Imperiled planet

The world is witnessing unprecedented climate change which seems to be aggravating with the passage of time. The raging Australian bushfires, changes in climate patterns and increased frequency of natural disasters all signify the gravity of this issue. The reason why our planet is heading towards catastrophe is mainly due to human activities. As per the recent report by Germanwatch, Pakistan has been ranked the fifth most vulnerable country to climate change. However, Pakistan does not contribute massively in GHG emissions but it is more likely to be severely affected by climate change owing to its geographical location, which makes it prone to extreme weather conditions as well as natural disasters.

Recently, world powers have inaugurated some important treaties – including the Paris Agreement – to counter climate change. But the terms and conditions of the agreement place the greatest burden on the periphery states as opposed to the states with the highest GHG emissions. The US, the highest per capita emitter of GHGs, has not ratified the agreement. This is highly irresponsible, we all need to get on the same page and acknowledge that climate change is a serious threat to our planet that needs to be addressed timely. In order to mitigate the effects of climate change, each individual and the world as a whole need to counter it with effective strategies.

Sona Bakhtawar Bijarani

Shikarpur