Combating climate change

Oman is one among many countries that has heightened the degree of awareness and concern about climate change and its adverse impacts on national economies and lives. Weather patterns are changing, sea levels are rising, and weather events are becoming more extreme.

Governments around the world have spent considerable time and effort in recent years to develop plans to chart a safer and more sustainable future for their citizens.

Now with countries including the Sultanate moving towards rebuilding their economies after Covid-19, recovery plans can shape the 21st-century economy in clean, green, healthy, safe, and more resilient ways.

From a natural catastrophe perspective, Oman is vulnerable to flooding, cyclones, sand storms and droughts, with cyclones accounting for over 80 per cent of all-natural hazards occurrences.

Catastrophic losses lead to economic, social and environmental challenges. The current crisis is an opportunity for a profound, systemic shift to a more sustainable economy that works for both people and the planet.

According to a report by Three Pillars Consulting, increasing sea levels and storm surges could increase the rate of coastal erosion leading to the displacement of people, eradication of sensitive marine and terrestrial ecosystems.

In addition, it can also lead to over-extraction of groundwater to meet population growth and could lead to saline intrusion into reservoirs. As a result, salinity will increase in wells along with the water used for surface irrigation in agriculture. This will limit the capacity of Oman’s agricultural production.

As surface temperatures increase and rainfall decrease droughts will become more severe, however, the frequency of these is still uncertain.

climate impact

World Bank Group’s climate change knowledge portal in its study reveals that Oman is vulnerable to the impact of climate change due to sea-level rise, temperature, and precipitation variability and extremes, affecting urban infrastructure, population health, and its water resources, which is critical as Oman is a water-stressed country.

Ratification of the Paris Agreement on April 24, 2019, was a conclusive step forward in Oman’s commitment to join the international efforts to combat climate change. The Sultanate of Oman has engaged through its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) to reduce their absolute GHG emission by 2 per cent by 2030.

“Climate Change is at the forefront of public and government consciousness due to the accelerated pace of changing climatic patterns being experienced in Oman,” asserts the Sultanate’s Civil Aviation Authority in its second NDC report.

The country is well-known for its sweltering summers and low annual rainfall, and it has become even hotter over the past five years.

Detailed climate simulation in the report reveals that the Arabian Gulf and the Sultanate of Oman form a particular regional hotspot where climate change is likely to cross the survivability threshold in the absence of drastic carbon cuts.

Moreover, much of Oman’s population, infrastructure, and economic activity are located in coastal zones and are vulnerable to sea-level rise, salt-water intrusion, and more frequent extreme tropical cyclones

Over years from 2015 to 2019, Oman has developed a national strategy for adaptation and mitigation to climate change 2020-2040 to match climate actions’ pace and scale.

The strategic context for adaptation is rooted in Oman’s ineluctable exposure to intensifying tropical cyclones, increasing temperatures, and rising sea levels.

“Understanding land use, climate, water resources, and agriculture and fisheries are an essential context for identifying, designing, and implementing preparedness and response measures to reduce the vulnerability of communities, resources, and systems,” the report points out.

The mitigation strategy basis is rooted in recognising the need to control a trend of greenhouse gas emissions growth. A review of population growth, economic trends, and energy supply and demand represents the essential context for prioritising, finance, and implementing cost-effective efficiency and renewable energy strategies to slow the growth in national greenhouse gas emissions.

According to the report from 2017 to 2019, the Sultanate of Oman has established a strategic framework for engagement with the GCF through the Country’s Programme on Climate Change initiatives and priorities.

Six thematic areas (i) Water resources, (ii) Agriculture, (iii) Marine, and Fisheries, (iv) Urban Areas, (v) Health, (vi) Energy efficiency) have been identified in the country engagement programme for the GCF to finance over the medium-term.

The Sultanate of Oman has prepared the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) proposal with GCF from 2018-2020.