Without Adaptation, Middle East and Central Asia Face Crippling Climate Losses
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UNCCD Library
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International cooperation is essential to manage the costs and maximize the benefits of adaptation, particularly for the most vulnerable countries.
Climate change is inflicting crippling losses in the Middle East and Central Asia, with poor and conflict-affected countries suffering the most from higher temperatures and extreme weather events.
In any given year since 2000, climate disasters have killed more than 2,600 people, affected 7 million others, and caused $2 billion in direct material damage.
A new IMF staff paper assesses the economic impact of climate change in the region and shows how adaptation policies have become a pressing priority. It underscores the need for international support to finance adaptation.
According to our analysis, climate disasters in the region reduce annual economic growth by 1-2 percentage points on a per capita basis. And these events are expected to become more common and more severe as the planet heats up.
Over the past three decades, temperatures in the region have risen by 1.5 degrees Celsius—twice the global increase of 0.7 degrees Celsius. This has been particularly harmful for countries that are already hot.
A temperature increase of 1 degree Celsius in five of the hottest countries (Bahrain, Djibouti, Mauritania, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates) results in an immediate decline in per capita economic growth of around 2 percentage points.
In addition, much of the region lies in harsh climate zones, where global warming is exacerbating desertification, water stress, and rising seas. Rainfall has become more variable and climate disasters such as droughts and floods more frequent. Lives and livelihoods are at risk.
In Tunisia, for instance, 90 percent of tourism is located along coasts that are threatened by erosion and vulnerable to further rises in the sea levels. And in Iran, a severe drought last year sparked protests as water shortages forced farmers out of work.
Climate change has high human, economic costs
Countries with low climate resilience, including fragile and conflict-affected states such as Afghanistan, Somalia, and Sudan, as well as Pakistan, a lower-middle income country, captured by both exposure and vulnerability to climate hazards, have suffered intensely with more people killed or affected. READ further from the source above
Climate change is inflicting crippling losses in the Middle East and Central Asia, with poor and conflict-affected countries suffering the most from higher temperatures and extreme weather events.
In any given year since 2000, climate disasters have killed more than 2,600 people, affected 7 million others, and caused $2 billion in direct material damage.
A new IMF staff paper assesses the economic impact of climate change in the region and shows how adaptation policies have become a pressing priority. It underscores the need for international support to finance adaptation.
According to our analysis, climate disasters in the region reduce annual economic growth by 1-2 percentage points on a per capita basis. And these events are expected to become more common and more severe as the planet heats up.
Over the past three decades, temperatures in the region have risen by 1.5 degrees Celsius—twice the global increase of 0.7 degrees Celsius. This has been particularly harmful for countries that are already hot.
A temperature increase of 1 degree Celsius in five of the hottest countries (Bahrain, Djibouti, Mauritania, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates) results in an immediate decline in per capita economic growth of around 2 percentage points.
In addition, much of the region lies in harsh climate zones, where global warming is exacerbating desertification, water stress, and rising seas. Rainfall has become more variable and climate disasters such as droughts and floods more frequent. Lives and livelihoods are at risk.
In Tunisia, for instance, 90 percent of tourism is located along coasts that are threatened by erosion and vulnerable to further rises in the sea levels. And in Iran, a severe drought last year sparked protests as water shortages forced farmers out of work.
Climate change has high human, economic costs
Countries with low climate resilience, including fragile and conflict-affected states such as Afghanistan, Somalia, and Sudan, as well as Pakistan, a lower-middle income country, captured by both exposure and vulnerability to climate hazards, have suffered intensely with more people killed or affected. READ further from the source above
Keywords
climate change adaptation
climate finance
loss and damage
facts and figures