Dubai may get first Arab geo-city status next year

Dubai could become a 'geo-city' to help monitor environmental damage and better deal with waste, and the rapid development of the city. Geo-city reports, launched by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 1995, provide a comprehensive review of the planet's state of the environment, identifies major concerns, trends and emerging issues together with their causes and their social and economic impacts.

The UNEP Division of Early Warning and Assessment (UNEP-Dewa) started the Global Environment Outlook (GEO) to analyse hotspots and challenges before working towards a solution with local authorities.

Habib Al Habr, director and regional representative of UNEP's regional office for west Asia currently in the UAE, said Dubai could become the first Arab geo-city as early as next year. The great lack of water in the Arab world means that around 65 per cent of the world's desalination plants are now in the region, said Al Habr. (Emirates News Agency, WAM)