topic: | Climate Change |
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located: | Afghanistan, Pakistan |
editor: | Shadi Khan Saif |
The world’s collective failure, particularly by the industrialised Global North, to address the challenges that the climate crisis poses to humanity has not only resulted in material losses; it has also undermined the trust in the World Order based on egalitarianism.
At a time when nationalist agendas and authoritarian governments are gaining more power, this mistrust in developed nations risks fragmenting the international cooperation that is needed to tackle the climate catastrophe.
In some of the worst affected countries like Afghanistan and Pakistan, the unfortunate victims in marginalised communities still do not understand the root causes of the harsh weather events that they have suffered in recent years. Their frustration and anger when they are informed that these natural disasters are the result of the relentless emission of greenhouse gases from the industrialised world is understandable.
There is already enough resentment towards developed nations in this region for their failed and costly attempt to bring democracy to Afghanistan, and for their courting of the oppressive military establishment in neighbouring Pakistan.
Now, these communities face the consequences of the industrialised nations’ pollutive activities. Pakistan lost thousands of lives earlier this year in the worst floods seen in decades. Afghanistan has experienced spells of droughts that have damaged food supplies, while the country already battles with a hunger epidemic.
They are just two of many such cases where the self-proclaimed 'champions of democracy' have turned their backs on the developing world when it comes to mitigating climate catastrophes and striving to protect the environment. It has been proven time and again that corporate interests of the giant energy firms have been given priority over people’s lives and well-being in poor countries.
This has led to deep mistrust and an inclination to collaborate more with authoritarian powers, such as China and Russia, as they are more reliable and steadfast partners of developing countries. India, for example, has doubled down on its commitment to buying oil from Russia, despite the rest of the world's boycott on Russian fuel.
Sensing this dual urgency of preventing the climate crisis and authoritarianism, the developed world must move to a more inclusive attitude towards the worst-affected societies, taking their histories and needs into account when proposing climate policies. This cannot be done with a mindset of throwing funding at them blindly, without ensuring it does not end up in the hands of corrupt individuals.
Pakistan and Afghanistan, which hold a promising young population, have much to offer to the rest of the world if they are taken onboard for developing the climate resilience policies needed to prevent the mass displacement caused by natural disasters.
The Sharm el-Sheikh COP27 has been a wonderful opportunity to advance these changes. A balanced, science-backed initiative to cut consumption of fossil fuels in the developed world in tandem with a subsidised switch to environmentally-friendly energy in the developing world are some examples of impactful proposals raised at the conference.
There is no shortage of ideas thanks to the development in environmental science over the years. What is still lacking is a strong political will and an honest determination to create a green world for all.
Image by Dibakar Roy