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  • 21-03-23

    Experts say UAE-hosted COP28 could transform future of international climate change forum

    (MENAFN) Experts believe that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) hosting the UN Climate Change Conference later this year could revolutionize the annual international forum and create momentum for it to become less about negotiation and more about action. Karim Elgendy, associate fellow at UK-based think tank Chatham House, said that COP28 could become a COP for action and drive all parties to push forward with carbon reduction. He believes that COP28 has the opportunity to transform the current meeting of negotiators into a forum that largely encourages climate action.

    The UAE will host the COP28 conference later this year, and experts believe that it could transform the future of the international climate change forum. Elgendy said that while Egypt’s hosting of COP27 last year placed a “little spotlight” on the region, the Dubai conference would put a “real spotlight” on the Middle East and especially Gulf Cooperation Council countries. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will release its final report in its sixth assessment cycle on Monday, in which it outlined some key findings and important implications for Middle East countries and expectations for the UAE’s COP28 presidency.

    The 2022 IPCC Working Group II Report highlighted the worrisome regional impact of climate change for the Middle East in relation to how local temperature and precipitation are projected to change. Current predictions indicate that in the coming decades, conditions for working and living in the desert region will worsen, with persistent drought, water scarcity, and rising sea levels that could dramatically decrease food security in the area without swift, immediate large emission cuts.

    Climate change has already increased temperatures and decreased rainfall in the Middle East. The report stated that hard physical limits to adaptation exist, and countries in the Middle East will only be able to adapt to heatwaves and drought to a certain extent. Sand- and dust storms have already become more frequent and intense, and with further warming, they will become worse, increasing water scarcity and drought in the region. Water scarcity will particularly affect Saudi Arabia, which could undermine food security, while in Bahrain and Iran, climate change will decrease fish catches, with consequences for food security and income generation.

    Global warming already threatens important fish species currently found on the coasts of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE, which are at high risk of local extinction. The report highlights the urgent need for immediate action to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate the impact of climate change in the region. The UAE’s hosting of COP28 could be a significant step towards achieving this goal and driving all parties to push forward with ambitious carbon reduction targets.

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