Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
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Item Restricted White Paper: Integration of Climate Information and Other Decision Critical Information in Risk Assessment and Decision Making Process(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Alotaibi, Muteb; Lorenz, Susanne; Marsham, JohnExecutive Summary This report explores the urgent need to integrate localized climate data into health and social care systems in Leeds. It highlights existing vulnerabilities and systemic barriers prevuing effective climate risk adaptation. This white paper investigates how climate information is integrated into decision-making and risk assessment within Leeds's healthcare and social care sectors to enhance resilience and adaptation strategies. This section outlines a qualitative methodology involving semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders in Leeds to explore how climate information is integrated into risk assessment and decision-making in health and social care. Despite growing climate threats, Leeds's health and social care sector lacks integrated, equity-focused, and actionable risk governance, limiting the effectiveness of current climate resilience efforts12 0Item Restricted THREE ESSAYS ON WATER MANAGEMENT IN AN ARID ENVIRONMENT(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Alasfour, Abdulelah; Edward, Dekeyser; Robert, Hearne; Ahmed, Harb Rabia; Bakr, Aly AhmedThis dissertation addresses the challenge of water scarcity in arid and semi-arid environments, where limited renewable resources, overexploitation of groundwater, and the impacts of climate change threaten long-term water security. The study first reviews a wide range of global strategies, including desalination, managed aquifer recharge, wastewater reuse, cloud seeding, virtual water trade, irrigation efficiency, crop selection, and economic instruments. While each approach presents technical, environmental, or social challenges, the literature shows that when properly regulated and adapted to local conditions, these strategies can effectively reduce pressure on freshwater resources. Building on this foundation, the research then turns to Saudi Arabia as a case study. An analysis of wheat imports from 2001 to 2023 demonstrates that virtual water trade has conserved 183.71 billion cubic meters of national water resources, including 139.62 billion cubic meters of nonrenewable groundwater, while also contributing to global efficiency by sourcing wheat from rain-fed regions. A second analysis of four key crops, dates, potatoes, tomatoes, and watermelons, shows that adopting modern irrigation techniques could save an average of 823 million cubic meters annually. Economic modeling further indicates that moderate water pricing and targeted tax exemptions can improve the financial feasibility of these systems, supporting wider adoption by farmers. The dissertation shows that addressing water scarcity in arid regions cannot rely on a single solution. A combination of strategies, such as relying on virtual water trade, improving irrigation efficiency, and applying supportive economic policies, is necessary to reduce pressure on groundwater and secure more sustainable water use.12 0Item Restricted A CASE STUDY OF SAUDI ARABIA AND THE CLIMATE IMPACTS ON FOOD(University of East Anglia (UEA), 2024) Abdulrahman, Rahiq; Vaughan, NaomiThe agricultural practices and regional variations play significant roles in food (crop) production in Saudi Arabia. The difficulties arise in agricultural practices, which emphasise the main focus on different conditions associated with Saudia Arabia. The research study aimed to analyse the impact of climate change on food (crops) in Saudia Arabia and other countries from which Saudi Arabia imports. The study explored the effects of climatic change on food in Saudi Arabia and other countries. The research study adopted a secondary quantitative approach where different databases were used for gathering the most significant information. These databases consist of “The Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC), the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the Climate Change Knowledge Portal (CCKP)”. The variable selected for this research study primarily is the “Average Mean Surface Air Temperature.” The results of the research study depicted that climatic change has a significant impact on the production of crops. The top harvested crop of the country is palm dates, with a production of around 15 million tonnes, followed by the production of watermelon, wheat, tomatoes, potatoes, cucumbers, and gherkins. The country's HRI sector has been largely dependent on food product imports in order to meet the 70% ingredient need. In conclusion, food and nutrition were found to be the major aspects in this study especially for Saudi Arabia because of its confined agricultural resources. These limitations are because of climatic change, land fertility and low efficiency in food staples. The production of agriculture and trade is highly significant but can fluctuate more effectively from one year to the next because of variations in different factors in Saudi Arabia.45 0Item Restricted .PROJECT Two: The challenges and opportunities of the New Automated Vehicle Act 2024 In the UK Roads. PROJECT One:The 