Dubai, April 05: Fast growing countries like the UAE which have become host to hundreds of nationalities have to invest in risk reduction, efficiency and preparation of people drawn to them from across the globe.
In an exclusive interview, Dr. Mukesh Kapila, Chief Executive of the PHG Foundation in Cambridge, UK and special adviser to the United Nations in Afghanistan, put forward what he termed as the most important investments that should be incorporated in their development highlighting the historic shift of wealth from the West to the East and UAE’s position in the current shift.
“In everything UAE is doing, whether it is building roads, bridges and other forms of infrastructure, electricity and other utilities, and housing for the expatriates drawn to its fast growing economy, it will be reducing risk if the designs are made to withstand any disaster and critical situations,” Kapila said.
He said that UAE is a fragile country as it is in an arid region, and as such, efficiency in the usage of its resources will be transformed into big investment. “It has to be very careful in preserving its water, lands and energy. Its efficient use is a an investment in the long run.”
“The third investment which will ultimately count is the preparation of its people. Any form of disaster can always affect a huge population, which explains why many die during earthquakes, tidal waves, volcanic eruption and climate change. But, an educated people are likely to survive,” he said.
Kapila, who has also served as special adviser to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, told Khaleej Times that climate change is truly a global issue as all countries have contributed to the problem and they too have to contribute to resolve it.
“The UAE, particularly Dubai, is rich. On the contrary, many countries cannot move to fight climate change for the lack of resources. For Dubai and the UAE, they can initiate climate change mitigation measures like reducing energy and adopt renewable energy. The UAE can help the poor countries with its overflowing resources considering that global warming knows no boundaries and affects both poor and rich countries,” he said.
Kapila lauded UAE for its Green Building Code and projects directed towards climate change mitigation. He also cited two significant trends going on in developed and developing countries such as the ageing population across the world and the bursting urbanisation. “There is a radical shift in health patterns which is a major consequence of ageing and other trends,” he added.
“If you look at the cities now, two-thirds of the people are living in the cities but they are suffering from poor housing and sanitation. This is a defining issue of our age, as more and more people are on the move today than at any point in human history,” he said.
Kapila was among three speakers at the opening session of the three-day Dubai International Humanitarian Aid & Development Conference & Exhibition.
–Agencies