Urbanization and Extreme Weather in the Arab Region

The Arab region is starting to see large areas becoming urbanized today. Areas that have been covered by the desert in the past are now places where cities are being built. Experts are now saying that this mix could pose a danger in the area and raising awareness about the dangers that residents could face in the future.

Here is a portion of an article that appeared on allafrica.com, “According to a factsheet, climate change has increased the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events – such as flash floods, droughts, storms, and sea level rise – in the Arab world. The region has been affected by more than 270 natural disasters in the last 30 years, resulting in more than 150,000 deaths and affecting about 10 million people, the report said.

That growth in climate-linked extreme weather, combined with urban population increases, is prompting a growing number of Arab countries to try to develop improved disaster risk reduction strategies. The United Nations report aims to support those efforts.”

Moreover, the article also states that in some places, rapid urbanization has led to people living in potentially dangerous conditions on unstable hills, flood-prone lowlands or buildings unsuited to surviving earthquakes. Other problems are also increasing disaster risk, including greater urban density, weak governance, poor urban planning, lack of available land and the decline of ecosystems.

You can read the full article here.