Essay on Natural Resource and Development of Countries: UAE and Solar Energy

Natural resources endowed to a country is an economic asset. Many countries all over the world that have natural resources have developed economically by utilizing such resources in financing development activities. Though this resources may be the source of cases of dependency or over-reliance on the particular resource, it is without a doubt that its benefits are crucial for the developments of a countries economy. One example of such success in the development of a country is the United Arab Emirates. The country has utilized the benefits of its solar energy to develop a prosperous economy and country.

The UAE is in a strategic position in the Middle East where there is a good solar exposure throughout the year. The country is amongst the top countries in Middle-East and North-Africa with the highest annual solar energy input due to its relatively high temperatures typically experienced over the UAE (ALESCO, 1998). The five Emirati governments of the UAE have invested heavily in the tapping and production of the solar power energy. These pioneering projects aim to not only provide sustainable energy projects in UAE but also provide a clean, healthy and sustainable natural environment to the public in the UAE.

So far, UAE has managed to successfully achieve high levels of developments through its solar power projects. According to Khoury and Guerrero (2016), the solar power projects are successful since the UAE government backs them up. The government leadership council understands the role in which the solar energy plays in supporting the countrys development plans.

The rapid economic and industrial expansion in UAE is attributed to the availability of enough power energy throughout the year. The emirate country has the first of its kind in the Middle-East and is one of the worlds largest solar energy plants in the desert of Abu Dhabi. The power energy produced there is used to power up homes, industries and business enterprises across the country creating an around-the-clock economy in the UAE.

Through the usage of solar energy, the environment is protected as compared to the use of carbon emitting products which is harmful to the environment. Protection of the environment has ensured the preservation of natural resources thereby it can last longer enough to be utilized to its maximum capabilities.

From the above, it clear that natural resources are necessary factors in countrys development as one can easily conclude that the use of the solar energy by the UAE has significantly influenced its development. The country has managed to utilize this natural resource in a meaningful manner to develop itself economically and transform the lives of its citizens. The Emirati nations project of harnessing the use of clean energy assist in tackling the climate change. Although there is a significant success in the utilization of the resource, there is the challenge of dust particles in the desert which hinder the production of the power energy as it blocks the rays from the sun. Therefore, other nations across the world can emulate this example set by the UAE in utilizing the natural resource endowed to it. The concept of the resource curse term by Auty, (2002) will be a foregone issue and nations with natural resources will be able to develop themselves economically and benefit its people to live better lives as seen the case of the UAE.

References

Auty, R. (2002). Sustaining development in mineral economies: the resource curse thesis. Routledge.

Khoury, J.& Guerrero, J. (2016). Review on the integration of photovoltaic renewable energy in developing countries. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 57, 562-575.

Mokri, A., Ali, M. A., & Emziane, M. (2013). Solar energy in the United Arab Emirates: A review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 28, 340-375.

The Resource Curse: The Political and Economic Challenges of Natural Resource Wealth National Resource Governance Institute Reader, March 2015. http://www.resourcegovernance.org/sites/default/files/nrgi_Resource-Curse.pdf