Crucial Middle East And North Africa Climate Week To Start In Riyadh: Key Details Here

Ministers, policymakers, young advocates and climate champions from across the region will meet in Riyadh beginning on Sunday as the crucial Middle East and North Africa Climate Week shall run from October 8 to October 12 in the Saudi capital.

The event is one of four regional weeks being held in 2023 to galvanise action ahead of COP28 in November. One has already been staged in Africa, while two more – one in Asia Pacific and another in Latin America and the Caribbean – will begin before the Summit.

Exploring Increasing Importance Of Middle East and North Africa

The MENA Climate Week will feature extensive discussions on ways to tackle the crisis. Attendees can expect talks on ways to address land degradation, coral restoration, water security and to ensure smart agriculture in desert climates.

The event will also feature sessions on the importance of mangroves, tackling plastic pollution and how small farmers can help to boost food security. It is seen as crucial because of the potential of the region to manage the raging climate emergency, experts believe.

“Many of the countries in the region are exposed and vulnerable to the impacts, while many are also potentially rich in renewable energy resources, particularly solar,” according to Bob Ward, policy director at the Grantham Institute for Climate Change at the London School of Economics.

The Middle East and North Africa are even more important this year because the COP28 climate conference is being held in the region and their governments have an opportunity to facilitate a just transition away from fossil fuels, he noted.

September Was The Warmest For The Month On Record Globally

Reducing emissions, ensuring the 1.5 degrees Celsius warming target is kept alive, ramping up climate finance and bringing the loss and damage fund agreed at last year’s Summit into operation are expected to dominate the negotiations during COP28 at Expo City Dubai.

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The MENA Climate Week has come against a backdrop of world leaders under increasing pressure to act decisively in the face of climate crisis. September 2023 was the warmest for the month on record globally, with an average surface air temperature of 16.38 degrees Celsius.