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Dubai's Flood Catastrophe: An Urgent Call for Climate Resilience

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Lauren Miller

April 20, 2024 - 06:01 am

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Dubai's Deluge: A Wake-Up Call for Climate Preparedness

An ambulance abandoned in floodwater in Dubai. Photographer: Christopher Pike/Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- This week, extraordinary downpours struck Dubai, causing widespread flooding that disrupted flights, damaged infrastructure, and inundated streets and homes. This severe weather event has raised concerns amongst climate specialists and residents alike, prompting a reevaluation of the city's readiness for freak storms.

Meteorologists had been tracking the storm system bound for the United Arab Emirates for several days and had put out alerts urging locals to remain indoors. Despite these early warnings, Dubai, the nation's bustling metropolis, was paralyzed by one of the most catastrophic rain events it has seen in many years. The excessive rain left city streets, thoroughfares, and residential areas under water.

According to Karim Elgendy, a Chatham House associate fellow at the Environment and Society Centre, stormwater drainage in the UAE has traditionally been seen as a superfluous expense. Historically, the limited rainfall in the area didn't justify the investment. However, as rainfall becomes more irregular and the odds of extreme weather rise, the argument for implementing such infrastructure is gaining traction.

Climate change, fueled by human activities, is intensifying and increasing the frequency of extreme weather occurrences. It's making events such as heavy rainfall and heatwaves not only more intense but also more challenging to forecast. The Middle East is on a trajectory toward escalating temperatures and reduced average precipitation according to scientific forecasts. Nevertheless, scientific research suggests these arid regions will witness intense storms, resulting in levels of rainfall previously unfathomed. The increasing unpredictability of these extreme weather events is compelling governments worldwide to contemplate adaptation strategies.

In response to Bloomberg's request for an official statement on the matter, UAE government representatives did not immediately respond.

Linda Shi, an urban climate adaptation specialist and assistant professor at Cornell University, highlights the difficult balancing act governments face in weighing the costs and opportunity costs associated with investing in such adaptations. These torrential rain events are sporadic and defy traditional forecasting models.

On Tuesday, the UAE experienced an unprecedented heavy downpour, the most severe since records started in 1949. Researchers and weather forecasters attribute the storm to an extraordinarily high concentration of moisture being sucked from warm seas into the atmosphere, which then deluged over the Arabian Peninsula.

The El Niño climate phenomenon, known for heating up ocean temperatures and altering weather patterns globally, may have influenced the weather anomaly. While unequivocally blaming climate change for this specific event requires more comprehensive studies, climatologists and forecasters have not dismissed its potential role.

Professor Hannah Cloke, a hydrology expert from the University of Reading, stated, "Massive floods like the one experienced in Dubai have happened before. But the enormity and force of the rainfall we're witnessing are in line with the increased frequency of such extremes in the context of global warming." These torrential rains are testing the limits of even well-constructed stormwater systems.

The UAE's cloud-seeding initiatives have been brought into the spotlight in the wake of the floods. This technique involves injecting materials into clouds to enhance precipitation. But determining whether cloud-seeding exacerbated the extreme nature of the recent rainfall requires extensive analysis of data, says Auroop Ganguly, a civil and environmental engineering professor at Northeastern University.

Dubai and the UAE as a whole revealed their vulnerability to such vast amounts of precipitation falling in a condensed time span. Existing drainage facilities were quickly overrun, leaving lower levels of buildings and underground parking structures completely inundated. Following the deluge, the scene was one of chaos, with water pouring uncontrollably into streets, highways, and homes.

Once the storm subsided, tanker trucks were brought in to drain floodwaters from the concession roads, yet significant areas, including local sports fields and residential communities, remained flooded for days afterward. The consequences of the storm have been far-reaching with empty shelves reported in some supermarkets as late as Thursday evening. Schools closed their doors for four days, and where possible, government workers were asked to telecommute. The international airport in Dubai announced by Friday afternoon that while departures were resuming, the intake of inbound flights would be limited over the next 48 hours.

Zachary Lamb, an expert in City and Regional Planning from the University of California, Berkeley, points out that arid-zone cities may find themselves particularly ill-equipped to handle these unforeseen and substantial rain events. This is because their architectures, landscapes, and infrastructure have typically not been designed to accommodate high drainage capacity, an oversight tied to long-standing assumptions about regional climate that are being upended by climate change.

Unfortunately, Dubai is not alone in this predicament. Last year, a superstorm in Libya resulted in dam breaches and floods that ravaged the city of Derna and led to at least 5,000 fatalities. Similarly, Beijing saw its heaviest rainfall in 140 years, causing floods that destroyed homes and resulted in numerous deaths.

Climate adaptation specialist Lisa Dale of Columbia University remarks that Dubai, like many cities, can only prepare for weather events that are considered likely based on historical data. The reliability on past weather patterns to predict future events, however, means many governments are inadequately prepared for the unprecedented impacts of climate change.

The recent flood catastrophe in Dubai serves as a crucial warning of the growing need for climate adaptation measures, including stormwater management systems, which can withstand the severity of unpredictable weather changes predicted to become more frequent in the future. As climate patterns continue to deviate from historical norms, it has become clear that adaptation and investment in resilient infrastructure is not just prudent but essential.

The incident prompts a reconsideration of outdated assumptions about weather extremes and the urgent incorporation of climate variability into the urban planning and design of infrastructure in the region and across the globe.

For more information on the impact of climate change on weather patterns and the challenges of urban planning in adapting to these changes, visit Bloomberg Green.

As cities worldwide grapple with the ramifications of a changing climate, the spotlight turns to urban planners, policymakers, and civic leaders. The time for proactive change is now as climate events continue to defy the bounds of what was once thought to be possible. The floods in Dubai are but one example of the critical imperative facing the world today: to take decisive action and invest in the future of our planet.

The events in Dubai highlight that in the age of climate change, the improbable must be planned for. Strategies for adaptation and resilience must anticipate the unexpected and be incorporated into the very fabric of our cities. As we move forward, developing and implementing comprehensive climate adaptation strategies will prove to be a cornerstone in protecting not only our cities but also the lives of their inhabitants.

©2024 Bloomberg L.P. The information provided draws attention to the intensity and scale of climate-related challenges that cities face. It is a stark reminder of the importance of being prepared for the full spectrum of future climate scenarios. The Dubai deluge illustrates the urgent necessity for a strategic response to climate variability, which demands a global commitment to sustainability and resilience.