Sir: It is sad to see the vagaries of monsoon and the tropical storms everywhere in the world now. On the one hand, climate change, drought conditions and floods are now posing threats to the countries and the other disastrous incidents like earthquakes have so far taken a heavy toll on the international community on the other. All these things point to the fact that serious steps are required to safeguard the earth. For instance, Asian countries have long been affected by the vagaries of the weather. I am bound to say that my native areas such as Tuticorin, Tiruchendur, Tirunelveli, Palayamkottai, Kanyakumari, Nagercoil and Marthandam in Tamil Nadu, India are battling the issues of water scarcity and agrarian crisis triggered by the monsoon vagaries (though these areas are now expecting the good rainfall from the ongoing monsoon). The damage caused to the river Tamiraparani (flowing across Tuticorin and Tirunelveli) through illegal sand mining is now playing havoc with the monsoon prospect. Such bad things can happen anywhere in the world. Besides, the population and the rigorous urbanisation are other threats facing the earth. For example, the Indian metropolitan city of Mumbai has long been facing these issues. The international community should forge strong strategies on the issues of nature’s threats and the countries the world over must cooperate and coordinate in the matters of keeping the environment safe and planting trees on Mother Earth. P SENTHIL SARAVANA Mumbai, India Published in Daily Times, January 14th 2018.