Temperatures in Bahrain and the surrounding region are rising at a faster rate than around the world, one of the country’s top physicists said during a talk highlighting global warming challenges.
Arabian Gulf University academic affairs, scientific research and innovation vice-president Dr Waheeb Alnaser attributed this to a number of factors, including the arid regional climate, high level of solar radiation, geographic position close to the Tropic of Cancer, low vegetation, large expanses of desert and lower ground water levels.
The findings by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change were highlighted during a talk entitled, ‘From Global Warming To Global Boiling’, held at the Abdelrahman Kanoo Cultural Centre.
“The topic is a reference to what the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, recently said about climate change,” Dr Alnaser told the GDN.
“The scientific data is very clear and all nations have to work together to reduce the impact of climate change on human civilisation.”
According to data from Bahrain’s Transportation and Telecommunications Ministry, annual average temperatures have risen by 1.8C since 1955. The annual average temperature for the most recent available year 2020, is 28.1C.
Dr Al Naser walked through multiple scenarios that could occur as climate change progresses.
In the near-term, until 2040, with concentrated efforts across the public and private sectors, temperatures in the region are expected to rise by 0.9C, while elsewhere, they will rise by 0.7C, he said.
In the medium term, between 2041 and 2060, they will rise by 1.6C in the region, and 1.3C around the world.
By the end of the century, temperatures are forecast to rise by 2.6C in the Arabian Peninsula, and 2.1C around the world.
On the other hand, in the worst-case scenario, if there are minimal policies put in place, temperatures by the end of the century in the Arabian Peninsula could rise by 5.2C, compared to a 4C global increase.
“So far, Bahrain has done very well in combating climate change, and I would say, we are most likely to see the first scenario of minimal temperature increase,” Dr Alnaser noted.
Avoid
“However, we should point out the worst case scenario, so we can avoid it and find more effective ways to adapt.”
Dr Alnaser also noted that current consequences of climate change – like wildfires being seen around the world – have a compounding effect, noting that each tree burned will no longer absorb 10kg-15kg of carbon a year anymore.
According to research presented, scientists also foresee changes in regional rainfall patterns, especially during the dry season of May to October, if climate policies are not adopted across the region.
“In severe scenarios, where we don’t have effective policies in place across the region, we could see extreme rainfall, perhaps due to cyclonic activity migrating into the Arabian Sea,” Dr Alnaser added, during his presentation.
“Overall, the data is very clear – climate change is happening, and we need to be careful about how our industrial processes can make it worse.”
As an example, Dr Alnaser cited water desalination, which requires an energy-intensive process that contributes to global warming in order to convert saltwater to freshwater.
Scientific studies indicate that the process also increases the salinity of seawater, which increases the amount of heat that the sea absorbs, raising its temperature.
“This can have a potentially disastrous impact on marine life, and can also change wind patterns – and we need more research on the subject to understand the full impact,” he added.
His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, had highlighted Bahrain’s sustainability goals at the landmark UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) held in 2021 in Glasgow, the UK.
The kingdom has committed to reaching net zero by 2060, with a number of interim goals to be hit by 2035 including reducing emissions by 30pc through decarbonisation and efficiency initiatives, quadrupling mangrove coverage, doubling tree coverage, and directly investing in carbon capture technologies.
Dr Alnaser also highlighted key technologies, including renewable energy, power storage systems and green hydrogen that are crucial to achieving global net-zero targets.
He called for financial investment to mitigate the impact of climate change. He also suggested aligning investment incentives with climate goals, mapping global commitments to a pipeline of vetted green projects and developing a database of sustainable suppliers to help domestic firms become more environmentally friendly.
naman@gdnmedia.bh
&uuid=(email))