DOHA // From heatwaves to water scarcity, desertification and flooding of coastal cities, the Middle East will be acutely affected by climate change, a report by the World Bank has warned.
The report, "Adaptation to a Changing Climate in the Arab Countries", was launched yesterday alongside the United Nations climate change summit in Doha, Qatar.
As far as the Arabian Gulf region is concerned, extremely high temperatures are likely to be among the most serious impacts brought about by changes in the climate.
Such a scenario is becoming increasingly possible, unless emissions of greenhouse gasses - caused by the burning of fossil fuels - are reduced quickly. The available scientific data is already a concern, said Rachel Kyte, World Bank's vice president for sustainable development.
"Temperatures in this region have increased 50 per cent faster than the global average," she said.
The year 2010 was the hottest since records began in the 1800s, with 19 countries setting records for high temperatures, said Ms Kyte. "Five of them were here in this precise region," she said. "Kuwait, for example, measured temperatures in excess of 52°C."
With Gulf cities, including Abu Dhabi and Dubai, already experiencing extreme heat in summer, any increase will further push already harsh conditions.
"Imagine living in these cities when they regularly experience temperatures of 54°C, 55°C, 56°C," said Ms Kyte. "As someone put it to me yesterday, we are going to have to build fridges for people to live in ovens."
Prepared in partnership with the League of Arab States, yesterday's report reflects the feedback of experts, policymakers and civil society organisations from across the region. It follows another World Bank publication, Turn Down the Heat: Why a 4°C Warmer World Must be Avoided.
As the title suggests, the document, released last month, analysed the impacts of a rise of 4°C in average global temperatures. At the Doha conference, world governments are trying to agree upon measures that will limit global warming to no more than 2°C. Even if the pledges for emissions reductions being discussed in Doha, are met, there is a "roughly 20 per cent likelihood" of exceeding 4°C of warming, the report said. And if the pledges are not met, this threshold can be crossed as early as the 2060s.
The World Bank followed November's report with yesterday's publication on the Arab world, because the average global increase of 4°C will not be evenly distributed throughout the globe. The increase for the Middle East and North Africa is expected to be higher, at an average of 6°C.
Under the Kyoto Protocol - the only legally binding agreement on climate at the moment - only developed countries are obliged to commit to reducing their emissions. The protocol considers the UAE and other countries in the Middle East as developing nations, and so they are obliged only to report their emissions, as well as any voluntary measures they decide to take.
"Our natural constituency as the World Bank are our shareholders and our clients and those are normally represented by the ministers of finance in those countries, and I think that the dialogue with them about the economic, financial and investment consequences of not acting now is something we wish to deepen and speed up," said Ms Kyte.
While officials fell short of recommending that Arab countries pledge legally binding reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, they stressed steps were needed to ensure they adapt to the climatic changes to come in future.
One key issue is the need to make an in-depth study on the likely impacts facing each country, said Dr Junaid Ahmad, World Bank's director for sustainable development in Middle East and North Africa. Food security and infrastructure development were also pointed as priorities.
vtodorova@thenational.ae
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
IF YOU GO
The flights
FlyDubai flies direct from Dubai to Skopje in five hours from Dh1,314 return including taxes. Hourly buses from Skopje to Ohrid take three hours.
The tours
English-speaking guided tours of Ohrid town and the surrounding area are organised by Cultura 365; these cost €90 (Dh386) for a one-day trip including driver and guide and €100 a day (Dh429) for two people.
The hotels
Villa St Sofija in the old town of Ohrid, twin room from $54 (Dh198) a night.
St Naum Monastery, on the lake 30km south of Ohrid town, has updated its pilgrims' quarters into a modern 3-star hotel, with rooms overlooking the monastery courtyard and lake. Double room from $60 (Dh 220) a night.
The biog
Favourite books: 'Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life' by Jane D. Mathews and ‘The Moment of Lift’ by Melinda Gates
Favourite travel destination: Greece, a blend of ancient history and captivating nature. It always has given me a sense of joy, endless possibilities, positive energy and wonderful people that make you feel at home.
Favourite pastime: travelling and experiencing different cultures across the globe.
Favourite quote: “In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders” - Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook.
Favourite Movie: Mona Lisa Smile
Favourite Author: Kahlil Gibran
Favourite Artist: Meryl Streep
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1 Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 4:51:51
2 David Dekker (NED) Team Jumbo-Visma
3 Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal
4 Elia Viviani (ITA) Cofidis
5 Matteo Moschetti (ITA) Trek-Segafredo
General Classification
1 Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - 12:50:21
2 Adam Yates (GBR) Teamn Ineos Grenadiers - 0:00:43
3 Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 0:01:03
4 Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:01:43
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company profile
Company: Verity
Date started: May 2021
Founders: Kamal Al-Samarrai, Dina Shoman and Omar Al Sharif
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech
Size: four team members
Stage: Intially bootstrapped but recently closed its first pre-seed round of $800,000
Investors: Wamda, VentureSouq, Beyond Capital and regional angel investors
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Specs
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Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
