{"id":15708,"date":"2025-01-28T12:06:29","date_gmt":"2025-01-28T09:06:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/mena\/%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%aa%d8%ba%d9%8a%d8%b1-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d9%86%d8%a7%d8%ae%d9%8a-%d9%88%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b2%d8%b1%d8%a7%d8%b9%d8%a9-%d9%88%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%ba%d8%b0%d8%a7%d8%a1\/"},"modified":"2026-02-03T16:58:24","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T13:58:24","slug":"how-climate-change-threatens-agriculture-and-food-security-in-mena","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/mena\/en\/how-climate-change-threatens-agriculture-and-food-security-in-mena\/","title":{"rendered":"How Climate Change Threatens Agriculture and Food Security in MENA?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Although countries of our region contribute less than 5% of global carbon emissions, they bear the heaviest burden of climate change’s consequences.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n
Climate change<\/em><\/a> is not merely a passing challenge facing our world; it is an all-encompassing crisis that impacts every aspect of life, casting a particular shadow over the Middle East and North Africa. Its impacts go beyond rising temperatures, extending to agriculture and food security, with the most vulnerable populations bearing the brunt of this serious threat.<\/em><\/em><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n

Agriculture and Food Under Climate Change Threats<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Today, agricultural and food systems are bearing the brunt of a harsh climatic reality, with extreme weather events<\/a> becoming more frequent and intense. According to the State of the Global Climate report<\/a>, these events have contributed to a dramatic rise in the number of people facing acute food insecurity worldwide, with the figures climbing from 149 million before the COVID-19 pandemic to 333 million in 2023.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n

Between 2007 and 2022<\/a>, the agricultural sector, which serves as a lifeline for millions of people, accounted for approximately 23% of total losses from natural disasters. Droughts alone represented 65% of these losses, resulting in a significant decline in agricultural production and livestock losses totaling $3.8 trillion over the past three decades.<\/p>\n\n

MENA Region at the Center of Agricultural and Food Security Risks<\/strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Although countries of our region contribute less than 5% of global carbon emissions, they bear the heaviest burden of climate change’s consequences. With temperatures rising twice as fast as the global average and water scarcity<\/a> making the region one of the driest in the world, food and agricultural security are increasingly at risk in a region that relies heavily on agriculture to meet its food needs and sustain the livelihoods of its population.<\/p>\n\n

North Africa: A Water Crisis Threatening Crops <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Morocco <\/a>and Algeria are grappling with unprecedented droughts that pose a direct threat to food security. The World Meteorological Organization has warned of continuing declines in rainfall and worsening water scarcity, which have led to significant reductions in agricultural production and widespread crop damage.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n

In 2023, Morocco saw a 28% drop in rainfall, resulting in a 20% decrease in agricultural output. Tunisia’s cereal sector was hit hardest, with production plummeting by 80%, while Algeria experienced a 12% decline in cereal harvests. The World Meteorological Organization has described the situation as a looming “historic” crisis, predicting that, 118 million Africans will be at risk  of droughts and flooding by 2030.<\/p>\n\n

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