Kuwait's climate crisis

When it comes to the climate crisis, Kuwait is a land of superlatives. The tiny, wealthy nation sandwiched between Iraq and Saudi Arabia is among the world's top oil producers and has one of the highest emissions per capita.  

In 2020, the country emitted more than 20 tons of CO2, Our World in Data reported, while the Democratic Republic of Congo only recorded 0.03 tons. 

But Kuwait is also feeling the effects of global warming to the extreme. In 2016, a region in the northwest of the nation hit 54 degrees Celsius (127.2 degrees Fahrenheit). That's the third highest temperature ever recorded on Earth — the highest in recent history. Last year, there were 19 days where temperatures soared to 50 degrees Celsius or higher, according to the forecast service AccuWeather.  

The sweltering heat waves can make the country almost unlivable. Birds have dropped dead from the sky and seahorses have boiled to death in the bay, news agency AP reported. Rising sea temperatures could also cause maritime species to migrate to other areas, threatening the local fish industry.  

For humans, being exposed to these scorching temperatures for prolonged periods of time could result in heat exhaustion, cardiovascular problems or even death.  

Those who can, seek refuge from the scorching temperatures in malls or their air-conditioned homes and offices. The need for artificial cooling is one of the driving factors behind Kuwait's high fossil-fueled energy use. A 2020 study found that about 67% of electricity used in residences comes from air conditioning. Another major factor is that the government subsidizes electricity costs so heavily that residents don't have an incentive to curb their consumption. 

But some don't have the luxury of escaping indoors. Kuwait has a significant population of migrants – about 70%, according to the International Organization for Migration. Many of them work outdoors in construction, agriculture or delivery. A ScienceDirect study found that non-Kuwaiti males were at a higher risk of dying when temperatures rose than local men. 

The country has also seen more frequent dust storms, flooding and rising levels. All effects that inhabitants are taking note of, according to a report by the London School of Economics.  

Still, many aren't aware of the root causes of the crisis. Older generations in particular are more likely to write off climate issues as an act of God and to be more resistant to solutions like public transport, the study said. 

Environmentalists are alarmed that this lack of urgency can also be felt at a policy level.  

Oil-rich neighbors Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have already pledged net-zero emissions in the coming decades. But Kuwait's promise at the COP26 summit in Glasgow last year was comparatively timid: The country aims to cut 7.4% of greenhouse emissions by 2035.  

For now, the Gulf nation is still completely dependent on fossil fuels for energy. But the energy demand will triple by 2030, according to its Ministry of Electricity and Water. A possible factor could be the country's unsustainable electricity usage, but also the fact that rising temperatures will drive more and more people to indoor cooling.  

Without diversifying its energy sources, Kuwait risks not sustaining its own guzzling consumption. But more importantly it risks making parts of its country uninhabitable.  

Edited by: Tamsin Walker