Climate Change and Sustainable Development in the Middle East - Term Paper Example

Climate change and Sustainable Development in the Middle East Table of Contents 3 Introduction 4 Climate change and Sustainable Development in the Middle East 5 Oil, climate change and sustainable development in the Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain 7 Water, Soil, Agriculture & climate change and sustainable development in the Middle East 9 Future planning of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain 13 Conclusion 14 Works cited 16 Abstract Environmental change is a wide and heated debate discussed world over (Bruce 26). Ever since the green revolution, there has been an increasing and growing awareness of the global environmental problems around the world that has led to a makeshift cover of numerous multilateral environmental agreements (MEA). Climate change has been rampant in all corners of the world (Fauchald et al. 112). It has been a serious challenge to human survival. Someone would say the world is under environmental change attack as the ozone layer is increasingly depreciating. In addition, the new technological environments combined with increasing population, production and consumption has massively led to global environmental depreciation (Behnassi et al. 121). This study shows the perception of climate change and sustainable development in the Middle East in relation to soil, water, oil and agricultural activities (Caldwell 54). Introduction According to Bruce (20) climate change is the change in regional or global climate patterns, particularly a change obvious from the mid to late 20th century forwards and accredited mostly to the increased intensities of atmospheric carbon dioxide emitted by the use of various fossil fuels (Fauchald et al. 112). The change might involve an alteration in the average weather situations or a change in the distribution of average weather events, for instance, fewer or greater extreme weather events. The change may be limited to a particular region, or it may occur all over the whole Earth (Gueye et al. 67). According to Caldwell (121), sustainable development involves an economic development without depletion of natural resources. It is the kind of professional development that meets the current developmental needs without compromising future generation’s developmental needs (Seib 196). This concept of development has many different ways of interpretation. However, its core approach to development aims to balance diverse and often competing human and environmental needs, against an awareness of the social and economic and environmental limitations that the faces as a society (Behnassi et al. 130). In reference to Seib (200), one of the fundamental environmental principles is living within the required environmental limits or standards. One consequence of not doing so is the visible and ever increasing climate change. However, sustainable development is far broader focus than just the environment alone. Its also about ensuring a healthy, just and strong society (Bruce 54). This varied focus means meeting the diverse needs of all the existing population people and future communities. In addition, it also encompasses promoting social cohesion and inclusion, personal wellbeing and creating equal opportunity to all populations in the world (Gueye et al. 47). Climate change and Sustainable Development in the Middle East Brauch (129) argues that the Middle East, an arid area with many developing countries, there are environmental treaties that include soil, water, oil and agriculture usage for sustainable development (Seib 230). In the western perspective, the concepts of sustainable development often raise the need to alter the existing national and regional economic models. In these countries, such adjustment are required to uphold better balances between social needs economic and growths while guarding local ecosystems and reducing the damaging impact of development on the global environment (Bruce 70). However, in developing the world, like in the Middle East in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Bahrain like, sustainable development takes on a very different meaning. Often, the programs of developing countries focus on addressing basic developmental challenges like food security, water scarcity, economic growth and health. In these countries other social and environmental aspects are at best considered secondary and more often a luxury that a developing country cannot afford (Behnassi et al. 135). Caldwell (97) outlines that, due to the absence of operational, economic models sustainable development in these countries is not about adjustments or modifications to maintain balances. Instead of adjustment, it is about using the existing economical resources to shape the basics of a new economic model in which the environment and sustainability are integral (Brauch 137). A built environment involves cities and rural urbanization of the developing world of which Qatar and Saudi are establishing. While more cities develop and increase carbon emissions, rural agricultural areas use more chemical fertilizers to support the increasing