Good morning, ladies and gents. The news cycle has picked up as we near the end of the week and we have a bit of everything this morning, starting with a filmed status report of UAE’s cloud seeding operations…

WATCH THIS SPACE-

#1- UAE’s cloud seeding seems to be working a little too well: Flooding, damage, and power outages were reported across the Emirates due to the heaviest rainfall the country has seen in 75 years, with a year’s worth of rain falling over the country in a single day. Several reports on X have also shown flooding and other instances of property damage from the torrential rain — including one viral video of patio furniture flying out of a building (watch, runtime: 0:05) and intense flooding and damage inside Mall of the Emirates and a conference in festival city. Plenty of photos and videos also showed severe road damage, including a road in Al Ain that collapsed due to the rain (watch, runtime: 0:44).

Dubai International Airport had to suspend operations for 25 minutes yesterday after flooding affected runways (see: another viral video). Over 50 flights were canceled yesterday, with all inbound travel diverted until weather conditions improve, according to France24. The National Meteorological Office issued a red alert and warned of “hazardous weather events of exceptional severity,” on X yesterday.

Is cloud seeding to blame? Bloomberg also has coverage of the impact of the storm, noting that it is linked in part to recent cloud seeding operations, with seeding planes sent from Al Ain airport to exploit convective cloud formations. Seeding planes flew seven missions over the past two days, special meteorologist Ahmed Habib told the business information service.

REMEMBER-The UAE was planning to run 300 cloud seeding missions in 2024 to address water scarcity and boost rainfall. The UAE is testing several methods for the seeding process including using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for atmospheric charge dispersal and cloud measurement, coupled with AI trained on data from weather models.

REFRESHER- Cloud seeding is infusing clouds with substances that help water molecules stick together (like silver iodide) either by spraying it from a plane or shooting it up from the ground. The process can increase precipitation by 15% in turbid atmospheres.

IN OTHER UAE NEWS - The UAE and UK have plenty of space to cooperate on battery technology, AI, and nuclear energy, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said during his speech at Masdar’s Green Hydrogen Summit, The National reports. “Innovation requires countries like the UAE and the UK to work ever more closely together,” Johnson is quoted as saying.

The two countries can also cooperate on small modular reactors (SMRs), “like the type made by Rolls-Royce.” SMRs offer one third the capacity of traditional reactors with reduced upfront costs and flexible siting options.

#2- Saudi is planning significant investments in Pakistan, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said during a joint press conference with Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar (watch, runtime: 26:52). He said his delegation was briefed on potential investments in various sectors in Pakistan, stressing “very, very significant confidence” to move forward with the projects. “There is a lot of untapped potential [in Pakistan] that is clear to everyone and just needs to be tapped and here working together we will do what we can with our colleagues in the government of Pakistan to make that happen,” he said. He did not provide further details, but Dar said some of the areas of interest included agriculture, IT, mining, energy and other sectors.

#3- Egypt’s Red Sea hotels will need to obtain green certificates: All hotels, diving centers, and marine activities within Egypt’s Red Sea Governorate will be required to obtain certification of eco-friendly practices within the next six months, according to a statement. The certificates will be accredited from international and local institutions in line with sustainability standards. The move is part of the ministry’s efforts to make the tourism industry more green under its sustainable development strategy and Egypt’s 2030 Vision.

#4- Global policymakers are urging G20 leaders to address the climate crisis in developing nations by introducing policies to reduce debt and hold polluters accountable, according to an open letter sent ahead of IMF and World Bank meetings this week. The letter called for world leaders to “end crippling debt” for low-income countries and “triple the investment” in public banks. The UN Environment Programme underscores the urgent need for substantial financial support, estimating that developing nations require up to EUR 364 tn annually for climate adaptation in the coming years.

Notable signatories: The letter was signed by over 100 individuals including former Prime Minister of Denmark Helle Thorning-Schmidt, former Prime Minister of New Zealand Helen Clark, former President of the Republic of Malawi Joyce Banda, and Former Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC Christiana Figueres.

