Saudi Arabia, a country characterized by its vast deserts, unique geographical features, and rich cultural heritage, stands at the precipice of a transformative challenge: adapting to the impacts of a rapidly changing climate. As global temperatures continue to rise due to the accumulation of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere, Saudi Arabia is projected to experience more rapid changes in its climate patterns compared to other regions. This will not only intensify climate-related risks across the country, but also profoundly impact biodiversity, freshwater resources, agricultural productivity, industry and economy, and the health and well-being of its people.
Executive Director- Climate & Sustainability
Mohamad Hejazi is the executive director for the Climate and Sustainability Program at KAPSARC. He also leads the Climate Change…
Mohamad Hejazi is the executive director for the Climate and Sustainability Program at KAPSARC. He also leads the Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Partnership (CAMP) project, and his work focuses on climate change research, climate impacts and adaptation, climate mitigation, integrated assessment modeling, and energy-water-land nexus. Prior to joining KAPSARC, Mohamad worked as a senior research scientist at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, where he served as the principal investigator for the Global Change Intersectoral Modeling System project, a multi-million-dollar project that includes over 40 interdisciplinary researchers across many institutions. He has also led and contributed to projects with the World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, US-AID, US-EPA, USGS, NASA, and NSF-INFEWS. Mohamad has authored over 100 journal publications, and he has also served as a contributing author to the Fourth U.S. National Climate Assessment, and the AR6 IPCC WG III report on the mitigation of climate change. Mohamad holds a B.S. and M.S. from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
Expertise
- Climate change research
- Climate impacts and adaptation
- Climate mitigation
- Integrated assessment modeling
- Energy-water-land nexus
Publications See all Mohamad Hejazi’s publications
Assessing the Potential and Feasibility of Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) Technologies in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, a country characterized by its vast deserts, unique geographical features, and rich cultural…
30th September 2024The Path to 2060: Saudi Arabia’s Long-Term Pathway for GHG Emission Reduction
Saudi Arabia, a country characterized by its vast deserts, unique geographical features, and rich cultural…
25th September 2024