Gulfam Khan Hussain: It was indeed a very scary situation. Dubai generally does not get heavy or even moderate rainfall hence they don’t have a wide drainage system and then this heavy pour clogged the city and disrupted life completely. My younger sister lives in Dubai and she constantly sent us pictures of the storm and rain. We have gone rogue with mother nature, and when nature turns on its fury it rattles us. Cutting off trees, building concrete structures, turning the whole city into rubble and cement is taking us down. I love trees and plants but it has become so difficult to maintain them because of rising pollution… It is indeed high time we stop abusing nature because when mother nature turns back on us we will have nowhere to go. When you just go on taking from sources and not contributing back it is bound to go extinct. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction, if you cut trees, you will face the heat. If you plunder the jungles the Earth under your feet will split too.
Simple Kaul: I believe we need really tough rules against cutting down trees, and people should be given incentives for planting them. Schools, colleges, and even buildings should organize more tree-planting events. Building stuff is necessary, but so is planting trees. If someone builds a new building or mall, they should have to plant trees too, or else they should face a fine.
Angad Hasija: It’s really sad what happened in Dubai, but hopefully things are better now. We haven’t been taking care of our planet, and we’re too focused on competing with each other instead of being connected to nature. Basically, what goes around comes around. Every day, something bad is happening, and we’re not appreciating our Earth. It’s a wake-up call for everyone to start taking care of things. We need to reconnect with plants, animals, and remember that the universe takes care of us if we do our part. There are rules in the universe, but we’ve broken them all.
Vaquar Shaikh: Dubai faced the worst climate-related challenges in its history. My elder brother, my sister-in-law, and their kids, my nephew and niece, reside there. Life had come to a complete standstill. As we all know, the entire UAE—Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Alain, and the Emirates—was not equipped to handle such heavy rains and flooding. These rains were unexpected. In Oman, where floods occurred, there were casualties, including children. I believe a total of 16 deaths were reported due to heavy floods, which is right next to the UAE. It was very sad and concerning to witness. My family has been living there; we have a house and a business, and life had been disrupted entirely. Nobody was going out; schools and colleges were closed, and offices were shut down. I think it’s a significant concern, not only for the UAE but for the entire world. It’s a wake-up call. In India, there’s a major heatwave, especially in the west like Bombay and the surrounding areas, and also in the east with orange alerts. The climate is really taking its toll. April has already been tough, and the worst months, May and June, are yet to come. May God bless us to avoid further hardships, but we must also think about other creatures—birds, animals, and stray dogs—how will they survive? I want to appeal to people to please take care of animals on the streets, provide them with water and shelter, if possible. Even small gestures like offering them water or shade can make a difference. If we can do our part to fight this and maintain ecological balance, it will benefit all of us. Let’s respect Mother Earth and not disrupt the ecological balance, or else Mother Nature will continue to surprise us with unexpected events like these rains. It’s a matter of high concern for all of us. We need to wake up, educate ourselves and our children, and protect our planet for future generations. Let’s come together and ensure incidents like these are minimised due to the ecological balance, which has been disrupted by humans.
Daanish Khan: Living in Dubai, recent extreme affected us. We were aware that rains and were expected during Eid in the UAE. Coming back from Bombay, it started raining as we arrived in Dubai. Luckily, I had already planned to stay indoors that day, as I usually do to relax before diving into work. Dubai, like Mumbai, has systems in place to assist during emergencies. Some hotels offered free stays to those stranded by floods, and the police and community pitched in to help. Despite this, the unusual weather was significant—it’s the first time in 75 years Dubai had seen such conditions. It reminds us to stay vigilant about climate change. Dubai is already working on sustainability plans, which is crucial given the extreme heatwaves in India. To address the escalating climate crisis, individuals can start by planting trees and greenery, especially in places like India, where urbanization has taken over. Staying hydrated is also vital in the face of rising temperatures. On a global scale, combating climate change requires greener energy, reducing CO2 emissions, and prioritizing environmental preservation. It’s essential for all of us to take action now.
