This book provides an overview of the geopolitical context and climate change risk profile of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region. Mapping existing scientific literature and key reports on MENA climate change impacts and future projections, Nuha Eltinay and Charles Egbu establish links between the Conference of the Parties (from COP26, COP27 to COP28) Glasgow–Sharm el-Sheikh Work Program for Progress on the Global Goal on Adaptation, and regional climate adaptation financing targets, national government investments, and human security in local case studies. They also address gaps in disaster risk reduction institutional governance for sustainable development in the region. The authors move beyond the existing theoretical understanding of urban resilience to investigate how it is being measured and assessed in MENA in alignment with the IPCC’s climate change adaptation indicators. Finally, they explore how disasters and conflict displacement vulnerabilities and fragility affecting the communities most in need are being measured and integrated into cities’ resilience action plans and national disaster risk policies. Providing guidance and policy recommendations based on empirical research and key stakeholder engagement observations, this book will be of great interest to students, scholars, and professionals who are researching and working in the areas of climate change, urban planning, and environmental policy and governance. As this book comes out just after the closure of The United Nations Climate Change Conference COP28 negotiations, it sets the scene for pre-COP regional context, and paves the way for researchers and practitioners to undertake post-COP28 key takeaways and multi-level government commitments into action, for better climate mitigation and adaptation investments, resilient and sustainable future for all.

Climate Change Law and Policy in the Middle East and North Africa Region provides an in-depth and authoritative examination of the guiding principles of climate change law and policy in the MENA region. This volume introduces readers to the latest developments in the regulation of climate change across the region, including the applicable legislation, institutions, and key legal innovations in climate change financing, infrastructure development, and education. It outlines participatory and bottom-up legal strategies—focusing on transparency, accountability, gender justice, and other human rights safeguards—needed to achieve greater coherence and coordination in the design, approval, financing, and implementation of climate response projects across the region. With contributions from a range of experts in the field, the collection reflects on how MENA countries can advance existing national strategies around climate change, green economy, and low carbon futures through clear and comprehensive legislation. Taking an international and comparative approach, this book will be of great interest to students, scholars, and practitioners who work in the areas of climate change, environmental law and policy, and sustainable development, particularly in relation to the MENA region.

This book serves the purpose of showcasing some of the works in respect of applied research, field projects, and best practice to foster climate change adaptation across the region. Climate change is having a much greater impact in the Mediterranean than the global average. In the Paris Climate Agreement, the UN member states pledged to stop global warming at well below two degrees, if possible at 1.5 degrees. This mark, which is expected elsewhere only for 2030 to 2050, has already been reached in the region. The situation could worsen in the coming years if the global community does not limit its emissions. The above state of affairs illustrates the need for a better and more holistic understanding of how climate change affects countries in the Mediterranean region on the one hand, but also on the many problems it faces on the other, which prevent adaptation efforts. There is also a perceived need to showcase successful examples of how to duly address and manage the many social, economic, and political problems posed by climate change in the region, in order to replicate and even upscale the successful approaches used. It is against this background that the book "Climate Change in the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Region" has been produced. It contains papers prepared by scholars, practitioners, and members of governmental agencies, undertaking research and/or executing climate change projects, and working across the region.

This handbook is a resource for enhancing disaster resilience in urban areas. It summarizes the guiding principles, tools, and practices in key economic sectors that can facilitate incorporation of resilience concepts into decisions about infrastructure investments and urban management that are integral to reducing disaster and climate risks.

'Climate Resilient Cities: A Primer on Reducing Vulnerabilities to Disasters' provides city administrators with exactly what they need to know about the complex and compelling challenges of climate change. The book helps local governments create training, capacity building, and capital investment programs for building sustainable, resilient communities. A step-by-step self-assessment challenges policymakers to think about the resources needed to combat natural disasters through an innovative hot spot risk and vulnerability identifi cation tool. This primer is unique from other resources in its treatment of climate change using a dual-track approach that integrates both mitigation (lowering contributions to greenhouse gases) and adaptation (preparing for impacts of climate change) with disaster risk management. The book is relevant both to cities that are just beginning to think about climate change as well as those that already have well established policies, institutions, and strategies in place. By providing a range of city-level examples of sound practices around the world, the book demonstrates that there are many practical actions that cities can take to build resilience to climate change and natural disasters.