Heat-trapping greenhouse gases have a profound impact on the world, leading to the melting of glaciers and ice sheets, rising sea levels and warmer oceans, melting of lake and river ice, and shifting of plant and animal geographic ranges. According to data from Montana’s Glacier National Park, there are now less than 30 glaciers, down from over 150 in 1910. As a result, low precipitation periods become drier and the amount of water vapour in the sky rises, making water availability less predictable. Not only this it can cause more intense rain storms in some regions causing floods and severe drought conditions. Drought can harm food production and human health while flooding can lead to the spreading of disease and damage to ecosystems and infrastructure. If we talk about, human health it can increase issues in mortality, impact food availability, limit worker productivity, and long-standing socioeconomic inequities.

From July through August 2022, Pakistan has faced extreme rainfall and exceeded the normal monsoon rainfall, and become the wettest August. The heavy rainfall saturated soil, preventing the ground from soaking up more water from storms in August. Rainfall during the monsoon season peaks in August, which has continued to bring remarkable downpours while, destroying houses, crops, and infrastructure and killing over 1000 people across the country. The most unusually heavy rain fell across the provinces of Baluchistan and Sindh, which have experienced significant widespread damage. All of this indicates that the monsoon’s usual path has changed as a result of climate change, and this will have long-term effects on Pakistan’s human security and infrastructure.

Nearly 75% of the world’s emissions of greenhouse gases and 90% of carbon dioxide emissions come from fossil fuels. Despite the fact that scientists had already predicted these devastating effects of climate change, yet some changes are occurring faster than previously assessed. Other than fossil fuels, deforestation is another critical factor causing global emissions. Annually, almost 12 million hectares of forests were destroyed globally between 2010-2015, and over 10 million hectares were destroyed between 2015-2020 which has limited nature’s ability to keep the emissions out of the atmosphere while staying responsible for around a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Moreover, global change in climate and temperature is affecting the wildlife and their habitats challenging many species – including Adelie penguin, butterflies, alpine plants, ticks, and crop pests – either to move on or thrive. IPCC’s assessment report further states that if the current level of global warming continues, it is expected that the sea level may rise by 10-32 inches by the end of the century, strengthening hurricanes or other storms. Melting of glaciers will lessen the availability of freshwater, followed by a change in ecosystems causing some species like polar bears to go extinct.

Looking forward, we have global frameworks such as Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement, and the country’s specific NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions) under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, which serve as a guiding document to keep the temperature of the Earth less than 2oC compared to pre-industrial levels. There have been technologies that served as main contributors to greenhouse gases including transportation which contributed to 27% of 2020 gas emissions and electricity production which contributed to 25% of 2020 gas emissions . If we switch our energy systems from fossils fuel to renewables, it would ultimately reduce the emissions driving climate change, but we will have to take that initiative immediately. Fossil fuel production needs to be declined roughly by 6% by 2030 to meet the commitment of net zero emission by 2050. Reducing our emissions of greenhouse gases will require investment in new technology and infrastructure, which will spur job growth. Additionally, lowering emissions will lessen harmful impacts on human health, saving countless lives and billions of dollars in health-related expenses.