Climatic catastrophe

The country is going through a climatic catastrophe. Pakistan is a country, which is responsible for less than 0.5 percent global carbon emissions, yet it is paying the price of foolhardiness of the developed or highly industrialised countries like the US, China and India. These three countries account for more than 50 percent annual carbon emissions. On a per capita basis, developed countries like Canada, and Australia shamelessly take one of the top spots.

We live in a globalised world. Terrorism in one country spills to another country, economic downturn in one country casts fears of recession on another, and the humankind has been very diligent and proactive in preventing the aforementioned parasites of peace and stability from disrupting the lives of people.

However, climate has never received the attention it deserves. Nature sees no borders. Pakistan has the highest number of glaciers, excluding polar nations. Rampant global warming, causing these glaciers to melt at an astonishing rate, coupled with an uncertain monsoon spell has turned out to be a perfect recipe for disaster. Right now, one-third of the country is under water owing to an intense heatwave and a long monsoon that has unloaded a record amount of rain, to be precise. Today the country, embroiled in a political struggle and a depressing economic crisis, has been hit by a humanitarian calamity. The government itself believes that billions of dollars will be required to rebuild the flood affected areas and offer compensation.

Some experts are of the opinion that the worst is yet to come for Pakistanis. With the country’s inflation rate is already hovering around 27%, the cataclysmic floods will make things worse.

This is inequality of the highest order. The poor in Pakistan are paying for the luxuries of the privileged western world. It is high time that we worked collectively to ensure that no country faces such a scenario. Climate change is real, and it is finally showing its effects. —Muhammad Mahd Faisal