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Solution Challenge of the Climate Change(Swansea University, 2024-09-29) Alhazmi, Abdullah Khalid; Leloudas, Georgios; Amaxilati, ZoumpouliaPROJECT One: The 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea has provided a comprehensive legal framework over a long period of time. According to Part XII, all States Parties are obliged to protect the marine environment and prevent any damage. In connection with climate change and its effects on the oceans. It has been recognized that the cause of climate change lies partly in greenhouse gas emissions. As a result, measurements are required in all states. This project highlights the issue of climate change and the obligations of coastal and non-coastal States under UNCLOS 1982, as well as the obligations in high seas. In addition, the IMO's approach in reducing carbon emissions from ships. Whereby concluded that the IMO's approach, with the support of the LOSC, is successful in the jurisdiction of coastal States in both the territorial waters and the EEZ. However, the solution to reducing greenhouse gases on the high seas is very narrow and requires strong measures. In addition, it has been suggested that the BBNJ agreement represents hope for a solution to the problem of climate change in the ocean within the framework of UNCLOS. PROJECT Two: The automated vehicle is an essential goal for the future development of driving system in the world. Regulating AV would ensure both safety and better use on the roads. The UK has introduced two legal frameworks for the use of the AV, the first relating to legal liability for use of the AV and the second relating to the legal obligation of the AV. This project looks at the new Automated Vehicles Act 2024 and his impact, with a particular focus on the NUIC operator and the use of AV for passenger transport under the new act on UK roads. And highlighted the approach of the two jurisdictions, the US and the UK. Which conclude that the act is a comprehensive as well as the liability system. However, there is a need for detailed information on secondary legalization, included suitable guidance from both operational and legal perspectives.13 0Item Restricted Identification of putative substrates of the PRT6 N-degron Pathway in cereals(The University of Nottingham, 2024-09) Alharbi, Ghadeer; Mendiondo, GuillerminaCrop yields worldwide are significantly impacted by abiotic stresses including drought, high salt concentration, and waterlogging. The Plant Cysteine Oxidase is a part of the PRT6 N-degron pathway, a key component of ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis, regulates plant responses to these stresses through modulate the turnover of proteins involved in stress sensing and tolerance. The N-degron pathway of ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis regulate protein half-life based on Methionine-Cysteine (Met-Cys) in N-terminal domain that give E3 ligase ubiquitin ability to recognize these proteins for degradation by 26S proteasome. The first identified N-degron pathway plant substrates were the Ethylene-Responsive Factor Group VII transcription factors (ERFVII), identified in A. thaliana and were considered as oxygen and Nitric oxide sensors, appearing on the Cys-PRT6 branch of this pathway. This pathway therefore might be a potential to stabilize plant yields on facing abiotic stresses if we understand the key proteins involved in this process and how they are regulated. In this study we focus on identifying two substrates of Cys/Arg branch PRT6 N-degron pathway in barley based on N-terminal conserved motif of these proteins initiated by Methionine-Cysteine (Met-Cys). The first candidate was Hordeum vulgare Ethylene-Responsive Factor 1-like (HvERF1-like) a member of ERFVII (MCGGAIL) and well-known substrate of this pathway. The second novel was Oryza sativa F-box domain-containing protein (OsF-box) and substrate does not belong to ERFVII but initiated with Met-Cys. Both candidates identified in previous work in silico and cloned to performed using the T7 rabbit reticulocyte Lysate system as well as western blot to clarify if these consider a substrate of this branch. In our research both Met-Cys proteins are considering substrates of the Cys/Arg N-degron pathway in vitro. In addition, in vivo analysis using Dual-Glo luciferase assay was optimized to confirm western blot result of OsF-box substate. But still the protocol requires additive optimization to be applied as in vivo assay for PRT6 N-degron pathway. To conclude, if our expectation is truly that these substates belong to Cys/Arg PRT6 N-degron pathway could give potential purpose for phenotypic screening and manipulate to generate germplasm has ability to tolerate abiotic stress.17 0Item Restricted Evaluating the Role of Green Infrastructure in Urban Flood Mitigation Using the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (INVEST) Urban Flood Risk Model.