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Temperatures have been rising around the world for more than a century with the rate being more rapid in the Northern Hemisphere than the Southern Hemisphere. Saudi Arabia is the site of one of the most significant rates of warming in the world.

Greenhouse gas emissions

The majority of Saudi Arabia's greenhouse gas emissions are produced by its electricity, transportation and manufacturing sectors. These elements of the Saudi Arabian economy require a great deal of energy, most of which is generated through the use of fossil fuels. In 2019, the total carbon dioxide emissions for the country was 559.6 million tons. Due to its quickly growing population which is accompanied by increased electricity demand and expansion of the manufacturing sector, energy demand is continuing to rise and with it so are greenhouse gas emissions. Between 2007 and 2021 Saudi Arabia saw its population increase by more than 40% from 25.18 million to 35.45 million people. At the same time, the nation's gross domestic product rose by about 45% and electricity used per capita rose by 1.378 MWh, further contributing to its emissions. Saudi Arabia produces and exports the largest amounts of petroleum liquids of any nation in the world, but it is also one of the largest consumers. In 2017, it used an average of 3,328,000 barrels per day, placing it sixth in global use of fuel. It was also high on the list for electricity usage with its 295 billion kWh making it thirteenth in the world.

Impacts on the natural environment

Temperature and weather changes

From 1979 to 2019, Saudi Arabia has seen its mean temperature increase by 2.1 °C which is nearly three times more than the world average. The increase has been even more dramatic in the summer months as the mean temperature has increased by 2.5 °C. Because of climate change, there has been a global rise in extreme weather events such as the record heatwaves in the summer of 2010. During this period, the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah saw temperatures reach 52 °C, causing eight of the nations power stations to shutdown with multiple cities suffering from blackouts. The overall increase in temperature disproportionately impacts the different regions of the country and is seasonally dependent as, the nation's capital, Riyadh saw increases in its average summer temperature increase by 0.0676 °C per year between 2009 and 2013 while its winter averages increased by 0.0561 °C per year. On the other hand, Tabuk in the north-west saw slightly more gradual increases during the same period with its summer average increasing by 0.0583 °C per year and its winter temperatures increasing by 0.0427 °C per year. This reflects the overall regional trends in Saudi Arabia of lower temperatures in the north and higher temperatures in the coastal and central parts of the country.

Sea level rise

Climate change and the rising temperatures that accompany it lead to the melting of masses of ice and expansion of ocean water. The combination of these processes manifests in the form of rising sea levels, threatening coastal and island nations throughout the world. Saudi Arabia's coastal regions are very important for the large portions of the population that inhabit them as well as for the economy of the nation as a whole. Along the the country's Red Sea coast are the four major cities of Tabuk, Al Madinah, Jeddah and Jizan. These areas are home to a number of religious and historical sites that bring in tourist to the region as well as agricultural land and oil and natural gas deposits. Sea level rise anywhere can be accompanied by a range of negative environmental consequences. These include flooding in coastal areas, erosion of beaches, contamination of freshwater sources, salinization of soils, and loss of habitats along coasts.

Water resources

Saudi Arabia is a semi-arid nation with limited groundwater resources and no natural rivers or lakes. High temperatures and low rainfall of less than 100mm per year cause the few surface water resources that exist to be unable to meet the nation's needs due to the rate of evaporation being higher than the rate of precipitation. Aridity has only been further driven by the fact that the thermostatic effect from the oceans has shifted the thermal equator. Groundwater, which makes up between 80 and 90 percent of water use in Saudi Arabia exists in two varieties. One these varieties is the nonrenewable fossil reservoirs and the other is the renewable shallow terrestrial aquifers. There are eight aquifers that account for approximately 86% of the non-renewable water while the other 14% is contained within the rest of the secondary aquifers. These aquifers are mostly in the northern and central parts of the country. Because fossil water is non-renewable and the renewable shallow aquifers are being extracted from faster than they can recharge, it is estimated that the reserves of groundwater will runout in under 50 years should the current rates of extraction continue.

Ecosystems

Around the world, climate change is causing loss, degradation and fragmentation of habitats which, when combined with invasive species and pollution are negatively altering ecosystem services and causing a loss of biodiversity. Invasive species are the second greatest threat for plant diversity after habitat loss due to human activity. Environments that are warm and humid are best for invasive species in the fact that it allows for faster seedling emergence for the invasive than the native plants. Within Saudi Arabia exist some of the most species rich and productive marine habitats in the world in the form of its coastal wetlands. These ecosystems bolster the regional fisheries and house breeding bird populations. Two of the ways in which climate change impacts the wetlands is through the rising temperatures and falling quantities of precipitation which alter wetland hydrology and ecological community compositions. An additional threat imposed by climate change is sea rise which, when combined with anthropomorphic activities like land development and pollution, make wetlands like mangroves and mudflats the most threatened ecosystems within the country.

Impacts on people

The manifestations of climate change in Saudi Arabia present a host of challenges for the resident population. The increases in the prevalence of heat stroke and heat-related illnesses in the region are attributable to rising temperatures associated with climate change. Combined with the apparent threats of deteriorating air quality, desertification, and diminishing water resources, conditions in the country are of immediate concern to human health and livelihood. Farmers note a significant decrease in their annual yield, which simultaneously reinforces the country's dependence on food imports and endangers the wellbeing of vulnerable populations.

Mitigation

Adaptation

Society and culture

International cooperation

References

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