As the residents of a scorched city experienced some relief this week from the sun, owing to a spate of summer showers, the looming spectre of global warming still haunts us. With each passing year, the changes are more palpable. Climate calamities gain pace, each passing summer feels hotter than the last, the visibility and air quality worsen and rainfall dwindles. Not only did the monsoon arrive late this year across the region, summer showers have also been few and far between.

As the world transitions to renewable sources of energy and checks greenhouse gas emissions and other forms of pollution, Pakistan seems to become ever more reliant on coal-fueled power plants and natural gas, which are neither sustainable nor conducive to a healthy ecosystem and environment.

The ever-present solution of hydro power dams seems as unattainable as ever, despite the fact that there was an optimistic (albeit unrealistic) effort in the early days of the PTI regime to raise money from the public to build a dam. A government that promised a “billion tree tsunami,” does not seem to be prioritising climate change when it comes to policy, regulation or development. While we celebrate a respite from the heat this summer, let’s stop and notice the fact that climate change is no longer a distant threat; it is affecting our lives every day. One does not have to be a meteorologist to see the difference. The welcome relief of this rainfall highlights how much better life would be if the environment was a priority for us and not just an afterthought.