The Challenge of Climate Change

Why have our governments turned a blind eye to the horrific dangers of climate change, when the German watchdog recently reported in its Climate Index report that the world's ten countries most affected by climate change from 1998 to 2017? They pointed out that Pakistan was ranked eighth among them, which according to Prime Minister Imran Khan is now ranked fifth. The Prime Minister said that the level of pollution in Lahore has gone beyond the danger level due to deforestation of 70% of the city's trees and their replacement with cluttered concrete. He said that the biggest challenge facing Pakistan in the future would be in the form of environmental pollution. It should be carefully considered that during this period Pakistan was hit by the worst rains and disasters like super floods in 2010, not only Pakistan but almost all the countries in the region are facing these disasters. There is also a global movement to tackle climate change, started by Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old student from Sweden, who now includes young people from more than 150 countries and is holding rallies in their home countries. The main cause of climate change is global warming caused by carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases. South Asia and Pakistan in particular are at greater risk. There are two solutions to this problem. The first is to mobilize the world to end global warming and the second is to plant trees everywhere in the country. For the first task, our diplomacy must be active on an emergency basis, then the latter task must be done on a war footing as a national duty.