When it comes to climate, each GLOBE region is faced with its own unique problems. We’ve taken a look at different regions and their problems, such as trees in trouble in North America as well as the Sahel region of Africa, melting glaciers in Chile, and changes in fruit ripening in the United Kingdom. Wild weather, from frigid winter temperatures in Europe to an oscillation between droughts and floods in Australia leave many wondering what the link is to climate. For the Near East North Africa Region, a changing climate touches many aspects of life.
The Near East North Africa region is very sensitive to even small shifts in climate. This region is one of the world’s most water scarce, and is also known for its extreme temperatures. Some regions of Saudi Arabia, for example, can see daily maximum temperatures above 54°C. So it is of no surprise that countries in this region have needed to adapt their activities to deal with harsh environmental conditions. Any change in either temperature or precipitation could have a drastic effect on life in the region.
A caravan of camels crossing the Ad Dahna desert in Saudi Arabia (from wikicommons)
One potential consequence of climate change is an increase in frequency of droughts and higher temperatures in the region. This could lead to water stressing, a phenomena that results in ground water resources being extracted beyond the aquifer’s ability to replenish. With more droughts, the success of agriculture could fluctuate more widely, with years of surplus followed by years of deficit, with a trend toward the latter. This also could lead to water and air quality issues, resulting in a challenge to all plant, animal and human life.
In the near future, many of these issues will be addressed, as Qatar will host a climate-change talk to boost environmental efforts in the region. According to an article on Bloomberg.com Qatar is looking into cutting emissions, as the country is the largest emitter of carbon dioxide per person in the region. Saudi Arabia is looking to create a solar industry capable of generating a third of its electricity by 2032. It is hoped that this meeting and efforts from countries in the region will mitigate some of the potential problems from shifts in climate!
Participation in GLOBE from this region has been on the rise, and it would be beneficial to see even more data entered from the region! The next Great Global Investigation of Climate is coming up in June, and it is an easy way to get involved! Are you a GLOBE school in the region that has been taking air temperature or precipitation measurements? How could you use those measurements to learn more about your climate? We’d love to hear from you! Leave us a comment or send us an email at science@globe.gov!
-Jessica Mackaro
It is an excellent article about climate change in our region.
In Saudi Arabia this year we have clear change in rainfall; where rainfall continued in the months of April & May, and this has not happened since about thirty years.
The Regional Organization for the Conservation of the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden organized the Regional expert meeting on Ecosystem – Based Adaptation to climate change in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (April 30 – May 2, 2012).
The objectives of this Meeting were to provide insights on the Ecosystem-Based Adaptation (EbA) concept, discuss the appropriate EbA options to climate changes impacts in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, regional cooperation, the knowledge and experience sharing, and approaches to develop regional projects addressing EbA in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and the wider Arab region.
http://www.persga.org/calender.php?id=82
The First International Conference on Environmental Challenges in Arid Regions organized by Center of Excellence in Environmental Studies, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia will be held in June 2013.
http://ecar.kau.edu.sa/Default.aspx?Site_ID=188020&lng=EN
Excellent article. Well researched and documented. Since I travel for a living I have witnessed the devastation of climate change and the more articles like this the better.
It is an excellent article about climate change in our region.
In Saudi Arabia this year we have clear change in rainfall; where rainfall continued in the months of April & May, and this has not happened since about thirty years.
This is a great article and I just loved to read it. It shows exaclty where the problem lies beneth and were we need to change something. Well done. just can admit you have done a great job.