Bahrain needs advanced climate technology

Daily Tribune

5 days ago

Conventional methods of fighting climate change are now unable to yield satisfactory results and keep a check on the deteriorating environment. The need to combine climate technologies with conventional methods to tackle climate change is increasingly being seen as the latest strategy to safeguard nature and protect mankind from the vagaries of worsening climate conditions. Climate technologies are innovative solutions designed to mitigate the effects of climate change.
These techno-solutions are designed for a variety of sectors such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, carbon capture, sustainable agriculture, and transportation. Implementation of these technologies has paid rich dividends to nations around the world in combating climate change. Bahrain has been at the forefront of fighting climate change thanks to its advanced initiatives to protect the environment. In the field of climate technologies implementation too Bahrain has taken an active lead. As a part of this, The Supreme Council for Environment (SCE) is actively involved in various projects and campaigns, including a Technology Needs Assessment (TNA) exercise to implement climate technologies. TNA is a critical component of Bahrain's broader climate strategy to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2035 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2060, this in turn can help Bahrain achieve its national climate goals.
TNA however must be followed by a robust technology intervention strategy that is capable of offsetting adverse climate change impacts of present and future as well. In this regard, Bahrain must accelerate its technology innovation quotient and adopt out of the box scientific advancements to handle present day climate challenges. For instance, cement is the main ingredient for concrete and is responsible for 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Due to burgeoning construction sector, cement production and usage is skyrocketing in Bahrain and therefore provides an apt opportunity to apply technology to rein in its carbon footprint by decarbonising it production.
Traditional cement production requires heating limestone to 1450 degrees centigrade using fossil fuels, moreover limestone further produces Co2 emissions when undergoing chemical reaction. But now a new technology using a rare strain of bacteria is helping produce biocement that is organically produced. Similarly, cutting edge technology is being utilised to boost the ocean's natural ability to absorb Co2 by using artificial intelligence (AI) engineered particles that control phytoplankton growth, this helps quickly sink Co2 to the ocean floor, thereby sequestering the same for thousands of years.
In the current scenario Bahrain must source cutting edge technologies from across the world and implement the same in order to overcome climate related challenges. This alone can help effectively mitigate the harmful effects of climate change.