If not tackled now, climate change has the potential to destabilise the planet
HYDERABAD: The 21st century is besieged with multiple threats. Climate change is something that deserves more attention for it has seriously disrupted the earth’s geological systems. Incidents resulting from climate change have been increasing over the past few years like wildfires in countries such as Australia and Brazil, storms and scorching heat in Europe and erratic rains and avalanches in the northern areas of Pakistan. Though Pakistan’s contribution to carbon emissions is meager, it has been declared the fifth most vulnerable country by the Global Climate Risk Index.
Despite its threats, some countries, especially the developed ones, remain indifferent and cavalier to the matter. Given this, there is an urgent need to launch awareness campaigns to mobilise the masses about the impacts of the changing global temperatures. In fact, people like Prime Minister Imran Khan and Sweden’s 17-year-old Greta Thunberg deserve appreciation for highlighting such issues at multilateral forums. Moreover, topics of climate change and global warming should be included in local academic syllabus, and teachers should teach students of the importance and value of trees as well as lead plantation campaigns in their respective institutions.
Climate change is a matter of serious concern. If not tackled now, it has the potential to destabilise the planet. The need of the hour is to take some pragmatic steps to cope with this threat.
Abdul Hafeez Jatoi
Published in The Express Tribune, February 26th, 2020.
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