WASHINGTON: In the decades ahead, the nations of the Middle East will confront a confluence of challenges that imperil their way of life.
Prolonged heatwaves, escalating average temperatures, and the specter of water scarcity loom large, further complicated by the potential ignition of regional conflicts spurred by the dwindling resources. Climate and water experts caution that unless decisive measures are taken to address these issues, the future of the Middle East hangs in the balance.
The temperature gauge has already climbed by 1.5 degrees Celsius in the Middle East since the 1990s. However, this alarming ascent represents merely a precursor to what lies ahead, as emphasized by climate and water specialists at a recent session organized by the Middle East Institute, headquartered in Washington, D.C.
Countries such as Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Sudan serve as stark case studies that vividly illustrate the intersection of internal strife and extreme climate conditions. Worryingly, half of the region’s population resides in areas confronting acute water stress.
These critical circumstances ought to spur collaborative initiatives among regional governments and international bodies to engineer solutions and prompt meaningful action. According to Mohammed Mahmoud, an esteemed senior fellow and director of the Climate and Water Program at the Middle East Institute, the region confronts formidable trials due to climate change.
“Even devoid of climate change, the region remains predisposed to drought and arid conditions. Yet, when you factor in climate change, the gravity of the situation escalates,” Mahmoud stated, underscoring the urgency of the matter.
In Sudan, a nation grappling with conflict between government forces and paramilitary units, the ramifications are apparent – communities now face the harsh reality of lacking access to basic necessities like water and food. Notably, experts predict an unsettling probability of armed conflicts erupting over dwindling water resources.
Iraq, once blessed with abundant water resources and a rich agricultural legacy, now faces the specter of water shortages as mounting temperatures wreak havoc on agriculture and the well-being of the populace. The situation is further compounded by air pollution, a factor that Hayder Alabdali, a climate and environment officer at the International Committee of the Red Cross in Baghdad, highlighted. Iraq’s vulnerability is underscored by its position as the world’s fifth-most susceptible nation to extreme temperatures, water scarcity, and food insufficiency.
Alabdali pointed out the lack of coherent, long-term strategies and solutions within the Iraqi government’s approach to both the water crisis and the climate change predicament. The construction of upstream dams in Turkey and Syria exacerbates the challenges, further straining resources and intensifying the humanitarian crisis.
Megan Ferrando, a non-resident scholar of the Climate and Water Program at the Middle East Institute, highlighted the devastating impact of droughts and floods in Syria, a country grappling with water scarcity. She brought attention to the outbreak of a cholera epidemic, illustrating how conflict can magnify existing adversities.
