Oman

Oman Environmental Overview

Oman, located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, presents a unique environmental profile characterized by its arid desert climate and significant urbanization. With 95.2% of its land categorized as 'other,' Oman has minimal forest cover but maintains 4.8% of agricultural land, largely dedicated to permanent pasture. The climate varies across the region, with elevated temperatures and humidity along the coastline, while the interior remains hot and arid. The powerful southwest monsoon affects the southern areas from May to September, influencing local weather patterns. Urbanization is prominent, with 88.4% of the population residing in urban areas as of 2023. Despite facing environmental challenges such as scarce freshwater resources and desertification, Oman is committed to various international environmental agreements, including the Paris Agreement, to address these issues. This commitment underscores the nation's proactive approach to managing its environmental footprint.

Climate

arid desert; elevated temperatures and humidity along the coastline; hot and arid conditions in the interior; powerful southwest summer monsoon (May to September) affecting the southern regions

Land use

other

95.2% (2023 est.)

forest

0% (2023 est.)

agricultural land

4.8% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 0.3% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.1% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 4.4% (2023 est.)

Urbanization

urban population

88.4% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization

2.32% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Methane emissions

other

9.9 kt (2019-2021 est.)

waste

62.4 kt (2019-2021 est.)

energy

673.6 kt (2022-2024 est.)

agriculture

36.8 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

3.308 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

13.9% (2022 est.)

Environmental issues

scarce natural freshwater supplies; elevated soil and water salinity in coastal areas; beach contamination from oil spills; industrial waste affecting the water table and aquifers; desertification caused by strong winds transporting desert sand into cultivable land

Total water withdrawal

municipal

130 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial

238 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

agricultural

1.547 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

total emissions

84.073 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from consumed natural gas

54.8 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from coal and metallurgical coke

661,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

28.611 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

34.9 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

1.4 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

International environmental agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements