Gaza, December 26, 2009 (Pal telegraph) - The Climate change in the world including the Middle East has become something actual. It's hard to stop it, but it could be decrease as much as possible.

This is not the first time where the Middle East gets affected by the climate change; and the many surrounding deserts ,scattered all over the Arabic countries, are evidence that there was a climate change. For more than 6,000 - 10,000 years ago, the great Sahara desert, which covers for about 9 million Square Kilometer, had fertile farmlands .There were many discoveries that prove this fact, such as skeletons of an Indian Elephants and hippos. In addition, they have found lakes on the mountaintops of "Emi Koussi" in Chad that has alligators. There were also colored paintings in Acacus Mountains in Algeria that showed a great era of life.

However, there was a sudden change in Climate that made the deserts much hotter with dryer weather than it was before, aside from, the wind became stronger.

In the past ten years, the Middle East suffered from various changes in climate and its elements. There are many signs, which point to climate change; such as temperature becomes higher that its normal rate, lack of rain and the rapid heavy rain, which creates disasters as it, destroys buildings, roads, and farmland and kills hundreds of people. The high temperature makes water on the surface of the earth evaporates and that is why there is a lack in the underground water. It's getting low as well as the water that nourishes rivers. Consequently, the production of agriculture, the livestock and cattle has become

The reasons behind this change is what it's called "the greenhouse effect" which heats the atmosphere .This heat  is caused by the over use of fuel in factories, transportation and oil refining. Knowing that, the USA is in the lead among other countries.

The over use of this high industrial issues has created and elevated the level of Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, also the level of Methane which results from the agriculture waste. Both gases cause the over heat in the atmosphere.

These destructive changes are going to be active until the year of 2050, when the temperature is going to rise between 2.7 and 3.7 C. This, as a result, will melt the ice around the world and will increase sea level. The population will multiply in the Middle East, at the same time, the demand on underground water sources will hike up, the water on the surface such as, Oceans, Seas, Rivers, as well. Besides, farmlands will be in complete danger from the floods.

  "Lebanon" will be directly affected by the increase of sea level, where tourism makes almost %60 of the income, and also the coasts of Palestine and Syria will be affected, in particular, the coasts of Gaza Strip when the sea floods.

Due to the expected lack of sources because of the climate change, countries sources will become less than usual. These countries, as a result, will make them try to seize a more land and plains.Therfore tension and conflicts between countries will be erupted; more likely that they will use nuclear weapons or chemical weapons.

Israel will try to keep holding the "Golan Heights" which they supply "Lake Tiberias" of almost %30 of its annual water, and also it will keep its hands on "The West Bank" which it is also supply more than %40 of its annual water.

This will go over Palestine, Syria and Lebanon to reach "Turkey" which, in it' turn; will participate in the war to protect its sources.

But as much as the researcher hopes that this thing will not be as dramatically as possible. It's possible to delay this phenomenon "Climate Change" if the whole world including the Middle East reduces the usage of the fossil fuel which causes the "Green House" effect. In addition they have to using the gases that causes the damage to the Ozone layer that controls the "Ultraviolet light" that gets to planet earth. Most importantly we have to monitor in our consumption of water and reduce the wastes which create the Methane.We can also use the wind power and clean energy sources instead, but in controlled methods.  

Kamil Elshami

Professor, Alaqsa University, Gaza