A NASA study has confirmed that the drought which started in 1998 in the Eastern Mediterranean is the worst in 900 years, reports phys.org, citing the study which was published in the Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres.

Climate change can be studied in the rings of a tree, which are evidence of environmental factors like the amount of rain per year.

Scientists predict that the Levant countries will be drier in the future because of man-made global warming.

In 2007 there was such an intense drought that Limassol ran completely out of water. Millions was spent on importing it from Greece and on building desalination plants in each city.

It looks like the desalination plants are going to be needed.

Desertification in the Middle East is leading to more and more dust storms in the area, and Cyprus is now regularly covered in dust clouds. This leads to health problems such as asthma.

Climate change can be slowed down, but only if each business and individual takes responsibility for their carbon impact.

Big polluters like industrial plants need to invest in cleaner fuel sources, particularly the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC), which uses Mazut crude oil to generate energy.

Individual consumers can consider more eco-friendly cars like hybrids, and help reduce carbon emissions which rise into the atmosphere

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