The Impact of Climate Change in the Arab World
By: Meral Abu-Jaser/Arab America Contributing Writer
Climate change has been a wildly controversial topic among many regions. Whether you believe in climate change or not, all people are experiencing a dramatic global evolution at its worst. Some to this day negotiate the cause of such a dilemma, yet one cannot deny the impact of humans. Despite the developments that we have made over the past decades, climate change is an issue that is difficult to cut an edge on. However, there are some regions that are not affected as much as others. For instance, Arab countries have been experiencing climate change since the early 19th century. Now let us specifically touch on the specific aspects that have impacted climate change in the Arab countries.
Temperature Increase
In many regions, temperature increase has been one of the top signs of climate change. Lately Arab countries such as Jordan, Palestine, Egypt, and those in the Gulf,have drastically encountered an increase in temperature rises. Higher temperatures and extreme events such as drought have become the new norm for the Arab Countries. According to a report done on climate change “The year, 2010 was the 2 warmest since the late 1800s, with 19 countries setting new national temperature highs. Five of these were Arab countries.”Kuwait marked one of them, where a high of 52.6 °C in 2010 was followed by 53.5 °C in 2011 was recorded. Further studies have shown that temperature increase is directly connected with global warming. Thus, such temperature rises would have not occurred in the absence of such warming.
Water Inadequacy
Another major impact of climate change is water scarcity. Lamentably, the Arab region has the lowest freshwater resource endowment in the world. Today, Arab’s face a challenge as water shortage is a serious scenario. Hence, reports claim that all but 6 countries in the Arab world suffer from water inadequacy. Countries such as, Comoros, Iraq, Lebanon, Somalia, Sudan, and Syria are Arab regions that have better water resources. This phenomenon is an ongoing crisis without climate change. Woefully, with these crises, most Arab countries will confront demand that is greater than supply. According to an estimated study, “climate change will reduce water runoff by 10 percent by 2050.” Meanwhile, other studies claim, “with increasing populations and per capita water use, demand is projected to increase further, by 60 percent, by 2045.”
This impact heavily relates to increasing drought in the Arab region. This has become a serious water-related disaster. Countries such as Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Syria, and Lebanon have had a noticeable increase in drought. With temperatures rising, a warmer climate will become the new norm. This will increase the risk of droughts once more. A part of the problem is an increased extraction. This occurred during the late 20th century which reduced the levels of Lake Tiberias and raised its salinity to levels that which threaten its aquatic life.
Agriculture Production
Climate change’s impact on agriculture production has been affecting farming in the Arab region. With more studies implemented, projections suggest that agricultural production will decrease over the next few decades. Yet, the Arab region endorses almost 80 percent of its production from local agriculture. Hence, a problem rises with less rainfall in hotter conditions, a clear disadvantage for the produce. Consequently, farmers will face additional problems aside from higher temperatures. For instance, weather requirements for some crops may not be met. Therefore, new pests will emerge, and soil fertility will likely decline. This establishes an issue because most of the Arab population lives in rural areas where most employment is derived from agriculture. Unfortunately, with climate change impacting production and later on employment, troubling poverty rates will rise.
What has Scientific Research done?
Needless to say, with all the effects of climate change in the Arab region, some people still hesitant to acknowledge the risks. Nevertheless, scientists are making conclusions by conducting remote sensing, modeling, and projection techniques to emphasize climate change. Yet, gaps remain unidentified as there is not enough research conveying the causes of this ongoing disaster. The effort of funding such experiments by the Arab research institutions is not sufficient. However, with few resources, available scientists are still in the progress of solving the dilemma of climate change.
Solving the Issue of Climate Change
Even though the Arab research institutions’ funds are not enough for climate change research, programs have been launched in some Arab regions. For example, Morocco researchers introduced a drought insurance program based on rainfall contracts. This strategy has a potentially significant benefit over current schemes for minimizing drought hazards. Another great adaption strategy established in Eygpt is the shoreline. This strategy highlights the protection of the northern coast of Eygpt. Onward, such a plan can help to keep carbon out of the atmosphere. Adding to these procedures would be to enhance public awareness of the influence of climate change on the environment as well as human health. Composing these strategies and many more has eased the goal of saving the Arab region’s environment.
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