World Bank has announced at the ongoing COP22 in Marrakech a new plan to boost its aid to Middle East and North African (MENA) nations, in the framework of the fight against global warming. Over the next four years, the institution plans to double its climate financing for the region, to almost $1.5 billion per annum, by 2020.

“Climate change will worsen a situation which is already difficult and also affect millions of lives in the MENA region. Especially when taking for example the scarcity of water around the world. This threatens vital sectors of activity like agriculture which provides millions their source of revenue,” said Hafez Ghanem, Vice-president of MENA at World Bank.

Truly, temperature increase weakens agriculture in the region of which 2/3 depends on rains only. Drought which hit the region in 2015 for example cost Morocco 50% of its wheat output and about 1.5% of its gross domestic product (GDP).

“The region’s countries are aware of challenges and have already started acting to overcome them,” said the institution’s representative. The action programme for the MENA region, in the framework of the battle against global warming, revolves around five major axes which are the mobilization of necessary funds, boosting efforts for adaption, implementing measures and policies that foster the development of a sustainable economy, reducing risks in private sector and developing a regional partnership to deal with water and power issues.

Gwladys Johnson