need for food. The result is depletion of both the rural soil and the urban environment (Gueye et al. 87). In the Saudi Arabia, the built environment is increasingly becoming more noticeable as the region continues to experience rapid urbanization and population increases (Fauchald et al. 146). Increased urban population masses coupled with the growth of consumerism in Qatar and Bahrain, have not only resulted to an increase in local environmental degradation, but also a rise in the region’s habitually low energy use and subsequently carbon emissions. This has seen the region begin to play a higher role in the global climate change platform. Achieving sustainable development in these countries faces many challenges as discussed below (Bruce 111). According to a report in 2011, Saudi Arabia has started to make plans concerning adaptation towards the effects of climate change in the world. At the urban measure, sustainable development in these countries faces the lack of an urban development blueprint in most of the region’s cities (Smith 141). In addition, it faces a general lack of promising regulatory environment that can inspire a market alteration towards sustainable development. The region also faces the scarcity of successful precedents in water and energy conservation and waste management (Brauch 166). The latter matter demands greater concern due to the growing water scarcity, rising energy consumption in buildings and the upsurge in waste generation that comes with rising consumption (Gueye et al. 150). At the individual building measures in the region, particularly in Bahrain, sustainable development faces different and equally challenging problems (Seib 241). First is the region’s hot, dry and arid climate. It is known that the quick growth of many cities in the region was possible only with the support of the great energy resources (oil) discovered under its sands. However, perhaps it is less known that these cities need great energy supplies to keep them comfortable due to their planning and building methods. Oil has been a great economic resource of this region and a great source of their wealth (Caldwell 120). Bahrain is located in the heart of the Gulf; its climate is hyper-arid with average rainfall of less than 100 millimeters a year. The island has a very highest rate of per headwater consumption. The increasing consumption in the kingdom is driven by rapid socioeconomic development in the recent years. There is an inadequate awareness of the risks related to pollution and water scarcity. Oil, climate change and sustainable development in the Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain According to Smith (232), the world is changing to increased industrial activities in these Gulf countries. The management of these activities offers a great challenge. This has resulted to new environmental regulations, innovations, and technologies as well as environmental change debates which are seriously influenced by politics especially in these oil-rich Gulf countries (Smith 120). Oil is a key economic resource in the Middle East and the factor for their domination in the global market. Saudi Arabia is the biggest and largest oil producer with its economy almost 100% dependent on oil. Other nations like Qatar and UAE are also extensively dependent on oil for their economic development (Bruce 100). Oil, as a fossil fuel, is also a great contributor to climate change hence an inhibitor to sustainable development (Smith 223). For the past few years reducing risk, optimizing business performance and protecting people and the environment has become a major and key challenge for the gas and oil industry, particularly in the Middle East (Caldwell 150). In this region safety, environmental and risk management challenges are unique, and therefore need a modified approach to achieve the desirable sustainable development (Seib 150). The Arab nations, particularly Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, will be among of the global regions most affected by the increased global warming. According Maplecroft, a risk analysis consultancy firm in Britain, these countries (Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain) has high Climate Change Index (CCI) and has the 5 of the top 10 oil-nations most exposed to the impacts and influences of climate change. Other countries include UAE, Djibouti, Kuwait, and Iran. Besides being the globe’s main petroleum and gas exporters, the Gulf countries have stayed under for emissions of carbon from their large-scale use and supply of fossil fuels (Fauchald et al. 176). Despite the fact that the region’s entire carbon emissions are very low (only 2.4% of the global total), their per capita emissions are quite very high. Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain, correspondingly, top the grade of the globe’s largest emitters of carbon per capita, with Kuwait and Saudi Arabia coming very close behind. It is undoubtable that these Gulf countries portion and share responsibility with the remainder of the world for accounting to climate change. They must, therefore, work to broaden their horizons of energy portfolio and discover more environment-welcoming energy sources (Caldwell 156). While arguing against the fact that global warming is a shared responsibility, dissimilar obligations must be plotted out for different global countries (Caldwell 158).Those countries, such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain, with the largest total emissions, for instance, must assume more burdens (Caldwell 159). Because the oil is their sole source of wealth and a great requirement of for the world economy, the drilling must continue. However, it is important to develop approaches that have less impact in the environment and more economically beneficial (Fauchald et al. 178). In one hand the region has to tailor-make its approaches to climate and environmental and to meet the needs of sustainable development; on another hand it must deliver a measurable optimistic outcome combined with brilliant credentials and technical excellence to its oil and gas market (Smith 214). It is, therefore, important to integrate environmental innovation and maintenance and engineer the oil and gas services to cater for climate change and sustainable development (Seib 178; Bruce 140). Gulf countries are familiar with the problems fashioned by their energy consumption and production profiles. To offset this, Qatar, UAE, and Saudi Arabia are trying to crop up with inventive solutions in the renewable fuels and energy field. This is vibrant in recent their endeavors, including Abu Dhabi’s carbon-neutral city, Masdar, that was completed in 2009 (Seib 180; Bruce 145). The initiatives of energy mitigation have gained countless attention in the last several years. Many groundbreaking projects like the Masdar city, and potential research efforts in the renewable energy field, energy efficiency, and clean technology and production, have been launched (Seib 188). In 2007, the Gulf member countries OPEC covenanted a $750 million to a new trust to confront global warming through clean-environment research. Qatar, Kuwait, and the UAE each covenanted US$150 million for a new trust. Saudi Arabia, the globe’s biggest exporter of oil and gas, pledged to invest US$300 million in the new fund that is targeted to finding technological answers to climate change, particularly capture and storage of carbon (Seib 185; Fauchald et al. 190). The Middle East countries face abundant environmental challenges; they also have to settle many conflicting priorities. Among their priorities include upholding diversification their economies and the global economy; ensuring water and food security supply, and broader environmental upkeep and protection and adjusting to the impacts of energy caused global warming (Seib 189). Water, Soil, Agriculture & climate change and sustainable development in the Middle East According to Salin (87), most of the Arab countries fall under the grouping of extreme scarcity of water, as defined by the United Nations as any volume of water below 1,000 cubic meters for every capita of ordinary yearly water supply. Bahrain and Qatar already use more than 40% of their total quantity of available water resources. Saudi Arabia and UAE are among the countries that are still are expected to use more than 40% of their water reserves in the next one and a half to two decades (Salin, 88). According to Salin (99), as much as the economy of the Middle East is almost entirely reliant on oil and oil products, some countries practice agriculture because the soil of the region is also agriculture supportive. Qatar, Saudi, and Bahrain are known for their vast aridity. These regions are among the renowned worlds and water-scarce (Brauch 170). The region also has a great dependency on climate-sensitive agriculture (Seib 199). A large share of the region’s population economic activity is rain-fed agriculture. The societies and communities of this region have adapted to heat and water scarcity for thousands of years and have developed numerous technical solutions and institutional appliances to counter these environmental constraints (Behnassi et al., 170). Indeed, so limited are freshwater supplies in the Middle East and Gulf regions that nations around there currently rely on desalination and distillation for averagely two-thirds of their water requirements (Smith, 230). Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia Qatar, and the UAE already desalinate almost more than 90% of their water. In reality, 65% of all the globe’s desalination plants and companies are found in the Gulf countries. Ironically, the desalination plants are very energy exhaustive and intensive, such that grander dependence on desalination could escalate the region’s emission of greenhouse gasses, adding to increased climate change Brauch, 173). Yet desalination of brackish groundwater and seawater will constantly continue to be a fundamental water supply preference for a large number of the cities and urban centers in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other Gulf countries (Bruce, 146). As such, Middle East is a valuable repository of institutional and traditional knowledge. Such valuable knowledge if preserved and made accessible to the world, could prove a significant contribution