Warmest years ahead

Rich world owes developing nations monetary aid

GOING by the forecast on climate change made by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), the world needs to brace itself for the hottest-ever five years. It has to gear up to tackle the consequences of the resultant weather events such as severe heatwaves, flooding and droughts. The prediction of an alarming rise of 1.5 °C over the pre-industrial era levels for some time during 2023-27 is based on the catastrophic twin effect of the naturally occurring El Nino and the trapping of heat emitted by man-made greenhouse gases that play havoc with the weather, leading to widespread destruction.

The saving grace is that this global temperature surge, as per the WMO, is temporary. But it is another dire warning that global warming is real. And that unless sincere efforts are made to honour the pledges made at the Conferences of the Parties held by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change over the decades to control the temperature trajectory, the world is headed for a calamity.

Crucial to setting the order right — be it the shift to green energy or preparation to protect and rehabilitate people living in vulnerable areas — is funds. The rich nations owe the promised ‘climate finance’ of billions of dollars to the developing countries as compensation for the losses that they have caused through carbon emissions during their industrialisation processes over the past century. It is payback time for bringing the planet to this precarious position. It’s the turn of the developing world to claim its right to secure its people — to whom extreme weather can deal a devastating blow — and ecology and come on a par with the rich nations. It’s time to wrest climate justice from the wealthy West.