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

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ARAB ENVIRONMENT: CLIMATE CHANGE 51 tourism among Arab and European countries <strong>of</strong> the region. The Red Sea and Gulf <strong>of</strong> Aden Sub-region The Red Sea has a surface area <strong>of</strong> about 450,000 km2 and varies in width from 30 to 280 kilometres. It has an average depth <strong>of</strong> about 500m, with extensive shallow shelves well known for their marine life and corals. The southern entrance at Bab-el-Mandab is only 130m deep, which restricts water exchange <strong>of</strong> water between the Red Sea and the Gulf <strong>of</strong> Aden (Gerges, 2002), hence the sea is vulnerable to increasing pollution by land-based sources from surrounding countries as well as the heavy shipping traffic through this passage. The Red Sea is also considered a very important water way for oil from the Gulf area through the Suez Canal to Europe. Resources <strong>of</strong> the Red Sea and Gulf <strong>of</strong> Aden are a source <strong>of</strong> economic, social and cultural prosperity, providing subsistence and commercial food supplies, as well as domestic and international tourist destinations. They also provide a strategically important transport route for shipping (especially petroleum products) and trading <strong>of</strong> rich and varied cultural heritage. Together, they are also a globally significant repository <strong>of</strong> marine and coastal biodiversity, having the highest biodiversity <strong>of</strong> any enclosed sea. The Red Sea is a rich and diverse ecosystem. It contains fairly distinct faunal species subsets, many <strong>of</strong> which are unique. Approximately 6.3% <strong>of</strong> the coral species are endemic to the Red Sea. Mangrove and seagrass communities are an important feature <strong>of</strong> the coastal areas and provide significant productivity and input <strong>of</strong> nutrients. Inshore, halophytic salt marsh vegetation and sabkhas (seasonally flooded low-lying coastal plains) cover much <strong>of</strong> the coast (Gerges, 2002). The Red Sea is characterized by its high biodiversity <strong>of</strong> marine habitats, life, corals and sea grass. It therefore attracts tourism from all over the world all year around. A large number <strong>of</strong> highly populated resorts and diving centres have been established with a variety <strong>of</strong> tourism services. Tourism centres have been established at many coastal areas along the Red Sea including the Gulf <strong>of</strong> Suez and Gulf <strong>of</strong> Aqaba. In addition, large tourist and economic cities such as Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada as well as a number <strong>of</strong> industrial cities such as Suez, Jeddah and Aqaba are situated along its coast. The ROPME Gulf Sub-region The ROPME Gulf sub-region has a surface area <strong>of</strong> 239,000 km 2 , a mean depth <strong>of</strong> 36 m, and an average volume <strong>of</strong> 8,630,000 km 3 . Because <strong>of</strong> the relative shallowness and water clarity <strong>of</strong> the coastal areas, the Gulf supports highly productive coastal habitats, such as the extensive intertidal mudflats, seagrass and algae beds, mangroves and coral reefs (Munawar, 2002). The most pressing environmental concerns include the decline <strong>of</strong> seawater quality, degradation <strong>of</strong> marine and coastal environments, coral bleaching and coastal reclamation (ROPME, 2004). The sub-region is also extremely rich in terms <strong>of</strong> marine life, and it hosts many good fishing grounds, extensive coral reefs, and abundant pearl oysters. It has come under pressures from fast urbanization and industrialization. In particular, petroleum spillages during the recent wars and conflicts have placed severe stresses on the region. III. ISSUES OF MAIN CONCERN The Arab world’s coastal regions suffer from a number <strong>of</strong> important environmental problems including: • Population growth, unemployment and shortage <strong>of</strong> awareness Population growth rates in the coastal regions are much higher than those in other regions, which are already high. The shortage <strong>of</strong> employment opportunities is the main concern <strong>of</strong> many <strong>of</strong> the Arab countries not only because <strong>of</strong> the low capacities but also <strong>of</strong> the shortage <strong>of</strong> specialized experts. • Unplanned Urbanization Many Arab coastal cities are expanding at high rates, without due consideration to planning for future needs. Many slum areas are being created with associated shortages <strong>of</strong> adequate sanitation and socioeconomic problems. In addition, the shortage <strong>of</strong> proper land use planning has created many problems <strong>of</strong> services and overconsumption.
52 CHAPTER 4 COASTAL AREAS FIGURE 2 A COMPARISON OF PERCENTAGE IMPACTS OF SEA LEVEL RISE ON LAND AREAS OF ARAB COUNTRIES 14 12 % <strong>Impact</strong> (Area) 10 8 6 4 2 0 Qatar UAE Kuwait Tunisia Egypt Iran Oman Libya Yemen 1m 2m 3m 4m 5m Saudi Arabia Morocco Algeria Source: Dasgupta et al., 2007 Note: Countries not mentioned did not provide data FIGURE 3 A COMPARISON OF PERCENTAGE IMPACTS OF SEA LEVEL RISE ON THE GDP OF ARAB COUNTRIES % <strong>Impact</strong> (GDP) 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 Egypt Qatar Tunisia UAE Kuwait Libya Oman Morocco Iran Yemen Algeria Saudi Arabia 1m 2m 3m 4m 5m Source: Dasgupta et al., 2007 Note: Countries not mentioned did not provide data Large scale structures have been built on many <strong>of</strong> the coastal areas without due consideration to the potential impacts <strong>of</strong> sea level rise. • Pollution and water scarcity Excessive domestic and industrial pollution is characteristic <strong>of</strong> many coastal cities in the Arab region. Even though there are many laws and regulations against domestic and industrial pollution, very limited control is actually exercised because <strong>of</strong> the lack <strong>of</strong> institutional capabilities for monitoring and control. Moreover, the situation <strong>of</strong> water scarcity that prevails over the region has been a decisive political, geographic and domestic factor in the region’s development. Contamination <strong>of</strong> ground water and impacts <strong>of</strong> wastewater are widespread in many rural areas.
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Arab Environment: Climate</
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ARAB ENVIRONMENT: CLIMATE CHANGE II
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ARAB ENVIRONMENT: CLIMATE CHANGE V
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ARAB ENVIRONMENT: CLIMATE CHANGE VI
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ARAB ENVIRONMENT: CLIMATE CHANGE IX
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XII INTRODUCTION A number o
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XIV INTRODUCTION nology cooperation
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XVI INTRODUCTION The respondents to
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XVIII INTRODUCTION activities based
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XX INTRODUCTION by climate change.
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XXII INTRODUCTION REGIONAL CLIMATE
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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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156 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS CNA
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158 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS MENA
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