All of Dubai Underwater With Climate Change

January 16th, 2010 by Susan Kraemer

All of this infrastructure could be out of commission in a century. Nearly all the infrastructure in Dubai could be underwater by 2100.

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Up to 85% of the population and 90% of the infrastructure of coastal zones throughout the UAE is at risk from climate change, a new study by researchers from the Stockholm Environment Institute finds in: “Climate Change – Impacts, Vulnerability and Adaptation in UAE.”

Despite uncertainty about to what extent, some degree of global warming is already happening and will only continue, resulting in an unavoidable increase in sea levels. How much that will be is uncertain. The uncertainty comes from not being able to predict whether and how fast and how effectively political actions will be taken to reduce greenhouse gases. There is no uncertainty about the science of climate change itself.

The very best case scenario had originally seen a one or two foot rise, which it is almost impossible to achieve now. Now, higher rises and worse case scenarios are more likely. We can now only control how much worse those scenarios are.

The speed of implementing renewable energy to replace fossil energy depends on legislation at the global level and national level, especially in China, India and the US where the climate bill is due to be voted on in the US Senate. But time is running out, with most scientists seeing a tipping point by 2017.

Even a rise of ten feet (three metres) would see Abu Dhabi lose more than 800 sq km under water, and Dubai would lose important infrastructure as well, the report said.

But once sea levels rise thirty feet (nine metres), all of the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi and the city of Dubai would be entirely submerged. That could happen as soon as 2100, (and almost certainly by 2200 or 2300), making the city’s elaborate infrastructure probably the shortest-lived in human history.

Unlike Venice, which was built in the middle ages, modern cities have key electrical infrastructure at ground level and below, making it almost impossible to inhabit a modern city with skyscrapers submerged up to the first or second floor.

Source: UAE Khaleej Times

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Tags: Climate Change - Impacts, climate models, dubai, fossil party, future party, Kraemer, sea level rise, Stockholm Environment Institute, UAE, Vulnerability and Adaptation in UAE

About the Author

Susan Kraemer writes at CleanTechnica, CSP-Today, PV-Insider , SmartGridUpdate, and GreenProphet. She has also been published at Ecoseed, NRDC OnEarth, MatterNetwork, Celsius, EnergyNow, and Scientific American. As a former serial entrepreneur in product design, Susan brings an innovator's perspective on inventing a carbon-constrained civilization: If necessity is the mother of invention, solving climate change is the mother of all necessities! As a lover of history and sci-fi, she enjoys chronicling the strange future we are creating in these interesting times. Follow Susan on Twitter @dotcommodity.

http://www.digivu.co.za dave harcourt

If you build a ski slope in the desert, don’t you deserve it?
http://www.digivu.co.za dave harcourt

If you build a ski slope in the desert, don’t you deserve it?
Alex

Do 99.9% of the population of the world care about Dubai? I don’t think so. The entire population can sail away in their yachts. Even the other arab states won’t shed a tear. Who cares if rich people are found floating belly-up in their pools.
Alex

Do 99.9% of the population of the world care about Dubai? I don’t think so. The entire population can sail away in their yachts. Even the other arab states won’t shed a tear. Who cares if rich people are found floating belly-up in their pools.
http://GlobalPatriot.com Global Patriot

While it is difficult to know how things will turn out decades in the future, the fact that such scenarios are predicted should give us pause when examining our habits with regard to burning fossil fuels.
http://GlobalPatriot.com Global Patriot

While it is difficult to know how things will turn out decades in the future, the fact that such scenarios are predicted should give us pause when examining our habits with regard to burning fossil fuels.
Seamus Dubh

Maybe they know something the guys at the Stockholm Environment Institute don’t?
Seamus Dubh

Maybe they know something the guys at the Stockholm Environment Institute don’t?
jo

Most of Dubais basements and underpasses are underwater already. Thats why we require dewateri ng at the early stages of construction. We just need to bre more ingenious. not negative.
jo

Most of Dubais basements and underpasses are underwater already. Thats why we require dewateri ng at the early stages of construction. We just need to bre more ingenious. not negative.
Ronaldo

Wow ! Dubai under water in 90 years? By that time, no doubt, thanks to the ingenuity of Americans and engineers all over the world, millions of folks will have access to clean, de-salinated water and live in close proximity to attractive waterfront property.
Ronaldo

Wow ! Dubai under water in 90 years? By that time, no doubt, thanks to the ingenuity of Americans and engineers all over the world, millions of folks will have access to clean, de-salinated water and live in close proximity to attractive waterfront property.
Jerod

That is hilariously ironic because Dubai was built from oil money.
Jerod

That is hilariously ironic because Dubai was built from oil money.
Mikeallmighty

Probably within next 3 to 5 year not 90 years . just look at all those earthquakes and natural disasters . They’re exporting all the metal over to Dubai Right now but I bet it will all go underwater billions of dollars in 1 day its pretty dumb to build something in the water when we all know. if u build something on the beach it will wash away . well dont tell me I didnt tell them so. I’d build something pretty like this in the Mountains or what ever . Vegas is Cool :-DDDD
Mikeallmighty

Probably within next 3 to 5 year not 90 years . just look at all those earthquakes and natural disasters . They’re exporting all the metal over to Dubai Right now but I bet it will all go underwater billions of dollars in 1 day its pretty dumb to build something in the water when we all know. if u build something on the beach it will wash away . well dont tell me I didnt tell them so. I’d build something pretty like this in the Mountains or what ever . Vegas is Cool :-DDDD
- Lord Daniel RB
  
  Dude, it will take a century 4 all that billion dollar infrastructuer to sink and by that time the ruler of dubai will be dead as will his son. all this will exist until they die and they dont dive damn to what happens to their kids or buildings after their Death. Thats y the Sheikh does not hesitate to waste so much money on short lived property!!