What is the truth behind the climate change risks in the Middle East and the lack of coverage? Conflicts and news priorities: The invisible climate crisis in the Middle East

Introduction: Why the "Most Exposed Region" Has the "Lowest Coverage"

The MENA region is simultaneously exposed to multiple risks such as extreme heat, reduced precipitation, drought and desertification, sandstorms and floods, and rising sea levels. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace concluded that Middle Eastern countries are among the "most exposed nations in the world" to the impacts of anthropogenic climate change. Despite this, the volume of climate reporting by regional media has remained one of the lowest globally over the past 20 years. In August 2025, MeCCO's measurements showed that the average number of climate-related articles per media outlet in the Middle East was about one, compared to 66 in North America for the same month. This is not merely "negligence." Structural constraints are layered upon each other.  Media and Climate Change Observatory

Background 1: Heat and Water Scarcity Changing Daily Life

The year 2024 became the hottest on record, with the global average temperature rising by +1.55°C compared to pre-industrial levels. A series of extreme events occurred across a wide area, including North Africa. During the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, it was reported that many died in the extreme heat of around 50°C, highlighting the lethal nature of extreme heat even during religious events. The MENA region is the most water-stressed in the world, and chronic water shortages affect agriculture, urban areas, health, and social stability.  

Background 2: Mechanisms of "Thinning" Coverage

Climate is a "slow-moving disaster," and its news value is often overshadowed by incidents, conflicts, and political drama. Additionally, the lack of specialized journalists, constraints on editorial resources, and the opacity of data access all hinder in-depth reporting. As noted by DW Akademie, coverage tends to be biased towards extreme events, government announcements, and international conferences, with weak integration into everyday life issues. Furthermore, a "spike pattern" of interest is observed, where coverage increases only around monthly international conferences or "environmental days" and diminishes during normal times. Carnegie Endowment

Case: Jordan Demonstrates "Climate as Security"

Jordan is a key to regional stability and has accepted a large number of refugees, but it faces a severe water crisis, with per capita water resources dropping to 60m³ per year. Amidst news dominated by conflicts and security risks, climate issues are often treated as "secondary." When capacity development and campaigns funded by foreign sources fail to contextualize, they can lead to distrust. This highlights the need to "reframe climate not as an abstract global issue, but as 'life security' involving safety, food, employment, and mobility."

Research Shows Improvements in "Narrative"

Recent research indicates that repeating catastrophic scenarios that incite fear can lead to a sense of helplessness among citizens and undermine long-term engagement. On the other hand, framing that connects to immediate benefits such as solutions journalism and health, water, and food tends to enhance engagement. Comparative analyses of television reporting in Jordan and the Arab world also suggest that institutional contexts of countries and stations create framing differences, and presenting examples rooted in domestic "lived experiences" sustains interest.

Reactions on Social Media: What Generates Support and Opposition

Regarding the sharing of this contribution (The Conversation) by various media outlets, an overview of posts and comments on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook reveals the following prominent types of reactions.

• A "life-connected" request stating, "While disaster visualization has progressed, it has not translated into everyday issues of 'water, power, and labor.'"

• The argument of "reporting priorities," stating "conflicts and governance issues take precedence."

• A "method criticism" stating, "There is a bias towards government announcements and international conferences, with little on-the-ground reporting by journalists."

• A need for "solution-oriented" content, stating "more solutions and success stories."
  (Seen in the comment sections of posts like BusinessLine's official X post and The Conversation UK's Facebook share post). X (formerly Twitter)

Note: The above is not a verbatim quote of individual posts but a summary of the "tendencies" of reactions accompanying public posts. Due to the nature of social media, statements are diverse and may contradict each other.

Four Things the Media Can Do

1. Constant Access to Local Data
   Continuously obtain and visualize meteorological/hydrological data, health statistics, agricultural yields, and power shortages. Standardize "on-site verification" by cross-referencing regional figures with annual reports from international organizations (WMO, UN, World Bank). World Meteorological OrganizationThe Guardian

2. Training and Ensuring the Safety of Specialized Journalists
   Organize short-term intensive programs integrating basic training in environment and science, safety and legal aspects of reporting, and data interpretation. Compensate for "staff shortages" through joint reporting among regional media and cross-border teams.

3. Connecting to "Life Issues" with a Solution-Oriented Approach
   Discuss "life lines" such as heatwaves = health, drought = food prices and employment, sandstorms = education and logistics. Increase coverage of success stories (water conservation, irrigation, renewable energy, early warning) and structure failure cases as lessons.

4. Simultaneously Engage in Dialogue and Counter Misinformation on Social Media
   Utilize the "instantaneous nature" of posts while countering misinformation with verifiable evidence (data/sources) and diagrams. Design a "feedback loop" that incorporates citizens' experiential knowledge into reporting. quotaclimat.org

Proposals for Readers, Public Sector, and Companies

• Readers: "Save and share" articles not only during disasters but also in normal times, and bring them up as topics in municipalities, schools, and workplaces.

• Public Sector: Facilitate journalists' access by unifying the "inquiry window" and making data on meteorology, water resources, health, etc., publicly available. Carnegie Endowment

• Companies: Disclose examples of implementing heatwave measures, water conservation, renewable energy, and efficiency at the supply chain level. Use "verifiable numbers" instead of "advertising."

Conclusion: From Moments of "Visualization" to Habits of "Continuation"

Globally, climate reporting spikes during UN conferences and commemorative days, but what impacts daily life is the "accumulation of everyday efforts." Collaboration among Middle Eastern journalists, editors, researchers, and citizens is the shortest path to breaking the scorching silence. Phys.org

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