(Cranfield University, 2024-09) Almufareeh, Nasser; Zawadzka, JoannaUrban areas face increasing flash flood risks due to climate change and urbanisation. This thesis evaluates the role of green infrastructure in mitigating urban floods using the InVEST Urban Flood Risk Mitigation Model, which determines the amount of rainfall retained and running off the urban land cover for varying intensities of single rain events. Through comparative case studies of Milton Keynes, Bedford, and Luton, in the UK, the research assesses the flood mitigation capacity of greenspaces under differing urban form designs. The results indicate that green infrastructure significantly reduces surface runoff and enhances urban resilience to flooding, with varying effectiveness across the three towns. The findings offer valuable insights into sustainable urban practices and enhance our understanding of flash flood risk management in real-world scenarios.13 0Item Restricted THE EARTH SPEAKS HISTORY: NARRATIVE AND THE ANTHROPOCENE IN CONTEMPORARY CLIMATE FICTION(Western Michigan University, 2024-05-09) Saeed, Hana Khalid; Kuchta, Todd; Tarbox, GwenThis project explores the distinct relationship between narrative and the Anthropocene in contemporary climate fiction. In particular, it examines the “representational challenges” that fiction writers face when addressing the ecological breakdown caused by global warming. According to critic Antonia Mehnert, these challenges include the complexity of climate events and their interdependence with human actions; the global nature of climate change; its extension over a multitude of timelines; its role in blurring rigid divisions between humans and nonhumans; and finally, the unjust impacts of the climate crisis on vulnerable places and populations. Drawing on the “material” or “nonhuman turn” in literary studies, which calls for deconstructing human/nonhuman hierarchies, this dissertation analyzes four canonical works of contemporary climate fiction: Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower (1993), Paolo Bacigalupi’s The Water Knife (2015), Amitav Ghosh’s Gun Island (2019), and Kim Stanley Robinson’s The Ministry for the Future (2020). It argues that these works utilize narratological techniques to engage with the challenging characteristics of the Anthropocene through two intersecting approaches. The first is representing climate change as an active force, created and perpetuated by anthropogenic practices. The second is describing climatically affected nonhuman matter as a vibrant actor that is intricately intertwined with human lives. In some cases, these novels address the representational challenges of climate change by using conventional narrative devices, like setting, character, plot, motifs, and metaphors. Other techniques are uniquely “econarratological,” such as “actants,” “effect-event,” or “pseudo- singular.” Despite their differences, these strategies allow Butler, Bacigalupi, Ghosh, and Robinson to oppose the dominant view of the natural world and nonhuman entities as inert resources to be exploited for ever-growing human desires. By conveying this nonhuman perspective through innovative eco/narratological devices, these texts not only portray today’s ravaged environments as outcomes of colonial and capitalist exploitation, but also dissolve rigid human/nonhuman divisions, both of which are key representational challenges in the Anthropocene. As such, readers are urged to examine the legacies of harmful human practices, while questioning their understanding of human relations to nature and climate. Demonstrating how narrative features can effectively express the complex socio-ecological realities of the Anthropocene, this study expands the field of eco/narratology to address the historical, social, and ecological challenges that this new epoch poses for fiction.27 0Item Restricted The Role of Internal Tides in Supplying Nutrients to Coral Reefs(University Of Southampton, 2023-11-13) Bukhari, Khalid; Naveira Garabato, Alberto; Fernández Castro, BieitoCoral reefs, vital yet vulnerable ecosystems, hinge significantly on various ecological and oceanographic processes, among which the role of internal tides in nutrient upwelling is paramount. This research delineates a pioneering exploration into the complex dynamics of internal tides and their resulting impact on nutrient transport to global coral reef ecosystems, bridging a notable gap in worldwide exploration and understanding of this phenomenon. Employing comprehensive global climatology and bathymetric datasets, a novel approach to mapping internal tide-induced nutrient transport to coral reefs is presented. The study emphasises the essential interplay between ocean topography and internal tides in influencing kinetic energy distribution and consequent upwelling of nutrients. Of the 11 globally dispersed locations investigated, the Coral Triangle emerged as particularly noteworthy, revealing substantial nutrient uplift potential with vertical displacement (σZ) values of 512.57 m for M2, 267.61 m for S2, and 113.31 m for K1, and a mean nutrient depth at 200 m, indicative of consistent access to deep-seated nutrients. In stark contrast, regions such as French Polynesia exhibited a dissonance between nutrient mean depths (250.00 m) and σZ values (33.64 m for M2, 3.6 m for S2, and 1.18 m for K1), implying limited nutrient access via internal tides. Such heterogeneity in internal tide and nutrient interactions across various locations, from the nutrient-rich Coral Triangle to the less accessible French Polynesia, illuminates the multifaceted relationships between internal tides and coral reef nutrient dynamics. This research, as a maiden voyage into the global mapping of internal- mediated nutrient transport to coral