landscapes of the eastern Arabian Peninsula. Oman and parts of the United Arab Emirates are no strangers to storms and cyclones, but urban planners and scientists have warned that both countries will need to adapt their cities to more extreme weather due to global warming. City planners adopted two very different approaches during the development of Muscat and Dubai following the oil boom of the 1970s, with recent events highlighting some of the disadvantages and benefits of each model. Low-lying and sprawling Muscat saw villas, malls and roads submerged for days during Cyclone Gonu in 2007 and Phet in 2010, but – as recent weeks have shown – authorities have adapted well to the new environment. The Omani capital has largely survived. The worst flood situation in the last week. However, Dubai, a futuristic urban landscape familiar to millions, was faring less well with its concrete cover collecting thousands of liters of rainwater and with no place to escape, leaving the city's landmarks inundated with heavy water. Filled with waves. Dubai Remarkable footage was shown of an Emirates plane wading through several inches of water on the tarmac at Dubai International Airport, while crowds of tourists stood outside for extended periods inside the terminal.

2. Whether this is a once-in-a-lifetime disaster or a sign of things to come, experts say there is an urgent need for better drainage and more green space to reduce pools of water during the next cloudburst. "The UAE government will likely have to adapt urban planning — this could involve improved drainage systems, green spaces for water absorption, and heat resistant materials" A UAE-based urban planner, who wished to remain anonymous for this article, said that a combination of infrastructure and environmental issues led to Dubai's flooding, but that it is possible for more livable and infrastructure- sound cities to emerge. Provides an opportunity. “The UAE government will likely have to adapt urban planning – this could include better drainage systems, green spaces for water absorption and heat- resistant materials,” the source told Dubai's reliance on desert climate models in urban planning may require adjustments. Dubai's city landscape may need more green spaces and sustainable architecture to cope with extreme weather. “There are signs of change and the government is discussing these issues more openly, but it takes time to implement large-scale change.” UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan appears to acknowledge this, ordering a review of national infrastructure in the geographically diverse country soon after the floods. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, said the emirate had learned lessons from the tragedy and formed two ministerial committees, one to handle the $544 million flood compensation fund and The second to assess the damage and provide solutions for the future. Experts noted how Gulf states abandoned the construction of drainage as their cities expanded in the 1980s and 1990s when the effects of climate change were less obvious.

3. Dubai can learn from Bangkok, Tokyo and cities in the Netherlands where key infrastructure and urban adaptation have helped them cope with flooding, but perhaps the most telling example is Copenhagen, where a devastating cloudburst occurred in 2011. Now, nature is taking these shortcuts with disastrous consequences for the Bay Area. “Climate adaptation is already underway in all developed economies and Dubai is no exception, so it will be calculated after the recent storm and we will see the response of the infrastructure.” "Undoubtedly, water drainage is a major topic, and at some point Dubai and the Gulf region will have to deal with rising sea levels. Dubai could also benefit from techniques learned during the construction of artificial islands, where sand extracted from the seabed was piled high on the emirate's shores. No turning back? Scientists from the World Weather Attribution Group said on April 25 that climate change, driven by fossil fuel emissions, was a likely cause of the recent floods and noted that rainfall in the Gulf region was 10 to 40 percent higher during nine years. For some, rapidly rising global temperatures mean that the world is at a point of near-impossibility and that no amount of drainage will be sufficient to prevent flooding in coastal areas. Report By: Quinton McMillen