The conflict between two rival military groups, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), is exacerbating existing famine and environmental damage in a war fuelled by natural resource exploitation.

Climate change contributed to this conflict, and this conflict is contributing to climate change. 

Terrible weather conditions, reduced seed quality, and a lack of rain caused many Sudanese farmers to migrate to cities in search of work. This has only increased desertification and resource scarcity, resulting in armed conflicts over the control of crops and water.

Farmers who migrated to cities had traditional methods of managing desertification, such as planting gum arabic trees, practices now declining due to extreme weather and increased violence.

These trees, the source of a crucial ingredient in a range of everyday products, are currently being looted by the RSF to fuel the war, thus further contributing to desertification and degradation.

Middle East Eye reported that a staggering 70% of the world’s gum arabic supply comes from Sudan, with a recent UN report saying $14.6m worth of the supply was looted by the RSF – an accusation the military group denies.

But looting gum arabic trees is only half the environmental degradation taking place.

Relentless and continuous gold mining is further destroying the land, damaging health, and funding weaponry to fuel the conflict.

Both militaries, the RSF and the SAF, are accused of funnelling an obscene amount of gold to the UAE and Egypt in return for weaponry and military assistance.

Sudan filed a case against the UAE at the ICJ in March, accusing the country of breaching the Genocide Convention by supporting the RSF, known for its widespread sexual violence against civilian women and children.

The UAE strongly opposes the ICJ case, calling it “nothing more than a cynical publicity stunt”, and said they will seek immediate dismissal.

Despite this, Sudanese activists call for a boycott of the UAE, including gold and Emirati-funded institutions. 

This fight over gold resources existed between the military factions before the civil war began, and is a main driver of the conflict itself. Military groups smuggling tonnes of gold out of Sudan only prolong and exacerbate the fighting. 

Gold trade is a multi-billion dollar sector which is primarily unregulated and contributes to 70% of Sudan’s exports. 

Not only are small Sudanese mining communities exploited for this gold mining, but the mercury and cyanide used to extract gold are bleeding into rivers, poisoning people’s health, and destroying habitats, trees and farmland. 

Due to flooding last year, these toxic chemicals reached as far as the Nile River. 

And this extreme climate event washed mercury and cyanide from the gold mines into drinking water and irrigation sources in North Sudan, poisoning communities and degrading whole ecosystems. 

Crops and farmland flooded with toxic chemicals further contribute to resource scarcity and exacerbate the armed conflict as militias fight over limited subsistence.

Furthermore, militaries contribute to more than 5% of global emissions, demonstrating the sheer scale of environmental destruction caused by war.

Read more: Sandwip: A Drowning Land and the Sufi Spirit

In this way, a vicious cycle commences. Climate change leads to resource scarcity, which leads to conflict. And conflict is fuelled by looting and mining, which causes environmental degradation, thus contributing to climate change.

Consuming ethically is a small way to cut off this cycle. This includes boycotting gold from sources fuelling war and conflict in Sudan, and ensuring the products we eat, drink and wear contribute towards sustainable practices. 

Alongside personally consuming ethically, Muslim communities must put pressure on global corporations and governments to ensure they import gum arabic and gold from Sudanese communities rather than militias. 

Allah says in Surah Baqarah:

“Eat and drink the sustenance God has provided and do not cause corruption in the land.” 

By appointing man as God’s Khalifa (steward), Islamic teachings promote the protection of the Earth, the conservation of water sources, and responsible consumption practices. 

The Earth is a sacred trust, or amana, given to humankind, and this conflict is destroying people alongside forests, rivers and wildlife.

Therefore, consuming products which poison the Earth through mining and deforestation are forms of fasad (corruption) explicitly condemned in the Qur’an.

Even contributing to the destruction of trees through gum arabic and illicit mining practices is a form of corruption, as preserving and planting trees is sunnah. 

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

“If the Final Hour comes while you have a shoot of a plant in your hands and it is possible to plant it before the Hour comes, you should plant it.” 

When taken literally, this showcases how even in the darkest hour, mankind has a profound responsibility to protect and nurture the Earth.

We must step up to advocate for long-lasting peace in Sudan to protect the people and the land.

The post Sudan’s Tragedy: War, Resource Plunder, and Climate Crisis appeared first on Muslim Climate Watch.