reefs, underscores the ecosystem for nuanced, location- specific examinations and lays a foundational framework for future research, potentially steering sustainable marine conservation strategies amidst the tide escalating challenges of climate change and anthropogenic impacts.21 0Item Restricted Operational Energy, Cost and Carbon Optimisation Pathways for a Newly Constructed Off Grid City in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia(University of Southampton, 2024-02-01) Alsulamy, Sager; Bahaj, Abubakr; James, PatrickSaudi Arabia has committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2060. King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) is a newly built port city comprising residential, retail, leisure and industrial sectors. The long term aim is for the city to reach 1 million residents from its current population of 10,000. It has the potential to serve as a leading model for achieving net-zero carbon emissions. This research was aimed at investigating low-carbon pathways for KAEC to mitigate its current carbon emissions, focusing on energy supply and energy efficiency to reduce consumption and hence emissions. A combination of top-down and bottom-up approaches to assess the transition pathway towards net-zero emissions was undertaken. The top-down approach involved analysing the city's (25MW) electrical supply and (114 GWh per annum) electrical consumption profiles. The bottom-up approach involved using simulation to model the interaction of different building elements, such as HVAC systems, insulation, appliances, and occupancy to assess energy efficiency approaches needed to support the research aim. It was found that actions such as upgrading the coefficient of performance (CoP) of the HVAC system from 2.5 CoP to 5 CoP , increasing AC set temperature (by 3Co) and occupancy change behaviour were predicted to reduce the electrical consumption in buildings by 44%, 8% and 13% respectively. In the absence of a local energy benchmark, the research also developed a building energy benchmarking scheme to evaluate and rank KAEC electrical consumption in relation to other global cities with similar climates. The benchmarking results showed that there is a substantial variation in buildings electrical consumption within KAEC. That is, the city's electrical usage in buildings is notably higher than that of global cities with similar climates, despite being recently constructed. II Commercial sector buildings in the KAEC were found to be around 16% higher on average than in Dubai, Singapore, Orlando and Los Angeles. Residential and education sectors are 57% and 50% higher than the average consumption in the benchmark cities. This contrast prompted an investigation of the identified performance gap and the COVID-19 lockdown provided a natural experiment to identify the reasons for this. The results showed that the operational strategy is occupancy-independent in many sectors in the city (i.e. similar consumption to non-lockdown periods) with the exception of the education sector, where a significant reduction in electricity consumption (80%) was observed during the lockdown. In terms of carbon emissions, the main driver of carbon emissions in KAEC is use of diesel for electricity generation with 90,503 tonne per year. The research analysed a set of scenarios to replace the diesel supplied electricity and identified that a 76.3 MW PV system connected to the national grid (when this connection becomes available) with option to export electricity at (USD 1.8c/kWh) as the most economical and emissions efficient solution for replacing the current diesel generation. This scenario in addition to upgrading HVAC system from 2.5 CoP to 5 CoP , increasing AC set temperature by 3Co and occupancy change in behaviour( to achieve 10% reduction) were found to be the optimum path towards net-zero emissions in KAEC.13 0Item Restricted Climate Change and Maritime Delimitation: How will the existing legal regime have to adapt (if at all) to take account of the effect of rising sea levels on state claims to the Arctic continental shelf?(Saudi Digital Library, 2022-08) Almuhaid, Noor Mohammed T; Reece-Thomas, KatherineThe Arctic has been severely impacted as climate change has become a more apparent problem in recent years. As a result, there are worries regarding how to reduce and resolve Arctic Ocean difficulties. As the Arctic ice retreats, the surrounding countries will demand to have access to the Arctic continental shelf, but this comes with a cost. Rising sea levels may have an impact on the maritime delimitation of surrounding states' claims to the body of water. As a result, it is crucial to understand the legal instruments available to alleviate the burden of what will undoubtedly occur after the ice melts. It is critical to do research in this field in order to avoid any potential casualty. The purpose of this research is to look at current legislation, court decisions and how they may assist interpretation of the law, which is relevant to the Arctic Ocean and continental shelf. This paper aims to address the ever-present issue of the states' claims to the Arctic continental shelf, as well as potential casualties that may result from these claims. As a result of the article's conclusion the law is found to be available. The essential notion is to apply and interpret it.32 0