As climate change accelerates, the Middle East is heating up nearly twice as fast as the global average and Kuwait is at the centre of this alarming trend. Countries on the Arabian Peninsula, including Kuwait, are projected to face temperature increases of 3–4°C decades earlier than much of the world. In fact, this shift is no longer theoretical it’s already happening. Kuwait recorded a sweltering 54°C in 2016, one of the hottest temperatures ever documented worldwide. But heat isn’t the only hazard the country faces. Kuwait is also witnessing more intense and unpredictable rainfall events, leading to severe flash floods in cities like Jeddah, Riyadh, Dubai, and Kuwait City.
This dangerous mix of extreme heat and flash floods is creating multi-hazard scenarios that are pushing Kuwait’s disaster management systems beyond their limits. With growing urban populations, fragile infrastructure, and climate-sensitive geography, the stakes have never been higher.
A System Stuck in Reactive Mode
Kuwait’s disaster management framework remains largely reactive. Following the catastrophic flash floods of 2018, public criticism centred on failing drainage systems. The government responded by focusing on short-term fixes like cleaning and maintaining stormwater systems. While necessary, such responses fail to address the deeper causes of recurring climate-related disasters.
The Flood Committee Kuwait’s main coordinating body for emergency response, is only activated after warnings are issued by the Meteorological Office. Comprising various ministries and agencies, the committee’s role is limited to damage control, not risk prevention. Experts stress that long-term climate resilience requires proactive governance, long-range planning, and coordinated investment in sustainable infrastructure.
Heat Governance Gaps and Ad Hoc Measures
Extreme heat remains an under-addressed risk in Kuwait. Despite the rising frequency of dangerous heatwaves, no central authority has clear responsibility for heat management. Policies exist such as restricted working hours during the hot season but they are sporadic and lack integration into broader urban or public health planning. Kuwait’s National Adaptation Plan (2019–2030) acknowledges the environmental impact of rising temperatures, but it doesn’t present a strategy for protecting people and infrastructure from the direct societal effects of extreme heat.
The current reliance on air conditioning and desalination to manage heat and water scarcity is both energy-intensive and unsustainable. These stopgap solutions may provide short-term relief but are incompatible with Kuwait’s long-term decarbonisation goals and global climate commitments.
Urban Growth Versus Climate Resilience
Ironically some of Kuwait’s economic development efforts may be exacerbating its climate risks. Under Vision 2035, the country is investing heavily in urban construction to transform itself into a Northern Gulf financial hub. While this aligns with global low-carbon transition goals, rapid urban growth is often occurring in flood-prone areas without adequate climate risk assessments. The result? Increased vulnerability for newly arrived labour migrants and low-income groups, who are disproportionately exposed to flooding and heat.
Urban planning must be climate-informed, ensuring that development aligns with resilience goals. This means designing cities that can withstand extreme weather while protecting the most vulnerable residents.
Toward Integrated and Locally Led Adaptation
Kuwait now has the opportunity to transition from reactive crisis management to proactive climate adaptation. To do this, it must adopt a multi-hazard, cross-sectoral strategy that addresses the interconnectedness of climate risks from urban infrastructure to public health and water systems.
Tools like the Zurich Climate Resilience Alliance framework, which is already being tested in Kuwait City, offer a practical way forward. This model helps distinguish between general resilience measures (like healthcare access or transportation continuity) and hazard-specific strategies (like flood barriers or heatwave shelters). Crucially, it supports adaptation planning that reflects the needs and capacities of local communities helping policymakers identify co-benefits and avoid unintended consequences.
From Policy to People: The Road Ahead
Ultimately Kuwait’s path forward must be rooted in inclusive governance and equity. This means integrating the needs of vulnerable groups especially non-citizens in high-risk zones into planning processes and empowering communities to shape their own climate responses. It also requires political commitment to overhaul existing urban planning practices, increase inter-agency coordination, and develop long-term forward-looking adaptation policies.
The threat of climate change is no longer in the future it’s here now. Kuwait can either continue reacting to disasters as they unfold or become a regional leader in proactive, inclusive climate resilience. The choice it makes today will determine not just its environmental future, but the safety, stability, and prosperity of its people.