South Asian nations need a collective plan to tackle climate change
The unbearable heat during this summer across South Asia and beyond and the deadly flood in Pakistan in August are stark reminders of the impact of climate change on these countries' economies, human beings, and ecology. The recent devastating flood in Pakistan is said to have killed nearly 1,500 lives and cost the economy over USD 10 billion as of now. While precipitation in South Asia has always been highly variable, the annual rainfall has steadily declined in some regions, triggering droughts, and increased in others, causing flash floods. This is due to climate change; anthropogenic climate change is responsible for the increase in the frequency, intensity, and amount of heavy rainfall globally. Many countries in the region also face the challenge of a rising sea level. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicted that the region would experience a sea-level rise leading to a loss of its land surface and internal migration. Weather variations and climate change due to global warming have caused severe economic damage and loss of lives. In the last two centuries, 20 out of 23 major cyclones in the world have occurred in the region – particularly in Bangladesh and India. In 2007, Cyclone Sidr destroyed cropland, forest resources, livestock, and crop production in Bangladesh. In Nepal, forest fires destroyed community forests in 2016, and landslides regularly claim lives each year. Sri Lanka faces huge crop losses due to groundwater salinity and coastal erosion. According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), GDP in the South Asian economies may be reduced by 11 percent in 2100 under the business-as-usual emissions scenario.
India targets net-zero carbon emissions by 2070, says Modi
India’s economy will become carbon neutral by the year 2070, the country’s prime minster has announced at the COP26 climate crisis summit in Glasgow. The target date is two decades beyond what scientists say is needed to avert catastrophic climate impacts. India is the last of the world’s major carbon polluters to announce a net-zero target, with China saying it would reach that goal in 2060, and the United States and the European Union aiming for 2050.
COP26: What climate summit means for one woman in Bangladesh
China's carbon emissions are vast and growing, dwarfing those of other countries. Experts agree that without big reductions in China's emissions, the world cannot win the fight against climate change. In 2020, China's President Xi Jinping said his country would aim for its emissions to reach their highest point before 2030 and for carbon neutrality before 2060. His statement has now been confirmed as China's official position ahead of the COP26 global climate summit in Glasgow. But China has not said exactly how these goals will be achieved.
Why China's climate policy matters to us all
China's carbon emissions are vast and growing, dwarfing those of other countries. Experts agree that without big reductions in China's emissions, the world cannot win the fight against climate change. In 2020, China's President Xi Jinping said his country would aim for its emissions to reach their highest point before 2030 and for carbon neutrality before 2060. His statement has now been confirmed as China's official position ahead of the COP26 global climate summit in Glasgow. But China has not said exactly how these goals will be achieved.
Deliver on promises, developing world tells rich at climate talks
A crucial U.N. conference heard calls on its first day for the world's major economies to keep their promises of financial help to address the climate crisis, while big polluters India and Brazil made new commitments to cut emissions. World leaders, environmental experts and activists all pleaded for decisive action to halt the global warming which threatens the future of the planet at the start of the two-week COP26 summit in the Scottish city of Glasgow on Monday. The task facing negotiators was made even more daunting by the failure of the Group of 20 major industrial nations to agree ambitious new commitments at the weekend.