Water, Climate Change, and the Middle East

The Middle East will be particularly affected by climate change. Two thoughts come to mind: 1) that data will be ever more important in adapting to and mitigating the impacts of climate change, and 2) regional cooperation and data sharing will be all the more important. Related to the first point, check out this recent publication by the Europeans: http://www.eea.europa.eu/highlights/climate-change-what-do-models?&utm_campaign=climate-change-what-do-models&utm_medium=email&utm_source=EEASubscriptions On the second, check out this Africa Development Bank summary of the potential for regional cooperation: http://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/Documents/Project-and-Operations/Unlocking%20North%20Africa%20RI%20ENG%20FINAL.pdf

2 Answers

1. Thanks Vishakha. It becomes all the more urgent when you see the amount of coastline development taking place in places like Egypt. If moderate IPCC predictions come true, much of this investment would be submerged.

2. In the Middle East climate change is an especially urgent issue, particularly in a region that experiences increasingly frequent droughts and a looming water supply shortage. Based on estimates from the UN’s latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessment, most of the MENA region is expected to become hotter and drier. Higher temperatures will increase the occurrence of droughts. What you are saying is right Mr. Harris, the regional cooperation and data sharing will play a vital role in future.