The 24th October is the United Nations day which is responsible world peace, development and security with 193 member nations worldwide. Now for maintaining peace and security, our most challenging task has become the climate action. In this vast universe, the earth is the only planet where living beings can survive. If we do not take action right now, then the beautiful hills, lakes, fields, meadows, forests and all living beings on this blue planet will be perished. Therefore, the celebration of International Day for Climate action on this UN day itself has the significance.
This day is celebrated to promote action against global warming and its effects. From 30 November to 12 December 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), the member states and negotiators, along with climate activists will meet at COP28. But in reality are we actually getting the benefits and improvement from such International Meets?
Hope that, this time, COP28 will surely build an outcome to deliver action on an array of critical issues to tackle the climate emergency – from urgently reducing greenhouse gas emissions, building resilience, adapting and mitigation to the inevitable impacts of climate change, to deliver on the commitments to climate finance in developing countries. Faced with a growing energy crisis, record greenhouse gas concentration and increasing extreme weather events, COP28 need to deliver a firm decision for the people and planet.
We cannot let passivity condemn the planet to a path of no return. To ensure temperature not to exceed 1.5ºC at the end of the century, it is essential to generate agile and sustained large scale GHG reductions, a scenario from which we are still far from. Climate action failure is also perceived as one of the most important risks globally, in terms of severity and probability. IPCC proposed to cap global temperature to 1.5°C to 2°C by 2100 but as per IPCC WGI Fourth Assessment Report, the climate change predictions are not encouraging; a further increase in temperatures may be 2.8°C to 6°C by 2100. This risk, together with the exponential increased world population and industrialization in almost every countries, it’s essential to adopt without any alternatives to combat the effects of climate change.
Tropical coral reefs which contribute about 52% of all oxygen on the earth are leading to mass extinction due to bleaching effects. Climate change also affect the terrestrial biodiversity, food production, health, education and every aspects of life. As predicted, the climate change will affect the security of nations as conflicts brew over competition for resources, water, food and land. The climate refugees migrating across borders is also a concern for many governments provoking the civil wars. Climate change will also have tremendous impact on social and cultural aspects of life.
Caring for the planet is the moral issue. Countries have recognized that climate change presents an ever growing threat to development, poverty and the welfare of the citizens. The impacts of climate change are already being felt everywhere across the glove. We have felt the increase in temperature and of the extreme climates like flood, drought, cyclone, earthquakes very frequently as compare to the before years. And non- planting and non harvesting of crops due to scanty rainfall were also not happened in the past.
Climate change is impacting on all aspects of life and Eco-systems.
In Manipur, the rate of deforestation is overwhelming and is a serious issue. Maximum felling of trees are going on for jhoom and mass poppy cultivation in the hill districts. If the Govt. does not find out an alternative solution then this will give the biggest impact to our environment.
It is an undisputed fact that climate change is always interconnected with all environmental challenges. Climate changes everything including the human well-being. Therefore for a better tomorrow, we have to combat climate change for the mother earth and the future generations.
(N. Munal Meitei)
Environmentalist, email- nmunall@yahoo.in
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