Analysis of Climate Change Impacts on the Food System Security of Saudi Arabia

Muhammad Muhitur Rahman (), Runa Akter, Jaber Bin Abdul Bari, Md Arif Hasan, Mohammad Shahedur Rahman, Syed Abu Shoaib, Ziad Nayef Shatnawi, Ammar Fayez Alshayeb, Faisal Ibrahim Shalabi, Aminur Rahman, Mohammed Ahmed Alsanad and Syed Masiur Rahman
Additional contact information
Muhammad Muhitur Rahman: Al Bilad Bank Scholarly Chair for Food Security in Saudi Arabia, The Deanship of Scientific Research, The Vice Presidency for Graduate Studies and Scientific Research, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia
Runa Akter: Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, University of Chittagong, Chittagong 4331, Bangladesh
Jaber Bin Abdul Bari: Department of Oceanography, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali 3814, Bangladesh
Md Arif Hasan: Climate Change Response Unit, Wellington City Council, 113 The Terrace, Wellington 6011, New Zealand
Mohammad Shahedur Rahman: Civil Engineering Department, College of Engineering, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh 13318, Saudi Arabia
Syed Abu Shoaib: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia
Ziad Nayef Shatnawi: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia
Ammar Fayez Alshayeb: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia
Faisal Ibrahim Shalabi: Department of Civil Engineering, Hijjawi Faculty for Engineering Technology, Yarmouk University, Irbid 21163, Jordan
Aminur Rahman: Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Clinical Pharmacy, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia
Mohammed Ahmed Alsanad: Department of Environment and Agricultural Natural Resources, College of Agricultural and Food Sciences, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia
Syed Masiur Rahman: Applied Research Center for Environment & Marine Studies, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM), Dhahran 31260, Saudi Arabia

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 21, 1-19

Abstract: Climate change poses a challenge to the security and long-term viability of the global food supply chain. Climate unpredictability and extreme weather events have significant impacts on Saudi Arabia’s vulnerable food system, which is already under stress. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia faces distinct challenges in comparison to other dry locations across the world. Here, the per capita water demand is high, the population is growing, the water resources are extremely limited, and there is little information on the existing groundwater supplies. Consequently, it is anticipated that there will be formidable obstacles in the future. In order to make data-driven decisions, policymakers should be aware of causal links. The complex concerns pertaining to the Saudi Arabian food system were analyzed and rationally explained in the current study. A causality analysis examined different driving factors, including temperature, greenhouse gas (GHG) emission, population, and gross domestic product (GDP) that cause vulnerabilities in the country’s food system. The results of the long-run causality test show that GDP has a positive causal relationship with the demand for food, which implies that the demand for food will increase in the long run with an increase in GDP. The result also shows that Saudi Arabia’s GDP and population growth are contributing to the increase in their total GHG emissions. Although the Kingdom has made some efforts to combat climate change, there are still plenty of opportunities for it to implement some of the greatest strategies to guarantee the nation’s food security. This study also highlights the development of appropriate policy approaches to diversify its import sources to ensure future food security.

Keywords: food system vulnerabilities; climate change policy; agriculture; adaptation and mitigation strategies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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