World

How is the Middle East and North Africa affected by climate change?

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is set to feel the full effects of climate change with NGO Greenpeace warning late last year that the region will warm up almost twice as fast as the global average.

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From water shortages, to heat extremes and rising sea levels, the region is set to feel the force of increasing global temperatures.

Here are some of the ways different countries and areas are already affected:

Droughts and water shortages

One of the latest countries to feel the effects of drought is Tunisia. The North African country is suffering from its fifth continuous year of drought with authorities continuing to ration water.

Spigots are cut off for seven hours from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. in a state-ordered water rationing in most regions across the country, including the capital Tunis. Authorities have also forbidden the use of potable water for irrigation of farmlands, watering green areas in cities and for cleaning streets and cars.

Those who do not follow water-rationing orders can risk fines or jail, as water levels at almost all of Tunisia’s 30-plus dams have fallen drastically, some as low as 17 percent of their storage capacity.

A boy walks on the cracked bed of the Chiba dam in the Nabeul Governorate, as the country battles with a drought, Nabeul, Tunisia April 1, 2023. (Reuters)

The UN body that deals with climate change – the IPCC – projects that through the twenty-first century the North Africa and the east Mediterranean region will become increasingly dry as the region can expect less rainfall in the future.

Egypt is also facing an annual water deficit of around 7 billion cubic meters and could run out of water by 2025, according to Rome-based media agency the Inter Press Service.

Iraq is also facing a water crisis, and one that is expected to continue – led in part by ongoing drought, according the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM).

A view shows a dried up fish pond on the Euphrates river in Najaf, Iraq November 28, 2022. (Reuters)

The impact of climate change, rising temperatures and the diversion of river water is most acutely felt in Iraq’s southern governorates, like Missan. In Missan’s AL-Hadam community, residents often struggle to get adequate water for use in their home, the IOM said earlier this month.

Agriculture and farming

Water shortages and drought are having a knock-on effect in the region on countries’ ability to cultivate crops for both consuming and selling.

Drought in Morocco is ravaging the country’s soon-to-be harvested wheat crop and raising the prospect of needs to import higher quantities of wheat, Gro Intelligence which collates date on agriculture and climate change said in April.

So far this year, precipitation in Morocco’s rainfall-dependent wheat growing areas has been 44 percent below the 10-year average, Gro Intelligence said.

In 2022, Morocco’s wheat imports surged as dry growing conditions slashed its wheat yields by 60 percent year-on-year.

Jordan is also one of the world’s most water-scarce nations, with as little as 100 m3 of water available per person every year, according to UNICEF. Rising temperatures, reduced rainfall and limited vegetation are behind the shortage. A rapidly increasing population is also pushing the nation’s available water resources to the limit.

Rising sea levels

Countries across the region are suffering from drought and water shortages, rising sea levels – driven by melting polar ice caps and the expansion of sea water as it warms.

As many as 410 million people could be vulnerable to rising sea levels by the end of the century, according to the World Economic Forum, a problem that could have just as much of an effect on agriculture and crop production as drought.

In Egypt, rising water levels at the Nile delta could have a detrimental effect on the country’s food production.

The Nile delta is home to some 40 percent of Egypt’s 104 million people and accounts for half of the country’s economy, according to the UN food agency.

Farms and fisheries along the two Nile branches, Rosetta in the west and Damietta in the east, help feed the country and provide products for export.

But a quarter of the Delta sits below sea level and increase in water between as little as half a meter and meter could shift the coastline in by several kilometers, according to a recent report by an international group of scientists overseen by the Cyprus Institute’s Climate and Atmosphere Research Center and the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry.

Workers carry grain stocks to a threshing machine as they harvest wheat crop in 6 October village in the Nile Delta province of Al-Baheira, northwest of Cairo May 22, 2014. (Reuters)

Indeed, seven percent of the MENA’s total population lives in areas under five meters above sea level, including major urban metropolises such as Alexandria in Egypt and Basra in Iraq, according to the Wilson Center.

Key regional industries, including tourism, fishing, agriculture and trade, are predicted to be affected by sea level rise and, like drought, will likely contribute to large-scale domestic and international migration, the US-based research body said.

Heat extremes

Extreme temperatures are another effect of climate change across the MENA region.

The average annual heat-related death rate across all MENA countries is currently 2.1 per 100,000 people, the Lancet Journal said in a report in April. But this could rise to a high of 123.4 per 100,000 people by 2100 if temperature rises become extreme.

A picture shows a burnt forest following raging fires in Algeria's city of el-Kala on August 18, 2022. (AFP)

In August 2021, Algeria saw more than 100 forest fires that killed 90 people and destroyed more than 10,000 hectares of land and forest, according to Greenpeace.

In June 2021, fires destroyed more than 5,000 hectares of forest in Tunisia, and at least 7,500 hectares of land in Lebanon.

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World

Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi meets with CEOs of leading Norwegian companies

H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, has met with a group of CEOs from leading Norwegian companies, as part of their participation in the UAE-Norway Investment Forum, held alongside his official visit to the Kingdom of Norway.

During the meeting, H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed underscored the UAE leadership’s commitment to strengthening economic cooperation with its international partners.

