Sharjah 24 – WAM: The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MoCCAE) organised an awareness session on the UAE Climate Change Research Network (CCRN).
The event highlighted the importance of research in exploring innovative climate change mitigation and adaptation solutions. It also emphasised the Network’s role in strengthening the UAE’s overarching climate action ecosystem and its efforts to extend the benefits achieved through research across the Middle East and internationally. The network aims to support collaborative research programs by creating a platform for engaging the academic and scientific community.
Prof Fatin Samara, Co-Chair of CCRN and Professor of Environmental Sciences at American University of Sharjah, said, “The harmful impacts of climate change are accelerating and intensifying around the world. This threatens millions of lives and our planet’s wellbeing. It requires us to boost our research and scientific capabilities to determine the nature of these impacts and develop innovative solutions to address them. This way, we can contribute to identifying effective mitigation and adaptation measures.”
For his part, Dr. Francesco Paparella, Co-Chair of CCRN and Associate Professor of Mathematics at New York University Abu Dhabi, said, “Technological progress and steadfast global endeavours to tackle climate change have created new opportunities to drive climate action worldwide. However, this increasingly relies on a clear understanding of the issue’s root causes and effects. The CCRN’s goal is to improve this understanding.”
Drawing the participation of 100 attendees, the event explored several key topics, including promoting science and policy engagement for climate action in the UAE and beyond, and the priorities of the Network’s five research clusters.
Launched by MoCCAE in January 2021, the CCRN aims to strengthen climate data collection, advance research related to climate change, and build the adaptive capacities of all sectors. Its work aligns with the Ministry’s efforts to raise public awareness about the impacts of climate change in the UAE and ways to build climate resilience across the board. It also supports the country’s global climate action efforts.
The Network helps shape an agenda for priority and essential climate research in the UAE, in addition to enabling climate experts and researchers to communicate and collaborate on a common platform that provides constantly updated information, thus enhancing their research capabilities.
The Network currently encompasses 94 members, 45 partners, 13 research institutions, and 10 international partner organisations.
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