00:00In the heart of the desert, Dubai finds itself grappling with the aftermath of extreme weather
00:12events.
00:14Just two weeks after being inundated with a year's worth of rain in mere 12 hours, the
00:20city was hit with another round of heavy rains and strong winds.
00:26These downpours have left roads submerged, buildings damaged, and infrastructure crippled.
00:33But, the repercussions extend beyond immediate damages.
00:38Insured losses across infrastructure, roads, buildings, vehicles, and public facilities
00:45are estimated to soar up to $850 million.
00:51The travel industry, a cornerstone of Dubai's economy, is particularly vulnerable.
00:57The recent extreme weather events have prompted experts to forecast a rise in policy prices,
01:04spelling trouble for airports, tour operators, and hospitality services.
01:10In April, floods brought the city to a standstill, forcing Dubai's bursting airport, the second
01:17busiest in the world, to shut down.
01:19Flights were cancelled, travellers were stranded, and the ripple effects were felt across the
01:25entire tourism industry and sector.
01:28Emirates, one of the region's major airlines, faced operational disruptions, diverting dozens
01:34of flights and cancelling nearly 400 in the aftermath of the floods.
01:40Despite efforts to mitigate the impact, the CEO acknowledged shortcomings in the response.
01:48Initial reports pointed fingers at cloud seeding, a technology funded by the United
01:54Arab Emirates, as a potential cause of the heavy rains.
01:59However, experts argue that while cloud seeding may induce sporadic rainfall, climate change
02:06remains the primary driver of extreme weather events.
02:10Indeed, Dubai's recent ordeal is not an isolated incident.
02:15Across the globe, extreme weather events fuelled by climate change are wreaking havoc
02:21on travel companies.
02:23From wildfires in Greece to floods in UAE, the industry is facing mounting challenges.
02:29While some companies are taking steps to mitigate risks and invest in resilience, many others
02:37remain unprepared for the escalating threats posed by climate change.
02:45For more UN videos visit www.un.org
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