Rise, Decline, and Ultimate Demise of the Middle East: 15,000 Years of Recurring Climate Crises

Beyond the broad historic analysis, this talk derives conclusions for today’s debate on whether climate change leads to more social conflict and violence. While the MENA region may not survive the latest onslaught of deteriorating climate, there is also some interest in how a region that once led the world in introducing all sorts of innovations thousands of years ago has evolved into a contemporary setting characterized by traditional conservatism, poverty, and incessant strife.