The UN has also called for urgent action: UN climate chief Simon Stiell announced last week that policymakers, business leaders, and development banks now have just two years to take action to avoid far worse impacts of climate change, Stiell added.

#5- Europe is set to revive magnesium mining after more than a decade to reduce its heavy reliance on Chinese imports of the critical raw material, The Financial Times writes. The EU’s move comes as part of a broader strategy to secure a more independent supply chain for essential minerals needed for the green transition. Romania has granted a mining concession to Verde Magnesium, a company supported by US private equity firm Amerocap, which plans to invest USD 1 bn in a former magnesium mine near Oradea. The project will utilize renewable energy and recycle aluminum at its processing facilities, with production expected to commence by late 2027.

Why does this matter? Magnesium-based energy materials have favorable energy-related functional properties and are affordable, environmentally compatible, and abundant. The materials also offer sustainable energy conversion and storage.

DATA POINT-

New wind installations worldwide experienced a 50% increase y-o-y reaching a record 117 GW in 2023, according to a new report (pdf) by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC). Most of this capacity came from onshore wind at 106 GW with the remaining 10.8 GW coming from offshore wind. China was the top contributor with a record 75 GW of new installations, representing nearly 65% of the global total. The rest of the top five markets for wind installations — which accounted for 82% of all new wind projects — were the US, Brazil, Germany, and India. GWEC expects around 158 GW of new wind installations per year until 2028, but to meet targets set in global climate agreements, the industry must aim for at least 320 GW a year by 2030, reaching a cumulative capacity of 3 TW. The story got ink in Reuters and AP.

DANGER ZONE-

World’s worst coral bleaching event set to occur within weeks: Rising ocean temperatures are causing the biggest bleaching event of the world’s corals ever seen, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This is the fourth and most extensive event of its kind the world has ever seen. Over 54% of corals have already experienced bleaching in the past year and the number is going up by 1% weekly, according to the New York Times. The most recent and most impactful event of this kind occurred from 2014 to 2017 and affected 56% of reefs, which this year is soon to surpass. However, due to an oncoming La Nina climate pattern, the event should be shorter-lived.

What’s happening in the water? Coral bleaching is caused by above-average sea surface temperatures which expel algae that feed the coral nutrients and give them their color. Climate-induced coral bleaching can lead to reefs’ death, while ocean acidification makes conditions unfavorable for growth. Climate change-induced coral bleaching can lead to reefs’ permanent demise. Under the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s most upbeat scenario coral reefs are still projected with “very high confidence” to decline by a further 70–90% by the end of this century, with losses increasing to 99% at 2°C of warming.

Why should we care? Coral reefs are extremely important to their ecosystems as they harbor a quarter of ocean species throughout their lives, and protect fish and coasts from storms. Their value is estimated at USD 2.7 tn annually, according to the New York Times.

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CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

The UAE will host the Connecting Green Hydrogen MENA event from Tuesday, 23 April to Thursday, 25 April in Dubai. The event will explore green hydrogen partnerships, policies, and practices in the region, in parallel to a showcasing of the latest in the clean fuel’s technology.

Oman will host the Oman Sustainability Week from Sunday, 28 April to Thursday, 2 May in Muscat. The event will focus on exploring investment opportunities and implementing best practices in sustainability within the energy, water, and environmental sectors.

Saudi Arabia will host the Saudi Water Forum from Monday, 29 April to Wednesday, 1 May in Riyadh. The forum will facilitate dialogue among water sector leaders, experts, and stakeholders to address challenges and share expertise. It will feature presentations by key entities in the water industry focusing on integrated solutions, showcasing successful water projects, and promoting investment opportunities for sector development.

The UAE will host The Electric Vehicle Innovation Summit from Monday, 20 May to Wednesday, 22 May in Abu Dhabi. The event will see industry leaders come together to discuss sustainable mobility and tapping into groundbreaking advancements in electric vehicles while engaging with key decision-makers.

Check out our full calendar on the web for a comprehensive listing of upcoming news events, national holidays and news triggers.