The graves of our forefathers, stretching under the cool shadow of palm trees, where we prayed in silent remembrance, are now underwater, their grave markers worn away by the relentless currents. The monsoon is unkind to the dead. Yet, those who brewed this storm, the architects of profit and the barons of carbon, sit comfortably in their high towers, toasting to the weather they funded. 

Although I was born in New York City, some of my childhood was nurtured by the rhythm of those very tides. Sandwip is not just an island; it is the heart of our heritage, where spirituality and earth are inseparable. My family, as with every family here, has practiced the teachings of Islamic Sufism for generations. Our island throbs with the teachings of love, humility, and oneness with mother nature. Yet now, the exact nature seems revolting against us, controlled by those who dwell in towering skyscrapers above, manipulating the weather as if they’ve burrowed under her skin. 

The waters are reclaiming what was ours by right. The floods come farther inland every year, consuming houses, crops, and markets. Cyclones tear through our villages with a fury that leaves behind only scattered debris and pale bodies. The Meghna River, once a source of nourishment, now eats away at the land inch by inch, pushing families inland until there is no place left to flee to. 

With each storm, more graves are lost beneath the encroaching water, carrying away the past of the people who tilled this land with their hands, prayers, and sacrifices. Rice fields that once bloomed with rice are poisoned, their fertility vanishing like a memory growing old. The water rises, the land falls back, and the people, my people, cling desperately. 

Islamic Sufi Teachings and the Path to Restoration 

Despite such destruction, our faith is not inundated. When faced with loss, we look to the teachings of Sufism, which tell us that annihilation is not the end but a simple transformation. If the waters have been taken from us, we must give back to the earth. Sandwip can be healed through the lens of Islamic Sufi teachings: Tawheed, Sabr, and Barakah.  

Tawheed (the absolute oneness of God, affirming all creation comes from One God) in Islamic Sufism teaches that nature is not separate from us; it is an extension of the divine. The earth, the trees, the rivers, they are all sacred. To harm them is to harm ourselves. To heal them is an act of worship. Sabr (patience and resilience) refers to our ancestors who built their lives on patience. We do not despair; we adapt, as our ancestors did before us when faced with adversity. We do not fight nature; we learn to move along with it, to yield to its power and to act in cooperation with it. Lastly, barakah (blessings through good works) refer to planting a tree, cleaning a river, and rebuilding what was destroyed. These are not just acts of survival but acts of worship. In Sufism, making the land alive is a path to divine blessings. Below are just a  couple of ways to apply Sufi teachings to nature: 

• Reforestation and Mangrove Conservation: Trees in our faith represent mercy. Therefore, by reforesting the mangroves along the shores, we can slow the erosion and save homes from the storms. Every tree that we plant is a prayer that we sow into the earth. 
• Community-Based Restoration: Sufi teachings also emphasize the need for collective action. We can rebuild what has been devastated, not individually, but as a brotherhood bound together by faith and patriotism, through community-based conservation initiatives. 
• Sustainable Agriculture and Water Conservation: Land is tired, maybe, but not dead. With organic farming methods and rainwater harvesting, we can restore its energy as our ancestors did when they first cultivated this island. 
• Sacred Protection of Nature: The rivers and trees are not just resources; they are beings of God. By including environmental education in our mosques and madrasas, we can have a generation that will think safeguarding nature is an act of worship. 

Sandwip is not just sinking; it is screaming to us. It screams to us for our hands, our prayers, and our actions. Climate change has taken much from us, our homes, our heritage, and even the graves of our fathers, but it has not taken our faith. As long as we hold fast to the teachings of our Sufi forebearers and have faith in the oneness of creation, there is hope. 

The waves don’t ask permission, and neither do we. We will rise, we will rebuild, and we will reassert our land, for Sandwip is not a location. It is a spirit, contained within the hearts of the people who refuse to let it be destroyed. 

The post Sandwip: A Drowning Land and the Sufi Spirit  appeared first on Muslim Climate Watch.

Entire communities were engulfed, homes reduced to ashes, and over 150,000 residents were told to evacuate. In just one week, the estimated damage was 12,000 structures. IRUSA’s Disaster Management Team delivered essential supplies such as food and water to local shelters and supported firefighters courageously battling the wildfires. These firefighters found brief moments of comfort in the sustenance provided by the team.

“Our work doesn’t end here,” says a representative from IRUSA. “We stand with those affected, whether they’re on the front lines or displaced from their homes.”

