Ecologists in the Middle East want to tow icebergs from Antarctica to the desert so melting ice can provide water to bring life to the barren region.
The plan is to hitch icebergs to ships which will propel them from the South Pole to the east coast of Dubai as new sources of fresh water.
As the icebergs melt, they will become a winter wonderland playground for tourists.
Consultancy The National Advisor Bureau Limited is setting up a team of scientists, experts, and specialists in Antarctica, icebergs and marine science, as well as linking with water research centres and universities.
The bureau says they have developed processes that will see no ice melting during transportation from the southern oceans.
Great Green Wall
The project is slated to cost between $50 -$60 million.
“The project would also place the United Arab Emirates on the glacial tourism map as the first desert country to offer glacial tourism on its coasts, saving iceberg enthusiasts the trouble of travelling to the North and South Poles,” says the bureau.
Once the fresh water has been tapped from the iceberg, the bureau wants the Great Green Wall of The UAE to flourish.
“The proposal is to mine water from south pole icebergs which are already disintegrating due to global warming; the icebergs, once melted, will not only add to the rising sea level problem but billions of litres of much-needed fresh water will be lost to the sea,” says the bureau.
Diverting river
The plan also calls for a new water system to flush toilets with sea water rather than fresh water and diverting a river in Pakistan to the UAE through a 500-kilometre underwater pipe.
The aim, says the bureau, is a green jihad to revitalise the empty quarter desert with greenery and environmentally-friendly projects.
Source: Abdulla Al Shehi