Tag: Environment
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Reforming the WTO for a Greener Future
Wendi Wiliyanto writes in Policy Forum. To address the challenge of climate change, the World Trade Organization must become more flexible – without meaningful reform, its legitimacy will continue to wane, Wendi Wiliyanto writes. Climate change is a major hazard in the international trade system, with increasingly severe and frequent…
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Can Asia and the Pacific Get on Track to Net Zero?
Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana writes in Policy Forum. In the wake of COP27, bold climate action is essential to restrict global temperature increases to below 1.5 degrees Celsius, Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana writes. The recent climate talks in Egypt have left us with a sobering reality: the window for maintaining global warming…
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The Climate Crisis is Already Devastating Communities
Annabel Dulhunty, Kuntala Lahiri-Dutt, and Sukanya Banerjee write in Policy Forum So much is said and written about the difficulties the world will face in the future if it doesn’t act on climate change – but for residents of Ghoramara Island in the Bay of Bengal, that future is now,…
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Global Water Crisis: Fueled by Climate Change and Overuse
Water scarcity, once considered a challenge limited to dry or drought-prone regions, has now become a global crisis, exacerbated by climate change and unsustainable water use. As the planet warms and precipitation patterns shift, freshwater sources are coming under increasing pressure. Rivers are drying, aquifers are overdrawn and rainfall is…
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Global Rise of Wildfires: A Climate-Driven Crisis
Wildfires, once seasonal and largely confined to specific ecosystems, are now intensifying into year-round disasters across many parts of the world. Fueled by rising global temperatures, prolonged droughts and erratic weather patterns, wildfires are becoming more frequent, more destructive and more unpredictable. Climate change is reshaping the conditions that support…
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Growing Threat of Heatwaves in a Warming World
Heatwaves are rapidly becoming one of the most visible and deadly consequences of climate change. Defined as prolonged periods of unusually high temperatures, they are increasing in frequency, duration and intensity across much of the world. As the planet continues to warm due to the buildup of greenhouse gases in…
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Drying Earth: Rising Toll of Drought in a Warming World
Droughts, once considered occasional and largely regional weather events, are becoming more frequent, prolonged and severe in many parts of the world. This shift is closely linked to climate change, which is altering rainfall patterns, increasing global temperatures and intensifying pressure on already-stressed water systems. A drought occurs when an…
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Rising Waters: The Escalating Threat of Floods in a Changing Climate
Floods have long been part of the Earth’s natural systems, shaping landscapes and supporting ecosystems. But in recent decades, flooding has become more frequent, more intense and more destructive, driven in large part by climate change, rapid urbanization and unsustainable land use. From flash floods and swollen rivers to coastal…
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Intensifying Storms: A Growing Threat in a Warming World
Storms have always been a natural part of the Earth’s climate system, but in recent decades, they have grown more intense, more frequent and increasingly unpredictable. From hurricanes and cyclones to typhoons and severe thunderstorms, these powerful weather events are being amplified by climate change. As global temperatures rise, driven…
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Deforestation: A Growing Threat to Climate, Biodiversity and Human Survival
Deforestation is one of the most urgent and far-reaching environmental challenges facing the planet today. It refers to the large-scale clearing of forests, primarily for agriculture, logging, mining and infrastructure development. While forest ecosystems have always evolved naturally over time, the current pace and scale of deforestation, particularly in tropical…
Climate Observer 