Too often the interaction between water, food and energy in the Mediterranean has been characterised by distortions that have triggered negative externalities rather than positive synergies.
The exploitation of hydrocarbons has transformed societies with no previous urban tradition into urban societies. Today, 80% of the population in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates lives in urban areas.
Changes in temperatures and rainfall will express themselves within the complex natural and societal systems of the region. But that is not enough.
Endowed with half of the world’s known oil and gas reserves, the Middle East and North Africa region became – particularly during the second half of the twentieth century – a cornerstone of the global energy architecture.
The positive diplomatic momentum witnessed by the Eastern Mediterranean has been challenged by a variety of geo-political factors. Navigating the sub-region towards a win-win requires relevant stakeholders to identify opportunities for cooperation.
The emergence of critical environmental issues requires an integration of sustainability concerns into the mechanisms of the global economy. Green finance holds the promise of an integrated way to address environmental challenges.
Tot i que l'Orient Mitjà àrab està en plena convulsió i capta l'atenció internacional, principalment a causa de les crisis i la inestabilitat, la subregió mediterrània oriental està experimentant un cert impuls diplomàtic positiu.
El Global Risk Report del 2017 ha identificat la crisi de l’aigua com un dels tres majors riscos a nivell mundial i, tal com senyala el Grup Intergovernamental sobre el Canvi Climàtic (IPCC), el Mediterrani serà una de les zones més afectades.
La subida de las temperaturas ejercerá presión sobre unos recursos hídricos ya escasos, con consecuencias para la vida humana y la seguridad alimentaria regional.
The discovery of of natural gas beneath the waters of the Exclusive Economic Zones of Cyprus, Israel and Egypt, has concentrated international attention on the potential emergence of the region as an important gas producer and potential exporter.
As a result of unstable fossil fuel markets and the need to protect the environment and reduce gas emissions, countries around the world must review their energy strategies with a view to ending the hegemony of oil and gas.
One of the most pressing issues of the 21st century is the management and allocation of limited freshwater resources in the world, as they become increasingly scarce.