Climate Change to Push Foundations of Daily Life in Arab Region to Brink.
Human-caused warming is exacerbating extreme heat, drought, and floods across the Arab region, posing severe threats to daily life, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The 22 Arab countries covered in the WMO’s State of the Climate report span over 5 million square miles, stretching from West Africa to the Levant and Arabian Peninsula.
Climate change is pushing the foundations of daily life across North Africa, including farms, reservoirs, and aquifers that feed millions, to the brink. The region has seen six years of drought in parts of Morocco, reducing wheat yields and forcing countries like Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia to import more grain despite rising global prices.
Warming conditions are causing record heatwaves, with temperatures above 122°F (50°C) reported across Syria, Iraq, Jordan, and Egypt. Even mild weather poses significant risks to soil drying and crop damage due to declining humidity levels.
Risks from climate extremes in the region are hitting countries already struggling with internal conflicts, where damage is often under-insured and under-reported. In Sudan alone, flooding damaged over 40 percent of farmland.
Governments in the region are investing in measures such as desalination, wastewater recycling, to bolster water security. However, an adaptation gap persists between risks and readiness.
Climate models suggest that the Arab region could face a potential rise in average temperatures of up to 5° Celsius (9°F) by the end of the century under high-emission scenarios. This new report is crucial, as it empowers the region to prepare for tomorrow's climate realities, according to Rola Dashti, executive secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia.
Climate change in the Arab region is a pressing concern due to its significant impact on human health, ecosystems, and economies.
Human-caused warming is exacerbating extreme heat, drought, and floods across the Arab region, posing severe threats to daily life, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The 22 Arab countries covered in the WMO’s State of the Climate report span over 5 million square miles, stretching from West Africa to the Levant and Arabian Peninsula.
Climate change is pushing the foundations of daily life across North Africa, including farms, reservoirs, and aquifers that feed millions, to the brink. The region has seen six years of drought in parts of Morocco, reducing wheat yields and forcing countries like Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia to import more grain despite rising global prices.
Warming conditions are causing record heatwaves, with temperatures above 122°F (50°C) reported across Syria, Iraq, Jordan, and Egypt. Even mild weather poses significant risks to soil drying and crop damage due to declining humidity levels.
Risks from climate extremes in the region are hitting countries already struggling with internal conflicts, where damage is often under-insured and under-reported. In Sudan alone, flooding damaged over 40 percent of farmland.
Governments in the region are investing in measures such as desalination, wastewater recycling, to bolster water security. However, an adaptation gap persists between risks and readiness.
Climate models suggest that the Arab region could face a potential rise in average temperatures of up to 5° Celsius (9°F) by the end of the century under high-emission scenarios. This new report is crucial, as it empowers the region to prepare for tomorrow's climate realities, according to Rola Dashti, executive secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia.
Climate change in the Arab region is a pressing concern due to its significant impact on human health, ecosystems, and economies.