Impact of Climate Change on Arab Countries - (IPCC) - Working ...

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ARAB ENVIRONMENT: CLIMATE CHANGE V Preface ‘<strong>Impact</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Climate</strong> <strong>Change</strong> on the Arab Countries’ is the second <strong>of</strong> a series <strong>of</strong> annual reports produced by the Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED). The first AFED report, published in 2008 under the title ‘Arab Environment: Future Challenges’, covered the most pressing environmental issues facing the region, and went beyond to provide a policy-oriented analysis. The report was presented to AFED’s annual conference which convened in Manama in October 2008. That conference decided on a set <strong>of</strong> recommendations that were endorsed by national and regional institutions. The report’s findings helped to raise awareness across the region, and its recommendations resonated in policies and <strong>of</strong>ficial positions. The 2009 AFED report has been designed to provide information to governments, business, academia and the public about the impact <strong>of</strong> climate change on the Arab countries, and encourage concrete action to face the challenge. The report analyzes the Arab response to the urgent need for adaptation measures, and uses the latest research findings to describe the vulnerabilities <strong>of</strong> natural and human systems in the Arab world to climate change and the impacts on each sector <strong>of</strong> human activity. The systems selected for this study include: coastal areas, food production, fresh water, human health, bio-diversity, in addition to the consequences on housing, transport, and tourism. In an attempt to help shape adequate policies, the report discusses options for a post-Kyoto regime and outlines the state <strong>of</strong> international negotiations in this regard. AFED reveals in the report the findings <strong>of</strong> a pan-Arab opinion survey it conducted in 2009, illustrating public attitudes regarding climate change. Another special feature is a study carried out for AFED by the Center <strong>of</strong> Remote Sensing at Boston University, which analyzes various scenarios <strong>of</strong> impacts <strong>of</strong> climate change, especially on coastal areas, based on space images <strong>of</strong> the region. The report identifies the major sources <strong>of</strong> greenhouse gas emissions in the Arab world, found to contribute merely 4.2% to the global emissions. However, the impact <strong>of</strong> climate change on the fragile environment <strong>of</strong> the region and its people is expected to be immense, which demands urgent planning for adaptation measures. <strong>Climate</strong> change acts directly to change natural weather patterns, but the effects cascade quickly through many sectors. Scarcity <strong>of</strong> food and water, loss <strong>of</strong> coastal areas, disruption to ecosystems, and adverse effects on human health are just some <strong>of</strong> the direct threats. The economic sector is not immune and disruptions to infrastructure and tourism, for example, could conceivably cancel their economic benefits. For this reason, governments <strong>of</strong> the region have a large stake in making adaptation a national priority.
VI PREFACE If this report can inform and help shape public policy in the Arab world on climate change, then it would have served its purpose. We also hope that the report would provide policy options which will assist Arab countries to be active parties in the upcoming negotiations for a Post- Kyoto treaty. The editors wish to thank all those who supported this initiative, specifically Dr. Mohamed Kassas and Dr. Mohamed El-Ashry, who helped in laying down the methodology and appraising <strong>of</strong> the outcome. Thanks are also due to the authors and the many experts who contributed to the contents. AFED’s special thanks go to the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi, <strong>of</strong>ficial sponsor <strong>of</strong> the conference to launch the 2009 Report and partner to many other AFED activities. AFED also wishes to thank the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) for its continuous genuine support to the Forum’s programmes. Thanks are also due to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and all corporate and media partners who made this endeavor possible. The Editors
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CHAPTER 8 101 Impact</stron
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CHAPTER 9 113 Impact</stron
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CHAPTER 10 121 Impact</stro
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CHAPTER 11 129 International Negoti
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CHAPTER 12 143 Interrelation betwee
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156 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS CNA
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158 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS MENA
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