Today's Edition
KHAWLA ALI (DUBAI)
Harnessing the immense potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in providing innovative solutions to address climate change, the drive for specialised technologies and applications utilising smart intelligent outputs preserving the environment has been on high gear.
So, how does AI technology and innovations contribute to winning the battle against climate change?
Digital InfrastructureKhuloud Al-Habsi, a digital infrastructure project executor and trainer in AI and cybersecurity, said that artificial intelligence technologies are being applied in a variety of fields, which in turn contribute to understanding environmental challenges and offering solutions for them.
AI technologies assist in improving climate change predictions and natural disaster management in the short and long term. This arises from processing vast amounts of data from multiple sources, such as satellites and monitoring stations, to provide accurate estimates for understanding weather changes, Al-Habsi said.
It also develops accurate models to predict long-term climate change effects, including predictions about rising temperatures, sea level changes, increased occurrence of severe weather phenomena, wind trends, and air humidity, she added.
Furthermore, it monitors carbon emissions from vehicles and industries to understand the extent of their impact on climate change and analyses complex environmental models that help guide policies and practices to reduce them. This includes improving the preparedness and response of governments and institutions to natural disasters related to climate change, such as hurricanes and floods, she noted.
Innovative Solutions Additionally, artificial intelligence offers several innovative solutions for improving waste management efficiency, which lies in using machine learning technologies to recognise different types of materials based on images or light data. This enhances sorting and classification processes, then reduces waste and increases efficiency in recycling operations by improving the retrieval of valuable materials from waste and analysing vast amounts of waste-related data, Al-Habsi said.
The goal is to identify consumption patterns and adopt environmentally friendly practices that ensure the sustainability of these processes, reduce waste, and improve recycling operations, she continued.
Energy Sustainability According to Al-Habsi, AI applications support developing smart buildings that aim to achieve energy sustainability and improve user experience.
In terms of sustainability, artificial intelligence achieves improved control systems in buildings, such as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, and thereby enhances energy consumption efficiency based on learning from daily behaviours and environmental conditions.
Artificial intelligence also enhances the development of advanced safety systems, such as facial recognition cameras and voice recognition systems, to improve security and safety in buildings. This is in addition to massive data analytics, which supports the analysis of system and equipment performance within the building and provides forecasts about maintenance needs before failures occur.
In terms of improving user experience, AI develops and enhances user experiences through the integration of voice and visual control systems, allowing users to interact better with the building. The integration of AI in building development enhances usage efficiency and reduces environmental impacts, contributing to the realisation of smart buildings and better environmental sustainability, Al-Habsi said.
Smart Innovations Engineer Yousuf Al Barai emphasised that AI has the capability to accelerate global efforts to protect the environment and conserve resources by employing it to monitor infrastructure networks and develop smart and innovative systems that contribute to mitigating the impacts of climate change, and finding substantial and more precise solutions in problem identification, early warning, and remediation.
Al Barai has been keen on inventing several systems that contribute to sustainability and the protection of natural resources.
Among the inventions implemented by Al Barai are water leak-detecting pipe cubes. These are smart tubes containing a smart coating material that temporarily reacts with water. The tube then sends data to the mobile phone to detect water leaks in one of the pipes, preserving sustainability and reducing the maintenance time of damaged pipes.
He also invented a smart warning tape used to protect the infrastructure services of the UAE government. The tape emits a preemptive alarm on the smartphone, pinpointing the location if any contractor digs near the concerned services. This technology works to protect various infrastructure services of the UAE government, such as water pipes, sewage pipes, electricity, and communication wires, making the government’s infrastructure smart and sustainable.
The idea came to Al Barai when he saw that services were disrupted due to works, so he created a smart system that contributes to environmental protection from various conditions and factors that may lead to resource wastage, maintaining sustainability through innovative, smart systems and sensors that send warning messages about the source of the problem before it occurs and escalates.
