Arab World and Climate Change

Arab World and Climate Change

By Dr Arvind Kumar

Arab World is already witnessing adverse impact of climate change whereby dust storms scour Iraq, freak floods wreak havoc in Saudi Arabia and Yemen, rising sea levels erode Egyptian coast. Already the world's most water-defit region, the Middle East is witnessing water scarcity situation further worsened by hot and dry air. Undoubtedly scientists are cagey of linking specific events to global warming, still they have called upon Arab governments to act now to protect against potential disasters. According to Alistair of the Reuters, there are massive differences in per capita greenhouse gas emissions across the region with very high rates for several oil and gas producers. Qatar recorded the world's highest per capita emissions with 56.2 tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2006, while Egyptians emitted just 2.25 tonnes each, U.N. figures show. While the region as a whole has contributed relatively little to historic greenhouse gas emissions, it is among the most vulnerable to climate change, and emissions are surging.

Mohamed El-Ashry, former head of the Global Environment Facility, while asserting that inaction is not an option, Mohamed El-Ashry, former head of the Global Environment Facility, has recently told the Reuters: "It's human nature to wait until there is a crisis to act, but you hate to wait until there is really a huge crisis where large numbers of people suffer needlessly." Experts feel that measures to tackle the region's environmental woes would also help offset future impacts of global warming.