The Islamic Shura Council of Southern California also helped to raise funds for immediate relief. They provided aid, shelter, and necessities for people who lost everything in the flames. But Shura’s vision extended beyond the immediate crisis. They promised support for restoring homes, community spaces, and masjids—places central to rebuilding a sense of community once more.

“We pledge to share our resources, time, and efforts to not only rebuild what was destroyed but also bring renewed hope, resilience, and tangible aid to those most affected,” Shura said in a statement. Donations are accepted through LaunchGood with a goal of $50,000 to go towards relief and long-term assistance.

CAIR has provided crucial information, ensuring that Muslims nationwide stay informed about ongoing efforts. They are encouraging communities to contribute to relief initiatives by amplifying donation pages.

The U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO)— our nation’s umbrella group of Muslim associations— also praised the swift response. “It was heartening and impressive to see our U.S.-based international relief organizations and local charities and aid groups almost immediately leap into action,” a USCMO representative said in a statement. “They sent teams of aid workers, relief support crews, and loads of aid for the fire victims and firefighters battling the flames.”

Muslim Organizations Are Pushing for Resilience

In the wake of destruction, these organizations reminded fire victims that they were not alone. The collective effort was a living embodiment of Islamic values: charity, community, and compassion.

As homes are rebuilt and lives are pieced back together, the impact of these efforts will continue to ripple through Southern California. The wildfires test the resilience of Orange County, but they also reveal a strong support system ready to work against the flames. 

The post The Islamic Charities Battling the LA Fires appeared first on Muslim Climate Watch.

With over 90% of major armed conflicts occurring within biodiversity hotspots between 1950 and 2000, it is no surprise that Socotra, with its unique ecosystem and endemic species like the Dragon Blood tree, finds itself engulfed in conflict fueling further destruction. The archipelago, consisting of Socotra and its neighbouring islands, harbours species found nowhere else on Earth, making it a globally significant hotspot for biodiversity.

While Socotra’s isolation has spared it from the direct ravages of Yemen’s civil war, the encroachment of foreign powers threatens to unravel its delicate balance. The strategic interests of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have brought devastation to this ecological marvel. Over the past six years, the UAE has pursued its ambitions in Yemen, consolidating control over Socotra as part of what experts have termed its “self-styled maritime empire.” This military occupation not only exacerbates the humanitarian crisis but also imperils Socotra’s fragile ecosystem.

Despite international recognition of Socotra’s ecological importance, ongoing conflict has hindered conservation efforts. The Dragon Blood tree, among the oldest surviving endangered forest communities globally, is famous for its bright red resin “Dragon’s Blood” and umbrella-shaped canopy. Endemic to the Socotra Archipelago in Yemen, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, these trees face near-extinction elsewhere. Over the last two decades, their population has substantially declined, endangering their existence.

UAE’s Military Activities on the Island

Funding for environmental protection has dried up, leaving native initiatives to save the Dragon Blood tree languishing. The Socotra Environmental Protection Authority, once a beacon of hope for conservation, now struggles to operate amidst the chaos of war. The conversion of the Authority’s building into a military headquarters by Saudi Arabia symbolizes the prioritization of conflict over conservation. Socotra’s residents witness their natural heritage being sidelined as the island becomes a pawn in geopolitical power struggles. 

The Independent reportedly found UAE building a military base, communications networks and tourist resorts in efforts to turn Socotra into ‘a permanent military outpost-cum-holiday resort’. In preparation for welcoming more Emirati visitors, many parts of the island have already been bulldozed to build holiday resorts and other tourist infrastructure. The island is a biodiversity hotspot, home to 700 endemic species, and 70 percent of its land is protected. These infrastructure projects went ahead without conducting environmental impact assessments, such as undertaking construction to expand the Hulaf Port, the only seaport to the Socotra island, of which the UAE reportedly has control now.

UAE-Israel Military Alliance in Socotra

The UAE’s alliance with Israel further endangers Socotra’s future, introducing new dynamics to an already volatile region. After the signing of the highly controversial Abraham Accords in 2020 solemnizing the normalization of ties between the UAE and Israel, Socotran locals witnessed an influx of Israeli ‘tourists’ on the islands, which later reports found to be Israeli military experts instead.    

