Economics of Climate Change in the Arab World: A Summary of Case Studies from Syria, Tunisia and Yemen

The countries of West Asia and North Africa (WANA) have long had the challenge of

providing sustainable livelihoods for their populations in the fragile ecosystems of semiarid

and arid areas. Climate change is already a reality in WANA and it places additional

constraints on the already fragile ecosystems of dry areas and limited natural resources

in WANA. Hence there is an urgency to develop, and strengthen further, research and

technology transfer on adaptation, mitigation and production system resilience. A

comprehensive and integrated approach to planning and implementing the climate

change adaptation strategies across the wide range of agro-ecosystems in different

countries in WANA could help both the planners and the local communities to deal

effectively with the projected impacts and also contribute to overall sustainability of

agricultural production systems.

This book addresses the important issue of climate change and food security in West Asia

and North Africa and presents perspectives from different sub-regions in WANA. The

mitigation and adaptation options for different agroeconomic sectors in WANA as well

as policy, financial, institutional and cooperation issues are discussed. These could help

in the development of new policies to better adapt agriculture production systems and

enhance food security in WANA.