event
Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center

Climate Change in the Maghreb: The Challenge of Regional Cooperation and its Alternatives

Wed. March 26th, 2025
Virtual

The Maghreb region faces mounting climate challenges, with rising temperatures, water scarcity and extreme weather events posing significant threats to socioeconomic stability. While these challenges require coordinated responses, longstanding fragmentation amongst Maghreb countries has hindered meaningful cooperation, leaving states to address climate risks through national policies and external partnerships. In Morocco’s Eastern Region, the closure of the border with Algeria disrupted longstanding socioeconomic networks, prompting Moroccan authorities to pursue infrastructure projects and alternative employment strategies. However, water scarcity remains a critical concern, highlighting the need for more integrated climate adaptation efforts. Similar climate-driven pressures affect other parts of the Maghreb, emphasising the need for regionally informed strategies to not only address environmental vulnerabilities but also strengthen the resilience of states and communities.

The Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center is hosting a panel discussion on the implications of climate change in the Maghreb and the prospects for regional cooperation on Wednesday, March 26, at 4:00 PM, EET Beirut time (UTC+2)/ 10:00 AM EDT. Bringing together experts in environmental policy and regional affairs, the discussion will assess national adaptation efforts, the effectiveness of existing mechanisms at the local and regional levels, and opportunities for enhanced collaboration across the Middle East, North Africa, and the wider African continent.

The panel will focus on a recently published Carnegie paper titled “De-Peripheralizing Morocco’s East in the Face of Climate Change and Border Securitization”, authored by Yasmine Zarhloule, a non-resident scholar at the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center. The speakers are Joy Arkeh, a research assistant in the Middle East Program, and Frederic Wehrey, a senior Fellow in the Middle East Program. The panel, moderated by Yasmine Zarhloule, will examine the interaction between climate action and economic resilience.

The event will be held in English, and viewers are invited to submit questions to the panelists via the live chat feature on Facebook and YouTube. For more information, please contact Najwa Yassine at najwa.yassine@carnegie-mec.org.

This publication was produced with support from the X-Border Local Research Network, a program funded by UK International Development from the UK government. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK government’s official policies.
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
event speakers

Yasmine Zarhloule

Nonresident Scholar, Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center

Yasmine Zarhloule is a nonresident scholar at the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center.

Joy Arkeh

Research Assistant, Middle East Program

Joy Arkeh is a research assistant in the Middle East Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where she focuses on climate change, vulnerability, and governance in the Middle East and North Africa.

Frederic Wehrey

Senior Fellow, Middle East Program

Frederic Wehrey is a senior fellow in the Middle East Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where his research focuses on governance, conflict, and security in Libya, North Africa, and the Persian Gulf.