Objective:
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Abu Dhabi Global Environmental Data Initiative (AGEDI) published in December 2013an Atlas brings focus and draws the attention of decision makers and the public to environmental changes in key selected areas in more than 80 countries in the Arab region. The Arab Region: Atlas of Our Changing Environment examines the impact of human activities in the Arab region through imagery. It is documented and quantified to show environmental changes taking place on land, in the water, and in the air. Readers can explore ground photographs, current and historical satellite images, and narrative based on extensive scientific evidence.
The Process:
The most pressing environmental issues faced by each of the Arab countries were identified using peer reviewed reports and public information and confirmed by the countries. Those identified include: water scarcity, desertification and land degradation, threats to marine and coastal ecosystems, pollution, population pressures on the land, deforestation and biodiversity loss.
Main Achievements:
Aimed at environmental policy-makers, nongovernmental organizations, the private sector, academics, teachers and the public, the atlas will bring local-level changes to the attention of global audiences and support improved decision-making and policy formulation for a more sustainable future. The atlas is the an addition to a UNEP coordinated series of atlases that began in 2005 with the launch of a global atlas – “One Planet, Many People.”
Link to file: Arab Atlas of Environmental Change (8860 downloads )
Atlas Highlights Brochure: Arab Region: Atlas of Our Changing Environment HIGHLIGHTS (3621 downloads )
Additional Downloads:
