SACCJF Sounds Alarm: South Asia Grapples with Unprecedented Climate Crisis

March 24, 2024 3:21 pm

Dhaka: The South Asian Climate Change Journalists Forum (SACCJF) has raised alarm over the worsening climate crisis gripping the region and the world at large. Citing recent reports from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the 2023 World Air Quality Report, the SACCJF underscores the urgent need for international intervention to address the dire situation.

The latest WMO report reveals unprecedented levels of greenhouse gases, soaring surface temperatures, ocean acidification, and alarming rates of glacier retreat. South Asia, with its towering mountain ranges and vast coastlines, stands particularly vulnerable to the ravages of climate change, including sea level rise and glacier melting.

2023 marked the warmest year on record, with temperatures soaring 1.45°C above pre-industrial levels. Compounding this crisis, Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan top the list of countries with the most polluted air quality in South Asia, as per the 2023 World Air Quality Report.

With a population exceeding 2 billion, any adverse effects of climate change, from increased warming to deteriorating air quality, will disproportionately impact the region’s economically disadvantaged communities. The SACCJF emphasizes the imperative for immediate United Nations intervention to mitigate this perilous trajectory and avert widespread suffering and loss of life.

As the climate crisis deepens, urgent and concerted global action is essential to safeguard the future of South Asia and the planet as a whole.