Climate change is worsening and threatens to cause more severe heat waves globally, including in the Arabian Peninsula

Weather of Arabia - Climate change is a major challenge facing the entire world, and it particularly affects the regions of the Arabian Gulf by increasing the frequency and intensity of heat waves. It is also considered one of the most prominent environmental issues facing the world today, and climate change refers to long-term shifts in average temperatures and patterns Weather, which occurs due to human activities such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation, which leads to increased concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and contributes to global warming, and this phenomenon affects global ecosystems, including the regions of the Arabian Gulf.

Climate change: causes and general effects

Causes of climate change: Specialists believe that the most prominent causes that led to the phenomenon of climate change are:

Burning fossil fuels: includes oil, coal, and natural gas, which releases large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere.

Deforestation: reduces the number of trees that absorb CO2, which increases the accumulation of greenhouse gases.

Industrial activity: the release of pollutants and greenhouse gases from factories and vehicles.

The general effects of climate change are:

Rising temperatures: An increase in average global temperatures.

Changing weather patterns: Increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as hurricanes and droughts.

Melting ice: The melting of glaciers and ice sheets at the poles.

Sea level rise: due to the melting of ice and the expansion of ocean water.

Arabian Peninsula | The heat dome causes a strong heat wave, and this time it is mainly located in several countries

The impact of climate change on heat waves in the Gulf

Specialists at the Arab Weather Center said that a heat wave is a period of time in which temperatures greatly exceed the usual average, and continues for several days. This phenomenon can be deadly, especially in areas that lack the infrastructure to adapt to extreme heat, and the impact of climate change on heat waves in the Arabian Gulf was evident through:

Increased frequency of heat waves: Studies in the climate section of ArabiaWeather have shown that climate change increases the frequency of heat waves in the Gulf. For example, the number of days with extreme heat has increased significantly in recent decades.

Increasing the intensity of heat waves: The climate department specialists indicated that heat waves in the Arabian Gulf have become more severe than before. For example, temperatures exceeding 50 degrees Celsius were recorded in some parts of the Gulf, something that happened in the past but has been repeated recently.

Effect of high humidity: Experts also noted that the increase in temperatures in the Gulf coincides with high levels of humidity, which increases the impact of heat on human health and the environment.

Health effects: Severe heat waves cause serious health problems such as heat stress, sunstroke, and increased death rates among vulnerable groups such as the elderly and children.

Economic impacts: The effects are not limited to what was mentioned previously, but heat waves also affect agricultural and animal productivity, and increase energy consumption for cooling, which leads to economic pressures on the Gulf countries.

The specialists of the climate department at “Arab Weather” call for the necessity of adapting to climate change, stressing the importance of developing sustainable strategies to confront the increasing frequency and intensity of heat waves. These strategies include improving cooling infrastructure, developing urban planning that reduces the effects of heat, and increasing awareness among residents about how to deal with harsh climate conditions, in addition to enhancing regional and international cooperation to adopt joint and effective solutions. This is done through improving infrastructure and developing advanced cooling systems. Sustainable, and enhancing the capabilities of electrical networks to handle the increasing demand for air conditioning.

Sustainable urban planning also involves designing cities to reduce the effects of heat, such as increasing green spaces and using building materials that reflect heat.

Awareness and education play a role in increasing awareness among the population about how to adapt to heat waves and avoid health damage. Regional and international cooperation and working with the international community to adopt joint strategies mitigate the effects of climate change.

More than 25 million people face heat reaching 50 degrees Celsius in the Arabian Peninsula

God knows.