Predictions for a rapid temperature rise
The Middle East and North Africa, which already include some of the hottest and driest spots on Earth, are undergoing accelerated climate change and will reach warming thresholds two to three decades earlier than the rest of the world. That’s according to a new study published on November 21, 2024, in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres. By 2100, parts of the Arabian Peninsula could experience up to 9 degrees Celsius (16.2 F) of warming.
The region, which already has record-breaking summer temperatures, is currently close to exceeding 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 F) of warming on average compared to preindustrial temperatures. Additional warming in the region could make some areas uninhabitable without adaptation measures.
Abdul Malik, a climate scientist at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology and the study’s lead author, said:
“When we talk about the Paris Agreement, we say that we should try to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius [2.7 F], and that we should not exceed 2 degrees Celsius [3.6 F]. But in parts of the Middle East and North Africa, warming has already surpassed 1.5 and 2 degrees Celsius.”
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