Climate Change and the Water‒Energy Nexus in the MENA Region

The MENA region (the Middle East and North Africa) extends across the eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East, and North Africa and is home to some 500 million inhabitants. Observations attest for the fact that climate change in the Mediterranean Basin, in general, and in the MENA countries, in particular, exceeds global mean values significantly. Future projections of climate change, based on numerical model results indicate that this trend will continue in the near future. Climate change will result in significantly increased demands for water and energy, particularly in urban settings and major cities in the region. The general economic development, rapid population growth and increasing urbanization, changes in lifestyle, and shifting consumption patterns are likely to exacerbate these demands. There are strong linkages between the provision of water and energy. Maintaining water and energy security in the MENA region, therefore, needs holistic considerations of these issues in the framework of the water‒energy nexus (WEN). The nexus approach focusses on the interdependencies and interrelationships between water and energy provision and consumption. It allows the specification of suitable mitigation and adaptation strategies and measures aimed to minimize the impacts of climate change and enable a sustainable future in the MENA region.