Impacts of Climate Change on Urban Development in the UAE: the Case of Dubai

Zainab AlRustamani

Abstract

This thesis investigates the global calls to prepare for climate change impacts, and the role of cities to respond to it under their sustainable living approaches. It explores how the subject of climate change is integrated in the urban development process, highlighting the role of cities as contributors to the phenomenon and part of the solution. The response to climate change impacts was explored in the UAE and the emirate of Dubai. The main objective of this research is to highlight the future vision in action against climate change in the urban development framework of the emirate of Dubai, and how the local government in the emirate plans to respond to its consequences within the existing institutional framework. An exploration methodology was adopted using a qualitative approach to investigate the trend of climate change in the literature review and conduct semi-structured interviews with government officials to frame the local response to the international calls to combat climate change impacts. The study framed Dubai's response and suggested a framework that might be adopted by the government to increase the concern on climate change and unify the local response. This thesis intends to provide the decision makers in Dubai a general assessment of their current position of integrating climate change within the current planning process and suggest a framework to implement it based on the international experiences.