eBook

Adaptation to a changing climate in the Arab Countries

Dorte Verner

2012

Overview

Adapting to climate change is not a new phenomenon for the Arab world. For thousands of years, the people in Arab countries have coped with the challenges of climate variability by adapting their survival strategies to changes in rainfall and temperature. Their experience has contributed significantly to the global knowledge on climate change and adaptation. But over the next century global climatic variability is predicted to increase, and Arab countries may well experience unprecedented extremes in climate. Temperatures may reach new highs, and in most places there may be a risk of less rainfall. Under these circumstances, Arab countries and their citizens will once again need to draw on their long experience of adapting to the environment to address the new challenges posed by climate change. This report prepared through a consultative process with Government and other stakeholders in the Arab world assesses the potential effects of climate change on the Arab region and outlines possible approaches and measures to prepare for its consequences. It offers ideas and suggestions for Arab policy makers as to what mitigating actions may be needed in rural and urban settings to safeguard key areas such as health, water, agriculture, and tourism. The report also analyzes the differing impacts of climate change, with special attention paid to gender, as a means of tailoring strategies to address specific vulnerabilities. The socioeconomic impact of climate change will likely vary from country to country, reflecting a country's coping capacity and its level of development. Countries that are wealthier and more economically diverse are generally expected to be more resilient. The report suggests that countries and households will need to diversify their production and income generation, integrate adaptation into all policy making and activities, and ensure a sustained national commitment to address the social, economic, and environmental consequences of climate variability. With these coordinated efforts, the Arab world can, as it has for centuries, successfully adapt and adjust to the challenges of a changing climate.

