Vulnerability of Oases in Hyper-Arid Areas in The Arabian Peninsula and Northern Africa to Climate Change

Abstract

The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) issued a Special Report on Climate Change and Land (SRCCL). This report is known as "Special Report on climate change, desertification, land degradation, sustainable land management, food security, and greenhouse gas fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems". It is a landmark document prepared by 107 experts from 52 countries. The SRCCL provides a comprehensive overview of the entire land-climate system and designates land as a critical resource. In its 50th session held on August 7, 2019, IPCC approved the SRCCL as well as its summary for policymakers. The third chapter of the SRCCL deals with relationship between desertification and potential climate change and reviews research on desertification-affected oases and the impact of climate change in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Tunisia. This paper is focused on oases in hyper-arid climates as these are affected by emerging climate change scenarios. Emphasis has been laid on the Siwa Oasis as an example of the areas impacted by climate change in Egypt. Recommendations have also been provided to tackle with climate change in the affected oases.