to efforts of address climate change in the world (Smith 241). While ultimate adaptation to climate change depends on the particular countries’ commitment, eventually a lack of commitment from some nation will affect others. Global data predicts rising sea levels, and low-lying coastal areas in Qatar, Bahrain, UAE and Kuwait are at particular risk (Fauchald et al. 191). These challenges of water and climate change influences sustainable development in the region as numerous resources are depleted to cater for the current population (Bruce 99). Agriculture has a very vital role in the economies of most countries in the Middle East region. Despite the fact that Middle East is the driest, and water-scarce region in the world, many countries in this region are extremely reliant on agriculture (Seib 216). The agricultural has significant variations in contribution to the overall economy among different countries in the region. For instance, the contribution is about 2% in Qatar, 3.2% in Saudi Arabia and 13.4% in Egypt. Some of the countries have employed large scale irrigation and agricultural mechanization extensive production of high-value cash crops mostly horticultural, cereals and sugar (Behnassi et al. 176). The main climate change risks in the Middle East region, precisely Bahrain and Qatar, can fundamentally be linked to enduring drought and desiccation associated with variability in climatic (Smith 246). Water stress is of enormous importance, and reductions in water availability may have Spartan impacts on the countries’ food security. Some forecasts point out that under moderate temperature increases, the flow of water will be principally impacted. True to this is for the Jordan Rivers and Euphrates that could dry out by 30% minimum and 80% maximum respectively, by the end, if not instantly, of this current century (Bruce 99). There are 65 projects (Behnassi et al. 179) that are currently registered in seven Gulf countries: Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Iran, Qatar, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Syria, and the UAE. These projects include energy efficiency, agriculture and renewable energy (particularly wind power and solar). These projects are anticipated to produce about 56.5 million clean energy resources (CERs). A number of the region’s more advanced economies e.g. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE and Israel have been actual in accessing and implementing the projects, though some of the projects sustained have been contentious (Behnassi et al. 180). On balance, the projects are expected to boost agricultural production and sustainability by nearly 12% of the global agricultural market (Behnassi et al. 187). The input of the Middle East region to climate change is boundless (Qatar, Saudi, Bahrain and UAE more than 5% of the emissions of the region) (Bruce 100; Fauchald et al. 201). There are, however, disparities among the countries in the region with variable impacts on water, soil, and agriculture that affect all their socio-economic levels. Maiden climate variability scenarios and climate change for the region point out that lack of rainfall region will become extreme, and there will be more pronounced dry spells. Additionally, Middle East and North Africa regions are very likely to be more and increasingly subject to desiccation in the coming decades. This is owing to the likely temperature increases beyond 4°C and drops in rainfall beyond 30% in the region (Bruce 113). Future planning of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain Saudi Arabia has developed numerous strategies to aid the country adapt to future climate changes. Spatial planning, dune management, sand nourishment, sea grass beds, salt marsh management, and sea dikes all form part of this country’s future plan for survival in the change over the next years (Smith 249). Along plentiful of the country’s coastline region, environmentalists are adopting steps to reposition and or rebuild sand dunes, in an effort to prevent flooding. Though prevention of flood is a high priority for the government and many Saudi Arabians, it is fascinating to learn that many environmentalists in Saudi are also planning to plant sea grass beds and mussel to stimulate biodiversity in any event of flooding (Seib 222). In Bahrain, the government has developed a strategy project that assesses the impacts of future water requirements and usage on the water resources of the Kingdom. It is in the information of the government that it’s not probable to exactly approximate the outcome of future water demand in the kingdom. The government has chosen to use a computer-based WEAP System Model that was developed by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) as a tool to be used in the assessment. The basis of the strategy project is to assess impacts of climate change on water resources. In consultation with stakeholders the government will then develop strategies, national policies, and plans in water sectors to combat the existing gaps in adaptation to climate change, including gaps in available data, knowledge and skills (Seib 234). Since the water is the main impact of