Today's Edition
ABDULLAH ABU DAIF (CAIRO) - As the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP28) is set to shed light on the risks of climate change, the conference also offers an opportunity to double the world’s efforts to save save natural land, sea, and air resources, especially given the UAE’s extensive experience in climate change mitigation initiatives.
The COP28 Presidency is handling its responsibilities with full awareness of the task’s magnitude, working broadly across disciplines with a principled commitment to cooperation with all based on a conviction that no one individual, entity, or nation has all the necessary solutions to face the impacts of climate change, including those afflicting the world’s seas and oceans.
A recent scientific study, conducted by an international team of scientists from across the Arab world, Switzerland, Australia, and America, warned that as the ramifications of climate change intensify, coral reefs are imperiled, leading to their disappearance at a rate greater and faster than scientific predictions in recent years.
According to the study, the coral reefs in the Red Sea remain the last hope for a balanced marine environment. The reefs, so far, are the only to have withstood the very ramifications of climate change and pollution that have eviscerated reefs in other locations.
This has led the research team, supported by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), to call for the Red Sea’s coral reefs to be classified on the World Heritage list. Environmental Advisor to the Red Sea Governorate, Mahmoud Hanafi, said that the sea has suffered noticeable damage due to climate change and rising temperatures in tropical areas, evident in the significant decline of coral reefs, a matter relevant to all seas and oceans.
For example, Australia lost 50% of its coral reefs in just one year, Hanafi added. Coral reefs are living organisms that house microscopic single-celled algae. With rising temperatures, the algae are forced to migrate from the coral, and more migration leads to the complete destruction of the colony. The loss of algae colonies causes the coral to shed their brightly coloured appearance and turn a pale white colour. The Red Sea is clearly experiencing this crisis in multiple sections, Hanafi said.
However, areas of resilience and hope remain in corals in Gulf of Aqaba, Suez, and the Egyptian side of the Red Sea, which are scientific research indicates are more resilient to climate change. Despite the heartier coral types in these areas, it is important to consider that international organisations themselves have warned that the complete disappearance of all the world’s coral reefs is possible by the end of this century, Hanafi added.
Dr. Badaoui Rouhban, former Director of the Natural Disaster Management Unit at UNESCO, said that elements of the planet that are fundamental to human health and food security, like oceans and forests, are deteriorating year after year.
The danger threatens the seas and oceans due to the rising temperature of the planet and the waters. The danger is increasing, and sometimes it exceeds the predictions of water and ocean experts. The rising water temperature affects the living organisms within, especially the coral reefs, he said, adding that the ocean is also affected by human activities like waste and water pollution, leading to the death of their inhabitants.
According to Rouhban, coral reefs are of major importance to the health of waters and to human food security. Coral reefs protect the coastlines of adjacent areas from rising sea levels, coastal degradation, and water storms, making their role essential in the health of the seas.
“Confronting these dangers requires addressing the root causes, such as human activities, sea water pollution through waste and other means, irresponsible fishing, factory waste, transportation, and greenhouse gas emissions, all of which cause pollution to marine life.
Serious measures must be taken to protect the coral reefs and raise the public’s awareness of their importance to humans, organisms, and the environment,” he said.
Coral represents the foundation of the marine ecosystem, especially with its ability to produce organic matter for living organisms, and its economic importance in producing fish, specifically in places like the Red Sea, where millions of people living on its coasts benefit from coral reef system’s positive impact on tourism, fishing, and the production of biologically active substances.
Some of the Red Sea’s coral reefs, which cover an area of around 4,000 kilometres, have natural characteristics that have been found to withstand rising water temperatures, especially those found at the steeper depths of the Gulf of Aqaba. These coral reefs are unlike others around the world, by 70 to 90% of which are likely to disappear before the end of this century.