In tandem, satellite imagery appeared in 2022 of a new mysterious military base on the island of Perim, another Yemeni island, displacing local fishermen and inhabitants. Similarly, in March 2024, a satellite image of yet another airstrip appeared on Yemen’s Abd-Al Kuri island, with “I Love UAE” written next to it with piles of dirt. Recent Google Earth satellite imagery shows the same airstrip labelled “US Air Base”. In light of these events, some have accused the UAE of establishing a military intelligence hub and missile defence system on the eco-fragile islands, which is also a crucial oil trading route, in partnership with Israel and the US. 

With waning international funding for conservation and UAE’s increasing military presence and touristic infrastructure development, the spectre of extinction looms larger for the Dragon Blood tree, revered as a symbol of Socotra’s resilience. The loss of this endemic tree would be not only an ecological tragedy but also a cultural one, erasing centuries of heritage tied to Socotra’s unique environment, reflecting yet another case of loss of sacred creation at the hands of a few humans in their greed for power, resources and dominance. 

Efforts to protect Socotra transcend borders and ideologies. It requires international cooperation to safeguard this environmental jewel for future generations. Diplomatic pressure must halt the archipelago’s militarization and ensure ongoing conservation efforts. Without collective action for the preservation of its rich biodiversity, including at a bare minimum advocating against the militarism advanced by UAE and allies, Socotra risks succumbing to human conflict and greed. Its fate symbolizes the broader struggle between conservation and exploitation, peace and conflict. 

The post The UAE-Israeli Military Alliance Threatens Yemen’s Environmental Jewel in Socotra appeared first on Muslim Climate Watch.

On September 11th, northeastern Libya was struck by the Mediterranean Storm Daniel. The coastal city of Derna became the center of a catastrophic flood when two of its dams broke due to the storm, dumping an estimated 30 million cubic meters of water in the city [1]. This resulted in the widespread devastation of entire communities in coastal towns being carried into the sea. 

This disaster has violently claimed approximately 11,300 lives, with more than 10,000 people still missing, and over 40,000 people forced to flee the region [2]. Reports from the ground suggest many of these victims remain shelterless, without access to necessities of food, clean water or power, with a looming risk of an escalation in water-born infectious diseases proliferating among the survivors living near stagnant flood water [2]. 

Flood experts have observed that the recent exceptionally heavy rainfall across the Mediterranean was worsened by climate change, thus amplifying Storm Daniel [3]. While the evident devastation is severe, the full extent of destruction will only become apparent once relief groups can reach areas currently inaccessible due to destroyed bridges and roads [6].   

The residents of Derna are tragic victims of a deadly interplay between human-caused climate change and ongoing proxy wars led by actors with a vested interest in the region, while also benefiting from the country’s rich resources including massive oil reserves and a multi-billion dollar war industry that thrives on conflict. Derna’s front-line community has paid an insurmountable price for an ecological crisis made worse due to wars and now copes with finding the strength to pick up what little is left. 

Derna’s Vulnerability to Floods

Derna is a port city on the Mediterranean coast, located in Wadi Derna, a river valley in northeastern Libya surrounded by the Akhdar Mountains [4]. It was no secret that this town remained highly vulnerable to floods given its location. To protect the city from inundation, two dams, Abu Mansour and Derna, were built in 1970 above the valley, each holding 22.5 million cubic meters and 1.5 million cubic meters of water respectively [1]. 

Despite many warnings of an imminent risk of disaster, the dams had not been maintained for years, leading to their eventual burst and killing thousands [5]. Although a Turkish company was contracted between 2007 and 2012 to repair these dams, it was later found that the work could not be completed amidst security concerns. In 2011 NATO led a military invasion of Libya, bombarding 9,600 strikes on various targets, and removing its former ruler, Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi, which then resulted in the outbreak of civil wars and continued political instability [5]. 

(New York Times, 2023)

War & Political Divide Fuelling Climate Vulnerability

Libya’s current disaster has been intensified by the convergence of climate change and the repercussions of a bloody civil war, set in motion by NATO supporting uprising against Colonel Gaddafi, in particular its bombardment of the country’s key government institutions, resulting in the ongoing political divide that is fueling a governance crisis in the country [3] [11]. 

It has been more than a decade since NATO invaded Libya, erupting a civil war that has since grappled the country with violence amidst a deep political divide and a power struggle. 

