How is the Middle East and North Africa affected by climate change?

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is set to feel the full effects of climate change with NGO Greenpeace warning late last year that the region will warm up almost twice as fast as the global average.

From water shortages, to heat extremes and rising sea levels, the region is set to feel the force of increasing global temperatures.

Here are some of the ways different countries and areas are already affected:

Droughts and water shortages

One of the latest countries to feel the effects of drought is Tunisia. The North African country is suffering from its fifth continuous year of drought with authorities continuing to ration water.

Spigots are cut off for seven hours from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. in a state-ordered water rationing in most regions across the country, including the capital Tunis. Authorities have also forbidden the use of potable water for irrigation of farmlands, watering green areas in cities and for cleaning streets and cars.

Those who do not follow water-rationing orders can risk fines or jail, as water levels at almost all of Tunisia’s 30-plus dams have fallen drastically, some as low as 17 percent of their storage capacity.