The Middle East and North Africa Region, also known as MENA, is now a climate change hot spot. Summers there are much warmer than in the rest of the world. Also, some regions are rated as the hottest locations worldwide.
A new international study explains why we shouldn’t ignore climate change in the MENA, raising awareness. The findings are genuinely intriguing.
Here is what you need to know.
Climate Change Consequences in the MENA: What to Expect
A team of scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry and the Climate and Atmosphere Research Center of the Cyprus institute joined forces and try now to raise climate change awareness.
The new study predicts that if we ignore climate change signals and allow businesses to continue increasing greenhouse gas emissions, the MENA will experience life-threatening heatwaves. And that’s not all.
The team’s work
The team utilized a first-of-its-kind multi-model ensemble of climate forecasts developed exclusively for the geographic region.
Next, they realized a series of projections for future hot spells. Everything was categorized with the Heat Wave Magnitude Index. The results are intriguing yet shocking.
For instance, if a business will continue following its path, some unprecedented super- and ultra-extreme heatwaves will occur. Not only the environment will be threatened, but people’s lives will be in danger, too.
George Zittis, the first author of the study, detailed:
“[…] these events will involve excessively high temperatures of up to 56 degrees Celsius and higher in urban settings, and could last for multiple weeks, being potentially life-threatening for humans and animals…”
The new study estimates that approximately half of the MENA population (around 600 million people) could suffer from climate change.
What Should We Do?
First, we should acknowledge the situation and the possible risks. Supporting scientists’ work is also essential.
However, scientists recommend immediate and effective climate change mitigation procedures. That can include lowering the emissions of greenhouse gases (methane and carbon dioxide) into the atmosphere.
We can also develop some solutions for the cities in the MENA region, making them more resilient to climate change.