The severity of Derna’s floods and its subsequent devastation has been driven by an amalgamation of civil war characterized by an ongoing political divide and a worsening climate crisis [11]. With key government institutions not functioning, there were no steps taken to effectively implement disaster preparedness, nor was there a functioning storm warning mechanism in place issuing clear communication to vulnerable populations, ensuring timely and mandatory evacuation [5]. 

This past decade in Libya has been mired with constant civil wars that have claimed many innocent lives. On top of braving the burdens of civil unrest, Libyan people are now front-line to the violence of climate change.

Evidence suggests that the communities engulfed in war and armed conflict are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change due to the strained adaptive capacity of its people, systems and institutions that are struggling to cope with the direct impacts of the conflict [12]. 

Libya’s climate vulnerability is compounded by NATO’s damaging legacy, its bombardment of the country, and the subsequent civil wars still ravaging the country. 

Climate Action Must Include Divesting from War

NATO’s overthrowing of Gaddafi’s 42-year-long government led to years of political instability that persists to this day. Experts provide evidence of the presumed interests of several foreign elements in the region, making Libya an active ground of proxy wars with the involvement of various countries [13]. At the center of this ongoing conflict are the Libyan people who are in dire need of political stability, and particularly attention to building climate resilience to avoid disasters like the devastating floods in Derna.

While governments around the world take steps towards making climate action their priority, the war industry continues to bloom despite its evident destructive legacy and heavy carbon footprint. 

The global war industry is a lucrative multi-billion dollar enterprise that reaps high volumes of profits. However, its monetary gains are not the only factor driving its success—the arms business also serves as a key instrument leveraged by governments around the world to steer foreign policy in preferred directions [7]. 

Some experts claim that this industry is particularly instrumental in Washington’s foreign policy, evidenced by the fact that it is the largest exporter of arms in the world. The U.S., a founding NATO member, provided over 40% of the world’s weapons in 2021, and its share has consistently increased in the last few years [7]. Together with the U.S., other major exporters of weapons include France, Russia and Italy—predominantly nations of the Global North. 

(Council on Foreign Relations, 2023)

The war industry thrives on destruction with conflict at the core of its business model: conflict creates more demand for profitable arms sales, which in turn causes more destruction leading to more conflict, and the vicious cycle continues. 

During the Libyan civil unrest, U.S. arms have made their way into the hands of militia groups fighting for power [9]. Similarly, arms from other key global exporters of weapons, such as Russia and France, have also been found in Libya [9] [10]. 

Not only does war exacerbate the impacts of climate change by fueling vulnerability and undermining resilience to withstand threats of extreme weather events, but it also leaves behind a significant carbon footprint. The U.S. military is the single largest institutional consumer of oil, and therefore, the biggest institutional source of greenhouse gas emissions in the world [8]. 

Divesting from the multi-billion dollar military complex is a necessary urgent step for combating climate change. Instead of continuing to invest in a destructive industry that also contributes significantly to carbon emissions, the Global North, particularly the U.S., must start investing in just and equitable climate solutions that aim to provide dignified lives to all humans. 

References

1. AP News. (2023). Libya was mired in chaos and corruption. For years, warnings the Derna dams may burst went unheeded. Article. https://apnews.com/article/libya-derna-dams-collapse-floods-corruption-neglect-chaos-45f76d2ac76be634865539a27b518ada#:~:text=The%20warnings%20came%20true%20in,entire%20neighborhoods%20out%20to%20sea
2. France 24. (2023). UN says death toll at least 11,300 in Libya’s flood-hit Derna. Article. https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20230917-aid-arrives-as-libya-copes-with-flooding-aftermath
3. Nature. (2023). Libya floods: how climate change intensified the death and devastation. Article https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02899-6#:~:text=Climate%20change%2C%20civil%20war%20and,worst%20flooding%20ever%2C%20researchers%20say. 
4. Encyclopedia Britannica. (2023). Derna, Libya. https://www.britannica.com/place/Darnah 
5. Reuters. (2023). Insight: ‘They knew’ – fury of Libyans that warnings went unheeded before flood. Article. https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/they-knew-fury-libyans-that-warnings-went-unheeded-before-flood-2023-09-15/ 
6. Center for Disaster Philanthropy. (2023). 2023 Libya Floods. https://disasterphilanthropy.org/disasters/2023-libya-floods/ 
7. Council on Foreign Relations. (2022). The Cost of the US Arms Trade. Podcast. https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/cost-us-arms-trade 
8. Watson Institute, International and Public Affairs, Brown University. (2023). Pentagon Fuel Use, Climate Change, And The Costs Of War. Website. https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/papers/ClimateChangeandCostofWar 
9. The New York Times. (2019). American Missiles Found in Libyan Rebel Compound. Article. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/28/world/africa/libya-american-missiles.html 
10. EU Observer. (2020). Why do EU arms end up in Libya despite UN ban? Article. https://euobserver.com/world/147256 
11. Tricontinental Institute. (2023). NATO Destroyed Libya in 2011; Storm Daniel Came to Sweep Up the Remains: The Thirty-Eighth Newsletter. Article. https://thetricontinental.org/newsletterissue/libya-floods/ 
12. International Committee of the Red Cross. (2020). When rain turns to dust. Report. https://www.icrc.org/en/publication/4487-when-rain-turns-dust 
13. United States Institute of Peace. (2020). Four Things to Know About Libya’s Conflict and Foreign Interference. Article. https://www.usip.org/publications/2020/07/four-things-know-about-libyas-conflict-and-foreign-interference