climate change in Bahrain, the government will use the project to identify policy gaps and opportunities (Gray 1). Using the gaps, Government of Bahrain will be able to formulate strategies and plans for adaptation to climate change and water usage. The strategies are expected to support the efforts of Bahrain’s Government and policy-makers, in assessing and evaluating national initiatives and plans on water resources management (Gray 1). According to Gray, Qatar has initiated several changes and laws in its environmental policies both on land and water as a response to climate change and global warming. In Qatar, the Ministry of Environment has designated 22% of the land as a protected area. This number far much exceeds the 10% specified by the Convention on Biological Diversity signatories-Qatar is a signatory, though it is small areas because the country is also small (Gray 1). Qatar has also initiated the plenty of wildlife initiatives. Such initiatives include the prohibition camel grazing that can be detrimental to plant growth. In addition the government has initiated programs of reinstating and protecting endangered fish species and their coral territories; monitoring and protecting periodic breeding grounds of sea turtles; and monitoring and defending the migratory and traveling patterns of the dugong sea mammals (Gray 1). Qatar has also initiated laws in its environmental constitution to reduce its carbon emissions to the environment. Like other Middle Eastern nations, Qatar is conscious that the oil and gas resource will ultimately run out (Gray 1). The country has set up the Qatar foundation to support the country in switching the nation from a supplier or seller of fossil fuels to a knowledge abundant economy. The country is already spending billions on developing new technology to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels (Seib 247). So far, the government has established a greenhouse project in the coastal desert that uses solar panels to power purification of plants and grow food. In addition, through the Qatar foundation the country is developing biofuels for its airplanes (Gray 1). Conclusion Climate change can jeopardize much of the progress already achieved by the countries in the Middle East region to confront the challenges of high unemployment, sustainable development and integration with the world’s economy (Caldwell 200). More frequent droughts may result to loss of employment and income in rural areas. Urban and coastal area sea surges and floods my cause destruction of property and loss of track in economic development (Salin 150). Changes in precipitation and temperature patterns may result in intensive and extensive damage to strategic economic sectors of the region such as mining and tourism and others with potential of growth like high-value-added agriculture (Fauchald et al. 191). The mixture of such impacts is more likely to slow down the region’s reform process and eventually offset the high growth benefits spanned by their oil wealth (Bruce 184). Environmental change and sustainable development are topics of interest in the world. The Middle East economy is a great contributor to factors that lead to environmental change. As much as the Middle East is a contributor to environmental change the region is also very vulnerable to impacts of its process that greatly effect it sustainable development (Smith 247). Works cited Behnassi, Mohamed, Mutenge M. Syomiti, Gopichandran Ramachandran, and Kirit Shelat. Vulnerability of Agriculture, Water and Fisheries to Climate Change: Toward Sustainable Adaptation Strategies. , New York. Dordretch; Springer. 2014. Internet resource. Bruce, James P. Economic and Social Dimensions of Climate Change: Contribution of Working Group Iii to the Second Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1996. Print. Caldwell, Lynton K. Environmental Policy: Transnational Issues and National Trends. Westport, Conn: Quorum Books, 1997. Print. Gueye, Moustapha, Malena Sell, and Janet R. Strachan. Trade, Climate Change and Sustainable Development: Key Issues for Small States, Least Developed Countries and Vulnerable Economies. London: Commonwealth Secretariat, 2010. Print. Gray, Louise. "Is Doha the worst place in the world for a climate change summit ... or possibly the best? - Telegraph." Telegraph.co.uk. The Telegraph, 26 Nov. 2012. Web. 22 Nov. 2014. Seib, Philip M. The Al Jazeera Effect: How the New Global Media Are Reshaping World Politics. Washington, D.C: Potomac Books, 2008. Internet resource. Smith, Eric R. A. N. Energy, the Environment, and Public Opinion. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2002. Print. Fauchald, Ole K, David Hunter, and Wang Xi. Yearbook of International Environmental Law 2008. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009. Print. Salih, Mohamed A. R. M. Climate Change and Sustainable Development: New Challenges for Poverty Reduction. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar, 2009. Internet resource. Brauch, Hans G. Coping with Global Environmental Change, Disasters and Security: Threats, Challenges, Vulnerabilities and Risks. Berlin: Springer, 2011. Print Read More