He highlighted that investment in innovation and knowledge is a cornerstone for achieving sustainable development, noting that enhancing collaboration with Norwegian companies across key sectors will open new avenues for mutual economic growth between the two countries.

The UAE-Norway Investment Forum, taking place in Oslo, aimed to highlight available investment opportunities and strengthen trade relations between the UAE and Norway, fostering shared interests and supporting innovation and knowledge-based economic visions.

-wam

World

At the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS inaugurates 10th global office, releases four books

As part of its Asian research tour, partnership with Aletihad News Center, and
primary sponsorship of the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS
Research & Advisory inaugurated its office in Jakarta, marking its 10th location
worldwide. It also released four books in Indonesian.
The inauguration event was attended by ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, and
Jordan to Indonesia, chairpersons of the UAE and Indonesian Publishers’
Associations, the Director of TRENDS’ Jakarta office, and a group of researchers
and academics.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali, CEO of TRENDS
Research & Advisory, stated that TRENDS’ international offices—set to reach 15
by the end of 2024—aim to enhance the Center’s research efforts and deepen its
role in disseminating knowledge, thus serving as a global knowledge bridge.
He emphasized, “At TRENDS, we believe in the importance of cooperation
between think tanks and prioritize this endeavor. We believe the TRENDS office in
Jakarta will enhance the exchange of knowledge and ideas between think tanks in
Asia and the Middle East, opening new horizons for collaboration in various
fields.”

Four books in Indonesian
As part of the Jakarta office’s inaugural activities, four books were released in
Indonesian, including the 11th and 12th books of the Muslim Brotherhood
Encyclopedia and Global Trends in AI and Automation and the Future of
Competition between Man and Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision.

Hostility to Arab states
The 11th book of the Muslim Brotherhood Encyclopedia, The Concept of the State
According to the Muslim Brotherhood, highlights its hostile stance toward Arab
states since its inception. The group views them as an obstacle to its ascent to
power. It opposed the modern principles upon which these states were built,
considering them incompatible with the group’s unique interpretation of Islam,
which it claimed to embody exclusively.

Exclusion of nonconformists
The 12th book, The Muslim Brotherhood: Rejection of Tolerance and Exclusion of
Nonconformists, examines the Muslim Brotherhood’s stance towards
nonconformists, individuals, and entities. The book reveals the group’s binary view
of the world, categorizing others as allies or adversaries. It ties these relationships
to the Brotherhood’s internal power struggles and self-serving interests.

Global Trends in AI
The third book, Global Trends in AI, explores significant developments in AI and
its impact on various aspects of life, including the economy, society, and
governance. It also offers a comprehensive analysis of technological advancements
in AI, its applications across sectors, the ethical and social challenges it presents,
and its future trajectory.

Automation

The fourth book, Automation and the Future of Competition between Man and
Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision, addresses the growing challenges
faced by the human workforce in the face of widespread automation and AI
applications. The book concludes that while automation presents a significant
challenge to the labor market, it simultaneously creates new opportunities. It
emphasizes the importance of preparing for this shift through skills development,
continuous education, and adopting economic and social policies that support the
workforce.

Prominent pavilion and active presence
The TRENDS’ pavilion at the Indonesia International Book Fair has attracted
numerous visitors, including academic researchers and officials, such as the
ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, and Turkey. Additionally,
chairpersons of Arab and Indonesian publishers’ associations, authors, publishers,
and students visited the pavilion. All were impressed with and praised TRENDS’ diverse, valuable publications. They also commended TRENDS’ active
international presence and ability to address global developments with rigorous
analytical research.
Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali honored the esteemed guests, including
ambassadors of the UAE and Bahrain to Indonesia, Wedha Startesti Yudha,
Chairperson of the Indonesia International Book Fair Committee, Arys Hilman
Nugraha, Chairman of the Indonesian Publishers Association, and others,
presenting them with TRENDS’ publications and commemorative shields.
Additionally, he awarded TRENDS’ Research Medal to Ni Made Ayu Martini
Indonesian Deputy Minister of Marketing, Tourism and Creative Economy
It is worth noting that during its current Asian research tour, TRENDS announced
the launch of the TRENDS Research Medal, awarded to individuals who make
significant contributions to the development of scientific research and promote collaboration with TRENDS in strengthening a culture of research across various fields.

World

US determined to prevent full-scale war in Middle East, Joe Biden tells UNGA79

US President Joe Biden highlighted the US Administration’s determination to prevent a wider war that engulfs the entire Middle East region, noting that a diplomatic solution “remains the only path to lasting security to allow the residents from both countries to return to their homes on the border safely”.

In remarks he made today before the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79), the US President said, “Full-scale war is not in anyone’s interest,” adding that a diplomatic solution is still possible.

He also touched on “the rise of violence against innocent Palestinians on the West Bank”, and the need to “set the conditions for a better future”, which he said featured “a two-state solution, where the world — where Israel enjoys security and peace and full recognition and normalised relations with all its neighbours, where Palestinians live in security, dignity, and self-determination in a state of their own”.

President Biden underscored the ceasefire and hostage deal put forth by Qatar and Egypt, which the UN Security Council endorsed. He said, “Now is the time for the parties to finalise its terms, bring the hostages home,” adding that this would help ease the suffering in Gaza, and end the war.

-WAM