The post The Libya Floods Are a Deadly Interplay of War & Climate appeared first on Muslim Climate Watch.

Pakistan, situated among the ten nations most vulnerable to climate change, faces elevated levels of disaster risk. The current El Niña conditions only exacerbate these vulnerabilities as the country witnessed a summer characterized by extreme heat waves accompanied by long periods of drought, and more recently, episodes of intense rainfall that have triggered floods in various parts of Pakistan.

What is El Niño?

El Niño is a natural climate pattern that causes warming in the Pacific Ocean and brings about changes in the ocean’s temperature and the air pressure above it. It is one of the two phases of El Niño-Southern Oscillation phenomena or ENSO, the other being La Niña. 

During the El Niña phase of ENSO, the surface temperature of the equatorial Pacific Ocean increases, which drives weather changes around the world. In Asia and the Indian Subcontinent, El Niño can cause extreme heat, drought, or disruptive rainfall patterns.

El Niño plays a role in exacerbating global warming, temporarily pushing Earth’s temperatures beyond the safe limits established for the planet’s well-being. In July 2023,  the average global temperature soared to 1.54°C higher than preindustrial levels, surpassing the ominous 1.5°C threshold highlighted by scientists as a point of concern. This is in part driven by the El Niño conditions. 

Impacts of El Niño on Pakistan

The effects of El Niño’s on Pakistan are far-reaching. The cycle can trigger fluctuations in monsoon rains, leading to delayed and below-average rainfall – a precursor to drought conditions. Paradoxically, these delayed monsoons can also result in concentrated bouts of intense rainfall episodes that trigger devastating flash floods. 

Increased temperatures across Pakistan lead to severe heatwaves, posing substantial risks to human health. The escalating heat, in turn, accelerates the melting of glaciers in the Hindu Kush-Karakoram-Himalayan region, exacerbating concerns about glacial flood outbursts.

Excessive Rainfall & Flood Events in Pakistan This Year

Between June and August, heavy monsoon rains across the country led to flash floods across the country, claiming 211 lives, injuring 306 people, damaging 5,746 houses and killing 1,256 livestock. The KPK province declared an emergency in late July as heavy rains led to flash floods. Floods this season have claimed 59 lives.

Similarly, in late July, the Chitral district in northwest Pakistan experienced flooding from unprecedented torrential rains. It is an exceptionally climate-vulnerable region that bears direct impacts of glacial outburst floods. While, the province of Balochistan witnessed devastating floods during the same period, killing at least 21 people.

Read More: Bangladesh’s Climate Challenges & Solutions

Most recently, on August 20th, the River Sutlej in Punjab surged to unprecedented levels leading to the worst floods in three decades. More than 100,000 people have been evacuated so far as the country prepared to withstand the floods that have been persisting for three weeks. 

Climate Emergency in Pakistan

Pakistan’s battle with climate change has reached a critical juncture. The catastrophic floods of 2022, a direct consequence of climate change, displaced more than 8 million people–marking the largest global disaster displacement of that year (Figure 1). In total,  the floods affected 33 million people and killed 1,700. Many of these flood-affected people continue to be displaced, facing acute food insecurity, malnutrition and risk of death from contracting deadly water-borne diseases. 

