Climate Change is the Everest of all problems. Climate change stands as one of the most formidable challenges facing humanity today. Its complexity, global impact, long-term consequences, and the need for unprecedented cooperation make it an issue unparalleled in its scope and urgency.
Climate change has continued to manifest in severe weather events and natural disasters throughout 2024, illustrating its profound and escalating impact on the planet.
The world has witnessed the most horrific larger scale natural disasters in 2024. According to Climate.gov report January 2024 marked the warmest January on record globally, with temperatures 1.27°C above the 20th-century average. This trend continued, making 2024 likely to be one of the hottest years on record.
Similarly, unprecedented rainfall in Dubai is really a climatic concern. In April, more than 14 centimeter of rain fell over in 24 hours causing heavy flood and emergency in Dubai. It also affected the tourism, infrastructural loss, and huge economic setback. The seasonally adjusted S&P Global UAE Purchasing Managers’ Index fell to 55.3 points in April, down from 56.9 the previous month.
In 2024, Pakistan has faced significant climate-related disasters, exacerbating the country’s vulnerability to extreme weather events. Notable incidents include unseasonal torrential rains and heavy snowfall in regions such as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, which led to the deaths of at least 45 people, including many children. These weather events caused widespread destruction of homes, loss of livestock, and disruption of food crops.
Apart from that, Margalla Hills in Islamabad has caught a wildfire due to sizzling heat and dry winds in May 2024. According to officials: the blaze near Loi Dandi could have erupted due to “sizzling heat” and subsequently spread to an area of 3km due to strong winds.
As 2024 is the most disastrous year so far due to climatic incidents. It affected almost every region in the world. The heavy rainfall and floods in Kenya and Brazil has taken the lives of many. Over 500,000 people displaced in Brazil due to deadly floods.
According to World Migration Report 2024 released by UN on May 8, 2024 stated that more human beings are being displaced by force today than at any other time in humankind history. Such force displacement is being further exacerbated by environmental impact and Climate Change. It was estimated that around 216 million people would migrate in 2024.
Large Scale Climate Disasters enhances the importance of COP-29 will convene in November 2024 in Baku
COP29 comes at an incredibly important time for communities being devastated by the climate crisis. Delegates from 198 countries are meeting in Bonn, Germany this week to prepare for COP29.
Marking a midway point to the UN Climate Change Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, this November, the Bonn Climate Change Conference will help pave the way for the major decisions to be made there. Thousands of people will gather in the home of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to discuss the most pressing environmental issues. Setting a new goal for climate finance from developed nations to developing nations will be a key task at COP29 later this year.
To sum up the discussion, 2024 is the hottest year and facing formidable disasters, COP -29 will be the only hope to combat Climate change.
However, with ongoing geopolitical tensions, high interest rates and upcoming pivotal elections in the US, the UK and the European Union, countries will have the task of navigating climate goals while dealing with concurrent equity, socio-economic and geopolitical challenges may affect the pledges. Therefore, it is the time to set aside the personal interests and fulfil the commitments otherwise, mother nature will not remain kind and it will be a devastation at such large scale from where the world will not find the way to escape.
Mr. Imran Yousaf is Mentor – Civil Services Examination, Pakistan.
