ACCORDING to a report published by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in December 2024, since the start of indus-trialisation, approximately 2,300 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) have been released into the Earth’s atmosphere. Of this, around 40 per cent was released in the last three decades alone. As a result, average global temperatures have increased by around 1.2°C compared to pre-industrial times.

A report released by the World Meteo-rological Organisation reveals that the intensity of natural disasters, such as droughts, extreme heat and storms, has increased fivefold over the last 50 years. This alarming trend is a precursor to the devastating consequences predicted by the year 2050.

The WEF report warns that heatwaves caused by climate change will affect over 300 million people in India, while Europe will experience a fivefold increase in annual flooding.

Additionally, approximately 1.3 million people in Bangladesh will be forced to migrate due to rising sea levels, and wildfires are likely to increase.

The implications of climate change in 2050 are likely to occur, as evident from past catastrophes. The 2022 floods in Pakistan, which claimed a large number of lives, and the 60,000 heatwave-related deaths in Europe in 2022, serve as stark reminders of the hazards we may face in 2050.

Therefore, core nations must take steps to mitigate the implications of climate hazards in the future before it is too late.

Ismail
Quetta

Published in Dawn, February 3rd, 2025