Between the import of Western concepts and terminology that often fail to reflect the Arab context, and the denial of the climate crisis, or the inability to communicate it in clear, accessible terms, journalism plays a vital role in informing the public and revealing how climate change directly affects the fabric of daily life in the Arab world.

Between official news about climate conferences and international agreements, overly optimistic government plans, and journalistic coverage either mired in pessimism or technical jargon, many may feel that climate change is a complex and inevitable issue, at once abstract and disconnected from everyday life.

On the other hand, talking about the climate crisis may seem like a luxury amidst the wars and political and economic crises afflicting many Arab countries, an issue only rich and stable nations can afford to worry about. Moreover, some question the dominant narratives about climate change in the region, especially since much of the information comes from international organizations and Western sources that may carry unclear agendas or present perspectives that fail to reflect local realities and the priorities of the region’s peoples.

Yet, as one of the regions most affected by climate change, the Arab world faces escalating threats to food security, energy security, public health, and socioeconomic stability. The effects of global warming are becoming more apparent by the day, from the Gulf to the Maghreb, with increasingly frequent and severe heatwaves, prolonged droughts, rising sea levels, wildfires, floods, and sandstorms. The most vulnerable groups facing these shifts are small-scale farmers, herders, agricultural laborers, fishers, and low-income families.

Talking about the climate crisis may seem like a luxury amidst the wars and political and economic crises afflicting many Arab countries, an issue only rich and stable nations can afford to worry about. Moreover, some question the dominant narratives about climate change in the region, especially since much of the information comes from international organizations and Western sources that may carry unclear agendas or present perspectives that fail to reflect local realities and the priorities of the region’s peoples.

Amid growing risks and diverging views and priorities, how can journalism fulfill its role in fact-checking, analysing climate policies, holding institutions accountable, amplifying marginalized voices, framing issues, and translating abstract concepts into tangible realities?

It may seem obvious that headlines play a central role, they are the first thing to grab the audience’s attention and influence their decision to engage with or skip the content. But headlines do more than attract attention; they help shape the framework through which audiences understand issues and guide their perceptions, including of climate change.

A review of prominent climate change headlines in the region reveals a clear pattern: many tend to either adopt a pessimistic tone, emphasizing extreme environmental disasters and portraying future events as inevitable and imminent, such as “Heat Out of Control: A Climate Catastrophe Awaits Earth by 2200”, which can cause readers to lose interest, even when the information is accurate; or they rely on complex scientific terminology unfamiliar to many, such as “greenhouse gases” and “carbon capture,” or reference abstract phenomena that feel disconnected from people’s lives, like “Arctic ice melt” and “ocean warming,” as seen in a headline like “Ocean Warming Disrupts Vital Carbon Storage Processes.”

In contrast, headlines that link climate phenomena to their direct impact on people’s daily lives are often clearer and more engaging for the public. Examples include: “Winter Grain Production in Lebanon Down 38.4% Due to War and Climate,” or “Drought, Desertification, and Migration Threaten the Disappearance of Morocco’s Oases.”

Meanwhile, coverage of climate conferences and “green” initiatives is frequently presented with formal, high-level language that implies everything is unfolding according to a well-crafted plan. This technocratic framing makes the crisis appear to be a distant, administrative matter, detached from everyday realities, evident in headlines like “Jordan Confronts Climate Change with 86 Growth Projects” or “The Green Middle East: What Is the Saudi Carbon Neutrality Initiative Aiming For?” Such headlines often overlook pressing issues such as drying dams, crop failures, and the increasing strain on water and energy resources.

A review of climate-related headlines reveals that most tend to either adopt a pessimistic tone, emphasizing severe environmental disasters and portraying future extreme events as inevitable and imminent, such as "A Climate Catastrophe Awaits Earth by 2200", which can cause readers to disengage, even if the report is accurate; or they rely on scientific jargon that may be inaccessible to many, like "greenhouse gases" or "carbon capture", or on abstract concepts that feel removed from people’s everyday lives.

The climate crisis is not merely a matter of theories, international reports, or complex terminology, it is a lived, daily reality. It manifests in rising food prices and fraud within food industries due to declining production, frequent power outages as air conditioning demand surges, and increasing cases of drought-related illnesses, heatstroke, and food poisoning, particularly among the elderly and children, during prolonged heatwaves. It is present in the growing number of hospital admissions linked to respiratory illnesses and dust-triggered allergies, in the displacement of communities losing their livelihoods, in the declining quality of water and sanitation services caused by reduced rainfall, and in the increased reliance on pesticides amid worsening pest infestations, among many other examples.

Although such stories, from food inflation to power cuts, receive broad media coverage, they are often presented in isolation from the broader context of climate change. Yet their direct connection to everyday life makes them powerful entry points for introducing the issue in a way that is more relatable and accessible to the public. A headline like “Why Did My Electricity Bill Go Up?” is likely to generate far more engagement than a generic one such as “Heatwave Threats,” because readers are seeking explanations that reflect their lived experiences.

This approach applies not only to headlines but also to the substance of coverage itself. When content remains too general or overly technical, discussing topics such as “the challenge of adapting to climate” or “building sustainable cities” without breaking down their implications in the reader’s specific context, the gap between climate journalism and its audience widens.

By contrast, climate-related topics can be addressed through a range of formats tailored to the nature of the story and the target audience. One particularly effective approach is narrative storytelling that draws on real-life experiences of people confronting the impacts of climate change. When paired with scientific data, such stories can help build a clearer understanding of the broader picture and foster deeper audience engagement.

Although stories about rising food prices and power outages receive widespread coverage, they are often presented without reference to the context of climate change. Yet their direct connection to everyday life makes them an effective entry point for raising the issue in a way that is more relatable and clear to the public. A headline like "Why Did the Electricity Bill Go Up?" is likely to resonate far more than a general one like "The Threat of Heatwaves."

Notably, while journalists may sometimes feel compelled to offer solutions when covering complex issues like the climate crisis, some studies have shown that audiences may reject the issue altogether if the proposed solutions do not align with their political beliefs. Rushing to present fixes can overshadow a deeper understanding of the problem itself; its roots, dimensions, and context. This highlights the importance of assessing when and how to introduce solutions based on the specific narrative and audience.

In covering climate change in the Arab region, journalists face not only a knowledge-based challenge but also the critical task of building trust with audiences in a context where the issue is often framed through a “Western lens.” This lens tends to emphasize narratives about “green projects” and “sustainability” that are tied to political agendas advancing the interests of dominant powers. Such framing often normalizes environmental exploitation and the continued extraction of natural resources at the expense of local communities.

This trust gap is further exacerbated by the enduring influence of industrialized nations and global actors that have historically played a central role in deepening the climate crisis. Public skepticism grows when these same powers promote solutions that place a disproportionate share of adaptation costs on countries and communities least responsible for greenhouse gas emissions. The situation is worsened by an increasing reliance on loans from international institutions, marketed as “climate finance”, which often add financial burdens rather than provide the kind of equitable support needed to advance true climate justice.

In covering climate change in the Arab region, journalists face not only a knowledge-based challenge but also the critical task of building trust with audiences in a context where the issue is often framed through a “Western lens.”

Campbell, T. H., and A. C. Kay. "Solution Aversion: On the Relation Between Ideology and Motivated Disbelief." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 107, no. 5 (2014): 809–824. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0037963.