Global Warming Impacts Lives of Millions in Middle East, Regional Meeting Concludes, Requesting Immediate Aid from UNDP to Tackle Climate Change

Stockholm, August 20 - Global Warming is changing the lives and livelihoods of millions of people in the Middle East and neighboring countries, and concrete measures should be taken immediately to combat the effects of Climate Change on water resources there, a regional meeting hosted by UNDP in the Swedish capital concluded Thursday.

- The most important strategic resource in the Middle East and neighboring countries is neither oil nor gas, but water. With growing populations and increased water scarcity, less predictable water supplies and deteriorating water quality due to Climate Change, Global Warming is felt and experienced everyday by millions, Paolo Lembo, UNDP Director for Iraq and instigator of the initiative, said at a press conference held in Stockholm.

- Climate Change has arrived in the Middle East, there is no time to plan and develop strategies for sometime in the future, the time for action is now, not 10 or 15 years ahead, he added, echoing the consensus among participants at the meeting.

Climate Change is felt most strongly in the Middle East through an ever‐increasing stress on already scarce water resources. Further depletion is expected, causing acute water shortages and affecting households and farming communities alike. Already hit by prolonged shortages of clean water, and often no water at all, this will have especially negative impacts on poor or marginalized communities, particularly women, children, the elderly and other vulnerable groups in these.

The gathering, facilitated by UNDP on August 19‐20 on the sidelines of World Water Week in Stockholm, convened over 30 senior representatives and experts from 10 countries in the region.

They voiced common concerns about the effects of Global Warming on their water resources, and agreed to work collectively in developing Climate Change adaptation strategies that could be applied by all.

Delegates also asked for UNDP' support in putting the issue of Water and Climate Change Adaptation at the top of the agenda at the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December.

The meeting, building on three earlier gatherings, concluded with delegates requesting UNDP to establish a development programme for the Middle East and neighboring countries, to provide tools, training, better information and increased awareness, as well as to facilitate dialogue and exchanges on Water and Climate Change Adaptation in the region.

- In a region known for its conflicts, this is a major step forward in tackling the impacts of Climate Change on its water resources, which could lead to social unrest and potential conflict if not handled in a concerted manner, Dr. Hosny Khordagui, Director of UNDP' Water Governance Program in the Arab States, noted.

- There is a clearer understanding among the countries in the region that they share similar concerns on water scarcity issues brought on by Global Warming, and therefore there is a need to act collectively and develop a common approach for Climate Change Adaptation for the water sector, he pointed out.

It is expected that a new meeting will be convened later this year, where UNDP will present the requested development programme, which would aim at making a Climate Change impact assessment on the region' water resources, followed by a vulnerability study of the social and economic sectors worst hit by water scarcity. This would lead to common Climate Change Adaptation Strategies for managing water resources, embedded within the national development plans of the participating countries.

The end result would be improved management of the region's dwindling water resources to mitigate some of the impacts of Climate Change, as well as putting the issue higher on the regional political agenda.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Ms. Alvhild Stromme
Communications and External Relations Unit
UNDP‐Iraq

E‐mail: alvhild.stromme@undp.org
Mobile: +962 79 720 4061