Climate change in the Middle East - statistics & facts

The negative repercussions of climate change are a worldwide phenomenon that has emerged as one of the most serious environmental concerns confronting governments globally. The average global carbon dioxide emissions per capita has been increasing over the past three decades. Extreme temperatures are frequent in the Middle East. These extremes are expected to intensify during the next several decades. With shifting precipitation patterns, water scarcity, and anticipated sea-level rise, the region faces substantial development problems, especially in agriculture, livelihoods, and food security.

Effects of climate change in MENA

Climate change will have a devastating and far-reaching impact on the Middle East, intensifying long-standing governance issues and deepening socioeconomic inequities while also causing additional disturbances. The rippling consequences of climate change add to a formidable array of issues for nations already dealing with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, civil wars, rising conflict-induced displacements, exponential population growth, and a drop in global demand for the oil on which MENA economies rely. The region is likely to experience an increase in temperature significantly beyond the expected 2°C limit because of the intensifying effect caused by the large desert areas where dry land creates a feedback loop increasing the heat. By 2050, the region is projected to experience more than ten times the current frequency of heatwaves in a year, surpassing the threshold of human adaptability and increasing mortality rates. The Middle East is one of the most water-stressed regions in the world. Water resources being consumed exceed the collected precipitation water, leading to alarming low amounts of water. This has been accelerated by the constant drying effects of greenhouse gases. Wealthy nations are also at risk of running out of freshwater resources due to decreased groundwater, precipitation, population growth, and the high per capita consumption of water. Desertification, which has been on the rise, especially across Iraq, Syria, and Jordan due to the lack of groundwater, affects air quality, public health, agricultural production, and ecological systems. Governments are pursuing costly desalinization projects due to the region’s increasing need for water supplies, with Saudi Arabia producing the highest volume of desalinated water among the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Global warming and its consequences continue to worsen socioeconomic inequalities and are a risk to underprivileged groups. Wealthy residents can temporarily avoid the consequences of rising temperatures using air conditioning and spending summer holidays in Europe, whilst the underprivileged work outdoors, increasing their risk of mortality on hotter days.

Sustainability initiatives in MENA

Considering the region's urgent climate concerns, several MENA countries have committed to reducing climate change by shifting to renewable energy and green technology. The Middle East accounts for more than a third of the world’s oil output and is home to some of the top oil exporters in the world, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar. The largest emitter of greenhouse gases worldwide is the Saudi oil firm Aramco. In addition, many communities in the area rely extensively on fossil fuels, notably for transportation and energy, which raises the region's emissions of greenhouse gases. Projections show that oil and gas will continue to be the region's main sources of energy until 2035. Nevertheless, countries have announced  goals for the share of sustainable energy they plan to generate from renewable sources by the year 2030. The Middle East's largest installed renewable energy capacity in 2021 was in Iran, followed by UAE. Despite recent initiatives to switch to sustainable energy generation, the region has been slow to keep up with the rest of the world in terms of sustainable processes.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Salma Saleh, May 2, 2023

Key insights

Country with highest average temperature in MENA
UAE
Projections of CO2 emissions from energy Middle East for 2040
2.7bn mt
Share of households suffering from air pollution in Saudi Arabia
57.4%
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Carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel and industrial purposes in United Arab Emirates from 1970 to 2021 (in million metric tons)

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Carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel and industrial purposes in Saudi Arabia from 1970 to 2021 (in million metric tons)

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CO₂ emissions from fossil fuel and industrial purposes in Saudi Arabia 1970-2021

Carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel and industrial purposes in Qatar from 1970 to 2021 (in million metric tons)

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