(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on Friday inaugurated the Museum of the Future.
The opening came ahead of the fifth annual World Government Summit, to be held in Dubai's Madinat Jumeirah from February 12-14. The museum will draw attention to three main challenges result from climate change - water supply, food security and self-sufficient cities.
Set up by the Dubai Future Foundation, the museum proposes three new solutions, unveiling how countries can adapt to climate change and lead the future. It also underlines the importance of adapting to future implications of climate change.
"Leaders, decision makers and experts around the world are investing time, effort and resources to find sustainable solutions for climate change challenges. These endeavours help us provide food and water, and build sustainable cities," he added.
"The museum offers visitors the opportunity to explore ideas and best practices that serve to build a future that resonates with our leaders' directives and vision," he said.
He said that the Museum of the Future will be a permanent fixture in Dubai, exhibiting the inventions and technologies of the future. It is an ideal platform that embodies bold ideas and develops pragmatic solutions, as well an incubator for innovation.
"The museum is a global platform where top-tier experts can identify the most prominent scientific and technological trends of the future. It is a catalyst for future forecasting and study efforts, and plays a pivotal role in setting up policies and strategies that allow the world's governments to benefit from the technologies of the future and their potential," he added.
Three key challenges
While the museum highlights three key challenge areas in the upcoming summit - water, food and self-sufficient cities - studies reveal that the UAE procures 80 per cent of its drinking water through desalination, with demand for drinking water constantly increasing. Meanwhile, the global supply of potable water is projected to fall 40 per cent short of global demand by 2030.
Studies also show that the UAE imports 85 per cent of its food, costing the country 15 per cent of its GDP. The Museum of the Future offers new concepts for farms that use cutting-edge technologies to produce food at home.
The museum has also conceptualised living organic freshwater factories made of genetically engineered jellyfish. It takes visitors on an underwater tour to introduce them to this innovative solution to deal with the shortcomings of desalination.
Jellyfish is one of nature's most absorptive living organisms. Meanwhile, mangrove roots are one of nature's best biological desalinators. With that in mind, a giant 350m-wide jellyfish can be created by crossing the genes of jellyfish and mangrove trees to produce living freshwater factories that could serve an entire city.
Again, rising sea levels are projected to displace more than 375 million people while global temperatures are set to rise by an average of 2?C. The museum has presented its City Kit - a "self-building" solution that uses biotechnology and robotics to construct 100 per cent self-sufficient cities in a matter of weeks. The invention can also produce electricity, grow crops, drain flooded streets, repair crumbling buildings and build sustainable infrastructure.
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