The human and economic cost of air pollution and the degradation of seas and coasts is immense, estimated at more than 3% of GDP in some countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), according to a new report from the World Bank.

The report, Blue Skies, Blue Seas: Air Pollution, Marine Plastics and Coastal Erosion in the Middle East and North Africafocuses on the degradation of “blue” natural assets in the MENA region (clean air, healthy seas and stable coasts) and offers policy recommendations to reverse the threat to this natural capital.

“Polluted skies and seas cost the health, social and economic well-being of millions of people in the Middle East and North Africa regionsaid Ferid Belhaj, World Bank Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa. “As countries recover from COVID-19, there is an opportunity to change course and choose a greener, bluer and more sustainable growth path that generates lower emissions and less environmental degradation,” he added.

Air pollution levels in MENA’s largest cities are among the highest in the world, with the average urban resident breathing air that exceeds the level of pollutants considered safe by the WHO by more than 10 times. , according to the report. Air pollution causes approximately 270,000 deaths per year (more than deaths from traffic accidents, diabetes, malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and acute hepatitis combined) and the resident average in the MENA region is ill for at least 60 days in their lifetime due to exposure to high temperatures. air pollution levels. The economic costs of air pollution are immense – around $141 billion per year, or 2% of regional GDP.

The seas in the MENA region have also become more polluted, and the average resident dumps more than 6 kg of plastic waste into the region’s seas every year, the highest level in the world. According to the report, the annual average cost of marine plastic pollution is around 0.8% of GDP. One of the main causes of this plastic waste is the poor management of solid waste and an overuse of plastics, in part due to the lack of alternatives to plastic. The Maghreb and Mashreq regions mismanage about 60% of their waste, and open dumps are common, including in high-income Gulf countries. Total waste generation is expected to nearly double by 2050 to 255 million tonnes (from 129 million tonnes in 2016), further compounding the problem.

Added to dirty seas is a growing risk posed by coastal erosion, with coasts in the MENA region eroding at the second fastest rate in the world. In the Maghreb alone, coastlines have eroded by an average of about 15 centimeters per year, more than double the global average of 7 centimeters per year, according to the report. The disappearance of beaches in the MENA region threatens livelihoods, especially among the poor. Shrinking coastlines are hurting fishing, reducing coastal tourism and compromising related activities. The estimated direct cost of coastal erosion in terms of land and buildings destroyed (excluding indirect costs such as reduced tourism revenue) ranges from 0.2% of GDP in Algeria to 2.8% in Tunisia.

The deterioration of blue assets in the MENA region is due to a series of shortcomings, but the common thread in all three challenges is a lack of reliable knowledge of the sources and sectors responsible. Therefore, improved source attribution studies of air and marine plastic pollution as well as more detailed studies of the coastal dynamics of coastal erosion are essential. Likewise, awareness programs on these three issues are essential to inform the public and stimulate demand for change.

More specifically for air pollution, the report suggests pricing the cost of air pollution and reforming fossil fuel subsidies and creating markets for emissions, while providing cleaner transportation options. Effective enforcement of stricter emission standards for industry is crucial, as are improvements in solid waste management to reduce open burning of agricultural and municipal waste.

To tackle marine plastic pollution, the report’s recommendations include improving solid waste management, creating reliable market structures for recycling markets, and increasing collaboration with the private sector for alternatives to plastic, all by reducing fossil fuel subsidies that artificially lower the price of plastics relative to alternatives.

To combat coastal erosion, governments need to better understand the drivers of erosion and identify hotspots while embarking on integrated coastal zone management programs and adopting nature-based solutions that protect coastlines. , including dune vegetation or artificial reefs. Additionally, practices that exacerbate coastal erosion need to be controlled, including effectively banning illegal sand mining and upgrading dams that obstruct the flow of sediment from rivers to coasts, according to the report.

“Healthy blue assets are at the epicenter of trade, tourism and industry in the MENA region and although much more needs to be done, many countries now recognize the urgent need to protect this vital natural capital through the through reforms, regulations, partnerships and investments.said Ayat Soliman, World Bank Sustainable Development Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

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