Greening Near East and North African Cities to Combat Climate Change

As cities in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region continue to expand, urban populations are projected to rise to 73 percent by 2050, reaching over 450 million people. This rapid urbanization is putting immense pressure on infrastructure, natural resources, and food systems, leading to environmental degradation and loss of agricultural land. In a region already facing resource scarcity and the growing impacts of climate change, unchecked urban expansion is threatening vital ecosystems and food security.

A significant environmental challenge in NENA is the increasing severity of Sand and Dust Storms (SDS), which negatively affect livelihoods, ecosystem services, food security, and economies. The region generates approximately 94 million tonnes of dust each year, with 80 percent of it deposited locally. SDS not only cause an estimated USD 13 billion in annual economic losses—Kuwait alone loses USD 190 million annually in its oil sector—but also have a profound impact on agriculture. Storms damage crops, degrade soil quality, and increase food loss, particularly affecting key crops like cereals, vegetables, and dates. For example, a study in Iraq found that for every additional day of SDS, crop losses ranged from 0.7 percent to 2.8 percent.

Mitigating the impacts of SDS is crucial for the sustainability of agriculture and the protection of vulnerable ecosystems in the NENA region as well as urban and peri-urban food systems. Innovative tree planting programmes and urban greening initiatives provide a viable solution by enhancing land cover, stabilizing soil, and creating natural barriers against dust and sand movement. In Kuwait, the establishment of green belts and the planting of native species have contributed to the reduction in the annual rates of mobile sand by 94 and 95.3 percent, and dust by 64.5 and 68.4 percent, respectively. A study in an urban community in Dubai showed that by establishing a windbreak with 10 m spacing between trees reduced dust levels by 19-22 percent.

Food loss and waste has significant environmental impacts, contributing to about 8 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions annually. The Food Loss Index estimated that 13.2 percent of food was lost globally post-harvest across various stages, while food waste accounted for 19 percent of food produced in 2022. In the NENA region, almost 15 percent of food was lost between the post-harvest stage and the pre-retail stage in 2020. Cities and local governments play a key role in preventing, reducing and managing food loss and waste. Effective waste management at a municipal level can reduce environmental contamination, such as methane emissions. Furthermore, circular bioeconomy initiatives promote resource conservation by maximizing the use of natural resources, which are becoming increasingly scarce. Managing food loss and waste can also generate economic opportunities through job creation in waste management, food recovery, and recycling sectors, while fostering innovation and supporting the transition to a more sustainable economy.

While tree planting and urban greening efforts are underway across the region, the current pace of restoration and development is insufficient to reverse environmental degradation or combat the growing threat of SDS and support urban food systems. There is an urgent need to rethink ecosystem restoration and urban development strategies to address the transboundary nature of SDS and their far-reaching effects on food systems. Enhanced cross-sectoral collaboration and regional collaboration, alongside policy support and on-the-ground action, is essential for building resilience against climate challenges and reducing food loss and waste in both urban and rural areas.

The session will focus on key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) linked to urbanization and natural resource management, including SDG 11 (Sustainable cities and communities), SDG 12 (Responsible production and consumption), SDG 13 (Climate action) and SDG 15 (Life on land). It will discuss the role of green infrastructure such as well-designed tree plantation programmes, in combating sand and dust storms as well as food loss and waste management at a municipal level, and the impact of climate change. By enhancing land cover and stabilizing soil, these initiatives are essential for transforming urban and peri-urban food systems while contributing to the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.