Daily Times

Climate change is becoming more and more expensive with every passing day. The latest of the unprecedented disasters spreading chaos all over the world has as of now made an overwhelming 102 people go missing amid confirmed reports of at least 14 deaths. Triggered by a high-altitude glacial lake burst, a violent flash flood burst through a newly built dam in the Indian state of Sikkim, sweeping away houses and bridges. Although New Delhi promises immediate and lasting relief, it would take a while before the ravaged terrain could breathe a sigh of relief. Having witnessed the horrors of a monsoon-on-steroid only last year, Pakistan can well relate to how unexpected downpours can spread chaos, ruin and devastation in the blink of an eye. With the world entering into a hotter era, there’s no telling when and how strong would the next outburst be. Therefore, the need for cooperation, especially among those who stand to lose the most, is of paramount importance.

The environmental community continues to ring alarm bells over the vicious consequences of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs). A study conducted in 2019 had warned that the Himalayas, which hold about 600 billion tons of ice, are melting twice as fast as at the beginning of this century. One of the most terrifying signs of global warming remains the shrinking and thinning of glaciers, especially in South Asia. Sitting at the foot of these gigantic, mesmerising sources of sustenance, the region battles replete rounds of drought and flood as the international community asks us to build up our resilience. That there remains no linkage between the warning systems of countries sharing the same resources and languishing under a similar Damoclean sword speaks volumes about the extent to which petty politicking would go to impede human survival. It is high time that transnational cooperation bodies, such as those yielding results on the Horn of Africa, are prioritised to improve our chances against a furious Mother Nature. *