The Middle East and North Africa are the hottest and driest regions on the planet. Now climate change could make these areas uninhabitable because the temperature could reach 60 degrees Celsius or more.
Added to this is chronic water shortages, the inability to grow food due to extreme weather and constant drought, and an increase in heat-related deaths and health problems.
A study published in the Nature Magazine points out that by the year 2100, around 600 million inhabitants; 50% of the region’s population could be exposed to “super extreme” climatic events.
“Heat stress during summers will meet or exceed thresholds for human survival, at least in some parts of the region and during the warmer months,” said study car George Zittis. Major urban centers around the Gulf, the Arabian Sea, and the Red Sea, such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Dhahran, and Bandar Abbas, would experience hotter temperatures more frequently.
“Cities will feel an increasing heat capsule effect and most capitals in the Middle East could face four months of extremely hot days each year,” according to the World Bank.
Syria is currently facing its worst drought in 70 years. Health aid groups described the situation as an “unprecedented catastrophe.”
The agricultural sector, which provides the largest number of jobs in the Middle East and North Africa, could also be devastated with a decrease in water availability of up to 45 percent. (I)
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