Covid-19 outbreak will be taken under control after a while, but climate change keeps staying as a bigger problem before the world, according to Professor Barbaros Gönençgil, head of geography department at Istanbul University.

The 6th International Congress of Islamic World Geographers on "Regional Issues and Cooperation Policy in the Middle East" organized online by Kharazmi University and Iranian Geography and Urban Planning Association on December 17-18, 2020.

Professor Gönençgil, who is also the Vice President of International Geographical Union, made a speech on "The Effects Of Climate Change On Major Future Changes and Evolutions Within Middle Eastern Islamic Countries".

"The whole world has been intensely struggling with the Covid-19 outbreak for the last one year. Pandemic has become the first problem in the world today. This epidemic, which causes millions of people to get unwell, lose their lives, and suffer economic losses, will be taken under control after a while and the countries of the world will continue their economic and political struggles from where they left off." said Gönençgil.

"However, just like the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change, which affects millions of people, causes loss of their lives and jobs, causes social and political problems with irregular migration, also creates a pandemic effect. The countries most affected by this 'pandemic' climate change is the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries. Because these regions are the most vulnerable regions, most affected by climate changes. Since human history, these regions have faced natural disasters on the one hand, and have been at the center of military, political and economic conflicts on the other." he stressed.

"However, no human struggle can be considered independent of the natural environment. For this reason, it does not seem possible that all kinds of human activities, especially those that concern Middle Eastern countries, will not be affected by the experienced and future climate change. In this study, possible effects of climate change on the Islamic countries of the Middle East today and in the future will be evaluated and solutions will be given." he added.

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