Adaptation to a Changing Climate in the Arab Countries

210

TABLE 5.1

Possible Climate Change Impacts in Urban Areas in the Arab Countries Natural hazards and extreme events Increased temperature • Heat waves • Fires

Incremental impacts on urban systems

Impacts on urban residents

• Increased heat island effect

• Asthma

• Increased outdoor pollution

• Heat stress and stroke

• Reduced interior air quality

• Thirst

• Increased interior temperatures

• Illness

• Reduced groundwater table

• Property losses

• Changing disease vectors

• Housing instability

• Stress on storm water system

• Disruptions in access to power, transport systems, and supplies

• Increased energy demand • Increased road surface damage • Increased demand for water Decreased precipitation • Drought • Fires

• Groundwater depletion

• Water shortages

• Subsidence

• Food shortages

• Stress on building foundations

• Exposure to new disease vectors

• Reduction in green space and growing conditions

• Inability to fish and farm

• Reductions in urban agriculture

• Disruptions of hydroelectricity

• Changes in fish populations

• Housing instability

• Higher food prices

• Increased runoff contamination • Changing disease vectors Increased precipitation • Flooding • Mudslides • Epidemics

• Stress on storm water and sewage systems

• Exposure to flood-related toxins and wastes

• Stress on building foundations

• Illness

• Stress on building envelope

• Substandard construction

• Slope instability

• Disruption of basic services

• Road washouts

• Provision and access to supplies

• Changing disease vectors

• Housing instability • Property loss and relocation • Community fragmentation

Sea-level rise • Storm surges • Flooding

• Coastal erosion • Altered coastal ecosystems • Impacts on wetlands • Salinization of water sources • Stress on water treatment systems • Stress on storm water systems

• Exposure to flood-related toxins and wastes • Disruption in availability of potable water, food, and other supplies • Property loss and relocation • Community fragmentation

• Disruptions to shipping and ports Sources: Adapted from Carmin and Zhang 2009; Dickson et al. 2010; Dodman and Satterthwaite 2008; Wilbanks et al. 2007; World Bank, forthcoming.

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Adaptation to a Changing Climate in the Arab Countries

Published on Jun 4, 2013

World Bank Publications

"In the Arab countries, climate change is a risk to poverty reduction and economic growth, threatening to unravel many of the development gains that have been achieved. The Arab Region is already suffering adverse consequences from climate variability and change. This book provides information on climate change and its impact in the Arab Region, as well as technical guidance on climate adaptation options for policy makers. The areas addressed include the economic impacts of climate change (as measured by the reduction in household income and GDP); the impacts of climate change on the water, health, and tourism sectors; livelihoods and well-being in rural and urban areas; biodiversity; disaster risk management; as well as gender and other social relations. "