• Publisher: THE WORLD BANK,World Bank,World Bank Publications,The World Bank,Washington, DC: World Bank
• Subject: ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE / Adaptation to change / AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT / AGRICULTURAL POLICY / AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES / AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION / AGRICULTURAL SUBSIDIES / Agriculture / AGRICULTURE PRODUCTION / AIR / AIR QUALITY / ALGAL BLOOMS / ANNUAL PRECIPITATION / ANNUAL RAINFALL / AQUIFERS / Arab countries / Arab countries -- Environmental conditions / Arab states / Arabs / ARID AREAS / ARID ZONES / ASH / ASSESSMENT OF CLIMATE CHANGE / AWARENESS OF CLIMATE CHANGE / BARLEY / CATCHMENT AREAS / CIVIL SOCIETY / CIVIL SOCIETY PARTICIPATION / CLIMATE / CLIMATE ACTION / CLIMATE ADAPTATION / CLIMATE CHANGE / CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION / CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS / CLIMATE CHANGE ISSUES / CLIMATE CHANGE PROJECTIONS / CLIMATE CHANGE STRATEGIES / Climate Change-Arab Countries-Rural Livelihoods And Food Security-Health-Tourism-Gender-Water-Urban Well-Being-Economic Impacts-Adaptation Policies / CLIMATE CHANGES / CLIMATE DATA / CLIMATE DISASTERS / CLIMATE IMPACTS / CLIMATE INVESTMENT / CLIMATE MODELS / CLIMATE PREDICTIONS / CLIMATE PROJECTIONS / CLIMATE RELATED DISASTERS / CLIMATE RESILIENCE / CLIMATE RISKS / CLIMATE SHIFT / CLIMATE STATIONS / CLIMATE STRESS / CLIMATE TRENDS / CLIMATE VARIABILITY / CLIMATE-PROOF / CLIMATES / Climatic changes / Climatic changes -- Arab countries / Climatic changes -- Economic aspects -- Arab countries / Climatic changes -- Effect of human beings on -- Arab countries / Climatic changes -- Environmental aspects -- Arab countries / Climatic changes -- Social aspects -- Arab countries / CLIMATIC RECORDS / CLIMATIC TRENDS / CLIMATOLOGY / COASTAL AREAS / COLDER TEMPERATURES / COLORS / CONSERVATION OF NATURE / COPE WITH CLIMATE CHANGE / CORAL REEFS / DAMAGES / DECISION MAKERS / DECISION MAKING / DECISION MAKING PROCESS / DEMAND MANAGEMENT / DESALINATION / DESERTS / DEVELOPED COUNTRIES / DOMESTIC USERS / DRAINAGE SYSTEMS / DRINKING WATER / DROUGHT / DRY LANDS / DRYLANDS / DUST / Economic aspects / ECONOMIC CONDITIONS / ECONOMIC DATA / ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION / ECONOMIC GROWTH / ECOSYSTEM / Effect of human beings on / EFFICIENCY GAINS / EFFICIENT WATER USE / ENERGY USE / Environment / ENVIRONMENTAL / Environmental aspects / Environmental conditions / ENVIRONMENTS / EQUITABLE ACCESS / EROSION CONTROL / EVAPORATION / EXPOSURE TO CLIMATE HAZARDS / EXTREME CLIMATE EVENTS / EXTREME EVENTS / EXTREME HEAT / EXTREME HEAT EVENTS / EXTREME TEMPERATURES / EXTREME WEATHER / EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS / FARMING COMMUNITIES / FINANCIAL NEEDS / FINANCIAL RESOURCES / FINANCIAL SUPPORT / FLOODS / FOOD POLICY RESEARCH / FOOD PRODUCTION / FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE / GLOBAL CLIMATE / Global warming / Governance / Government and politics / GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT / GROUNDWATER RESERVES / HEALTH PROBLEMS / HEAVY RAINS / HIGH TEMPERATURES / IMPACT OF CLIMATE / IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE / IMPACTS OF CLIMATE VARIABILITY / IMPLICATIONS OF CLIMATE CHANGE / IMPORTS / INCOME / INDUSTRIAL USES / INDUSTRIAL WATER / INFORMATION ON CLIMATE / INFORMATION ON CLIMATE CHANGE / INSURANCE / INSURANCE SCHEMES / INTENSE RAINFALL / INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE / IPCC / IRRIGATION SYSTEMS / JOBS / LARGE DAMS / Leadership / LIVING CONDITIONS / MANAGEMENT OF ECOSYSTEMS / MARKET ECONOMY / MEAN ANNUAL TEMPERATURE CHANGE / MUNICIPAL USES / Nat023000-Nature/Natural Disasters / Nat040000-Nature/Water Supply / NEGATIVE IMPACTS / NUTRIENT LOADS / OPPORTUNITY COSTS / ORGANIC MATTER / PASTURES / PESTICIDE USE / POLICY MAKERS / POPULATION GROWTH / PRECIPITATION / PRODUCERS / PROPERTY RIGHTS / QUALITY STANDARDS / RAIN / RAINFALL / RAINFALL EVENTS / RAINFALL LEVELS / RAINFALL VARIABILITY / RENEWABLE ENERGY / RENEWABLE WATER RESOURCES / RESILIENCE TO CLIMATE CHANGE / RESOURCE MANAGEMENT / REVENUE LOSS / Risk / RISK MANAGEMENT / RIVERS / SALINE INTRUSION / SCARCE WATER / SCENARIOS / SEASON / SEAWATER / SERVICE DELIVERY / SEVERE WEATHER / Social aspects / SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE / SOLAR RADIATION / STORM SURGES / SURFACE WATER / TEMPERATURE / TEMPERATURES / TEMPERATURES IN CITIES / Tourism / UNCERTAINTIES / UNEMPLOYMENT / VULNERABILITY TO CLIMATE CHANGE / WAGES / WARMER CLIMATE / WASTEWATER TREATMENT / Water / WATER AVAILABILITY / WATER CONDITIONS / WATER DEMAND / WATER INFRASTRUCTURE / WATER PRICES / WATER PRICING / WATER QUALITY / WATER RESOURCE / WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT / WATER RESOURCES / WATER REUSE / WATER SAVINGS / WATER SCARCITY / WATER SERVICES / WATER SUPPLY / WATER USE / WEATHER CONDITIONS / WEATHER EXTREMES / WEATHER PATTERNS / WELLS
• ISBN: 9780821394588, 0821394584