Not Everyone Is in the Same Boat: Climate and inequality in the Middle East and North Africa
Publication date
2025-07-17Keywords
Middle East and North AfricaAusterity
Billionaires
Rich
Wealthy
Emissions
Inequality
Climate Change
Country
AlgeriaEgypt
Iraq
Jordan
Kuwait
Lebanon
Morocco
Oman
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Sudan
Syrian Arab Republic
Tunisia
United Arab Emirates
Yemen
Metadata
Show full item recordPublisher(s)
Oxfam in MENADocument type
Briefing paperDescription
The Middle East and North Africa is one of the regions that will be affected the most by climate change, extreme weather events, exacerbating the chronic water scarcity that it suffers from and current dependency on fossil fuels. Climate change impacts are already witnessed in many countries, especially those experiencing conflicts. At the same time the decades-long austerity policies in the region are not only fuelling inequalities but also make it virtually impossible for the countries in the region to spend on climate. The climate threats driven by the richest people, corporations, and rentier economies are existential to the region. Meanwhile, people living in poverty, marginalized communities vulnerable to climate change and those living in conflict-settings are the ones impacted the hardest. Women and girls, refugees and other groups experiencing discrimination, are particularly at disadvantage to current austerity policies and the consequences of climate change. The consequences are felt in all parts of the region and by most people, yet only the richest people have the wealth and the power and influence to adapt from the consequences of climate breakdown. Austerity policies are exacerbating the climate crisis, and the only way to address the climate breakdown is through taxing the wealthy and their polluting consumptions and massively invest in public services and climate mitigation, adaptation and transition.