Overview

Climate change impacts on the marine and coastal environment will have major social and economic consequences for all states bordering the Gulf. Low lying, densely populated coastal settlements, critical infrastructure, and important ecosystems are at risk from sea level rise and major surge events linked to storms and cyclones

Marine species and habitats could suffer major decline, or even local extinction, as temperatures rise, oxygen levels drop and seas become more acidic. The Regional Organisation for Protection of the Marine Environment (ROPME) launched a 3-year Regional Action Plan on marine climate change adaptation and mitigation in 2019 to provide evidence to support the ROPME States (GCC + Iran and Iraq) address climate change. The Regional Action Plan is building a co-ordinated evidence base of the social and economic risks associated with marine and coastal climate change. It is also outlining the options for building climate resilience including through nature-based solutions.