LAHORE: Joining a global movement for climate change, several rallies and protests have been planned nationwide by a civil society coalition called Climate Action Now during ‘climate week’ from Sept 20 to 27.

The movement began in 2018 when teenager Greta Thunberg from Sweden demonstrated outside the Swedish parliament calling for bold action on climate change. Students in several countries followed, and a primarily youth-led movement was generated.

In Pakistan, marches will be led by youth, including students, environmental experts, researchers and academics, while non-governmental organisations, artists, writers and other activists will join in. They are set to take place in all the provincial capitals of Lahore, Karachi, Quetta and Peshawar as well as Turbat, Gwadar, Mardan, Multan, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kotli, Nagarparkar, Hyderabad, Ghotki and Thatta among others.

In Islamabad, a charter of demands will be handed over to Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul. During the climate week here, trainings and informative sessions will also be held.

One of the main organisers in Lahore, Dawar Butt says that after the climate week they have long-term plans to follow up on the issue such as measuring government performance.

Environmentalist Rina Saeed Khan says that Pakistan has had to bear the worst of the climate change mainly because of actions and decisions of the developed and highly industrialised countries of the world.

“Protesters there are directly blaming their governments and are causing disruptions, as on Sept 23 the UN is holding the Climate Action Summit in New York,” she said.

She adds that Pakistan is part of the G77, and Prime Minister Imran Khan and adviser to the PM on climate change Malik Amin Aslam will also be part of the UN summit.

As the world gets hotter, and more and more carbon is showing up in oceans and the atmosphere, there are mixed affects in Pakistan. Several hot spots have been identified here and heat waves, severe drought and flooding, erratic rainfall, change in monsoon patterns, rising sea level, melting glaciers and other affects are in the offing.

Meanwhile, Climate Action Now has also drafted a manifesto – with demands from the government varying with cities and their problems. Four demands however remain constant: declare a climate emergency, demand climate justice though a global coalition, adopt a low-carbon economy and implement real and urgent climate solutions as soon as possible.

Published in Dawn, September 12th, 2019