With the world’s attention focused on the coronavirus pandemic, a long-simmering water dispute in Africa may be nearing boiling point.

Ethiopia says it will not wait for an agreement with downstream nations Egypt and Sudan before it goes ahead in July with filling the reservoir behind the giant Nile dam it has been building since 2011. Egypt, which fears disastrous consequences if its vital share of the river’s water is reduced, has protested against Ethiopia’s decision and accused the landlocked Horn of Africa nation of showing contempt for international laws governing the use of transnational rivers.

Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, and more costly.

According to one estimate, natural disasters caused about $340 billion in damage across the world in 2017. And insurers had to pay out a record $138 billion. The $5 trillion global insurance industry plays a huge role in the U.S. economy. Insurance spending in 2017 made up about 11 percent of America’s GDP.

So, how will insurance companies remain profitable in an era of climate change? And what does that mean for the rest of us?

President Sheikh Khalifa’s granddaughter is calling on all people to tackle climate change, cut pollution and reduce single-use plastics.

In an exclusive interview with The National, Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan also reflected on the environmental legacy of her great-grandfather, Sheikh Zayed, the ingenuity of the people who lived here before the oil boom and the UAE’s responsibility as a fossil-fuel-producing nation.

The future impact on the region’s health and youth will be the focus of critical United Nations discussions on the global threat of climate change being held in Abu Dhabi this summer, the UAE’s environment minister said.

In June, the UAE will host the preparatory conference for the UN 2019 Climate Summit (Cop25).