Environmental factors in the Middle East and North Africa have played a crucial role in the historical and social development of the region. The book delves into a broad set of historical literature from the past 15,000 years that neglected to consider environmental factors to their full effect.

William R. Thompson is Distinguished Professor and Rogers Chair of Political Science Emeritus, Indiana University; Editor-in-Chief of the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics; a former President of the International Studies Association; and a former Editor-in-Chief of International Studies Quarterly.

Leila Zakhirova is Associate Professor of Political Science at Concordia College, Moorhead, MN, and a Co-Editor of Asian Security. She is currently researching the impact of climate change on human security.

1. 15,000 Years of Climate Change in the MENA: Big History, Big Questions 2. Climate Change from the Younger Dryas to the Little Ice Age 3. The Origins of Agriculture, Drought, and Ancient Empires 4. Drought and Political-Economic Transformations in the Ancient Near East 5. Cooling, Water Scarcity, and Societal Crises in Ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt 6. Environmental Fragility in the MENA from Late Antiquity to Early Modern Eras 7. Global Warming in the MENA Today and In the Coming Decades 8. Climate Wars - Canaries in the Coal Mine? 9. Water, Food, and Adaptation 10. The End of the MENA?