The situation is compounded by Pakistan’s ongoing political and economic turmoil, further hampering recovery efforts in the wake of last year’s floods. In light of this, the newly developed flood situation in Punjab is especially alarming as Pakistan continues to struggle to recover and take measures towards resilience.

Figure 1: Pakistan had the highest disaster displacement in 2022

Charting a Path Forward

The price of global inaction towards addressing the climate crisis is costing human lives across the globe, however, Pakistan is bearing disproportionate impacts evident through the persistently high levels of disaster displacement. Urgent action is imperative. Nations must declare a climate emergency and take immediate measures to reduce their carbon emissions. Global North owes reparations to climate-vulnerable countries like Pakistan for their historical emissions and continued insufficient mitigative measures at best and gross climate action at worst. For countries like Pakistan, every day of delay translates to irreversible consequences, underscoring the urgency of meaningful climate action.

References

• Internal Displacement Monitoring Center, 2023. Global Report on Internal Displacement. Report. 
• Nature, 2023. Earth’s hottest month: These charts show what happened in July and what comes next. Article.
• New York Times, 2023. El Niño and La Niña, Explained. Article.
• The New York Times. 2022. In a First Study of Pakistan’s Floods, Scientists See Climate Change at Work. Article.
• Salik, 2023. Institute of Strategic Studies. Issue Brief on “The impact of El Niño on Climate in Pakistan”. Report.
• World Food Programme, 2023. Hunger Hotspots: FAO-WFP early warnings on acute food insecurity | June-November 2023 Outlook. Report.
• Ahmed, 2023. Dawn News. Malnutrition in flood-hit areas has increased, says UN. Article.
• UNOHCA, 2023. Pakistan monsoon 2023: Chitral observation Mission Report (As of 18th Aug 2023). Report
• UNOHCA, 2023. Pakistan: Monsoon Rains Flash Update No.2 As of 31 July 2023. Report.
• NDMA, Government of Pakistan, 2023. NDMA Monsoon 2023 – Daily Situation Report No. 58 (22 Aug 2023). Report.
• Dawn News, 2023. Punjab’s Sutlej witnesses “worst flooding in three decades”, developing story. Website video report.
• Aljazeera, 2023. Floods force evacuation of almost 100,000 in Pakistan. Article.

The post Climate Change in Pakistan Amidst El Niño appeared first on Muslim Climate Watch.

Read More: How Gender-Responsive Climate Finance Empowers Bangladesh’s Women

Ranked among the 10 countries most vulnerable to climate change, despite emitting only about 0.5% of global emissions, Bangladesh has suffered losses worth $3.72 billion and witnessed 185 extreme weather events due to climate change between 2000 to 2019. According to the World Bank, average tropical cyclones cost the country $1 billion (USD) annually.

High Rates of Disaster Displacement 

One estimate shows that by 2050, one in every seven people in Bangladesh will be displaced by climate change. Additionally, Bangladesh may lose approximately 11% of its land due to sea-level rise by 2050 and in turn risk displacement of up to 18 million people. This is already evident through the recent displacement of over 7.1 million people in 2021 due to climate disasters. 

Given these threats, some experts have warned the largest mass migration in human history has already started in Bangladesh due to the worsening impacts of climate change, with a risk of displacing up to 50 million people by 2100 due to sea-level rise.

Bangladesh’s Ingenious Early Warning System

Despite being a victim of climate injustice, Bangladesh is fighting back with resilience instead of fixating on doom and gloom. The country has taken several steps to instill high levels of climate awareness in its people, making the country’s social capital its biggest asset in fighting back, including an organized human chain of communication to relay threats of flooding whereby frontline community members periodically monitor the rise in water level across the country and report back to the country’s flood monitoring center. This system has saved thousands of lives in the events of flooding.

References

• The Climate Reality Project. (2021). How the climate crisis is impacting Bangladesh. Article.
• The World Bank. (2022). Urgent Climate Action Crucial for Bangladesh to Sustain Strong Growth. Article.
• The World Bank. (2021). Climate Change Knowledge Portal, Bangladesh. Webpage.
• GermanWatch. (2021). Global Climate Risk Index 2021. Report.
• Anadolu Agency. (2022). Climate change displaced millions of Bangladeshis in 2022: WHO. Article.
• NPR. (2023). Facing floods: What the world can learn from Bangladesh’s climate solutions. Articles.

The post Bangladesh’s Climate Challenges & Solutions appeared first on Muslim Climate Watch.

Regions around the world, including; Latin America, South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa are said to be ‘the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change’ and as a result, are expected to generate ‘143 million internal climate migrants by 2050’, causing migration on a global scale (Prange, 2022). In Somalia, more than 65% of the population – roughly 3 million people – are internally displaced (World Food Programme, 2022).

Read More: Climate Oppression, Eco-Apartheid & Palestinian Occupation

Climate Change Impacts in Somalia

Somalia has seen decades of violence, causing 2.6 million people to become internally displaced (Krampe, 2019) due to the ongoing conflict alone. With warfare worsening in neighbouring Northern Ethiopia, Somalia has seen an influx of asylum seekers and refugees, further exacerbating the already deepening humanitarian crisis it suffers. In addition to this, climate change is bringing about its own set of devastating consequences. 

Coastal cities are being affected by coastal erosion caused by storms, sea level rise and cyclones resulting in floods (Wehliye & Glaser, 2021). With the rest of the country dealing with locust infestations, ocean acidification and drought, these effects of climate change are causing food insecurity through crop reduction and decreased fish catches (Broek, 2022). With livelihoods affected and food scarcity increasing, populations are migrating towards urban centres – only to be living in impoverished conditions without access to basic services and under constant threat of eviction (Hujale, 2021). 

Famine

The drought-induced food insecurity in Somalia is causing an ongoing drought which is estimated to have killed over 40,000 people in 2022 (Aljazeera, 2023). Dating back to the colonial era, Somalia was heavily relied upon by British soldiers in the Middle East as their main source of food. Whilst the British spent decades looting the hundreds of thousands of Somali livestock from then-British Somaliland to feed its soldiers, it can be argued that this set in motion the environmental degradation that Somalia is witnessing now. All without compensation, this inevitably degraded the country’s ecology and environmental well-being. By depleting the land’s inherent resources and failing to restore any of the irreparable damage done, the unmerciful regime of colonialism left Somalia without its natural ecological barriers when decades later, it could have stood a chance when resisting the devastating effects of climate change. 

Deforestation

Cutting trees for charcoal production, to be used for domestic consumption and exports, has driven deforestation in the country. Since 1990, Somalia’s forest areas of the total land have decreased from 13% to 9.5% in 2020 (Haque, 2020). The demise of Somalia’s government in 1991 following the ousting of President Siad Barre’s toppling of its military regime led to a civil war lasting for decades (BBC, 2023). In the years ensuing, Somalia is said to be one of the most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change in the world – largely due to its weak capacity for adaptation. 

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The entire continent of Africa is the least responsible for climate warming, and its greenhouse gas emissions are only 3.8%. In comparison, the U.S. and the European Union are responsible for 19% and 13% of global emissions, respectively. This demonstrates how countries in the Global South – those who are suffering the most significantly from climate change, are those who contributed to it, the least. 

Somalia Moving Forward

Somalia – a Muslim country – is arguably the worst affected when it comes to the effects of climate change. This, coupled with decades of ongoing conflict in the country and within the region, is causing the largest number of internal refugees of any country in the world. Thus, international refugee and asylum legislation must be amended to protect the largest group of migrants – climate refugees – which are emerging in Somalia and across the globe. Without necessary policy changes, more people are at risk of becoming climate refugees as the impacts of climate change are only exacerbated. More needs to be done to protect the rights of these victims of climate change within Somalia – and for their lands to be restored, which are rapidly becoming uninhabitable. 

References

• Broek, E. & and Hodder, C. (June, 2022). Towards an integrated approach to climate security and peacebuilding in Somalia. Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Report. 
• Fedirka, A. (May 10, 2017). Why the US Cares About Somalia. Geopolitical Futures. Article. 
• Haque, L. (June 16, 2020). The Lasting Consequences of Colonialism in Somalia. Article. 
• Hujale, M. (August 17, 2021). Displaced Somalis and refugees struggle to recover as climate change brings new threats. UNHCR. Article. 
• Prange, M (December 19, 2022) Climate Change Is Fueling Migration. Do Climate Migrants Have Legal Protections? Council on Foreign Relations. Article
• Somalia Country Profile (2023) BBC News. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14094503 (Accessed: 18 August 2023). 
• Somalia drought may have killed 43,000 in 2022, half under 5: UN (2023) Humanitarian Crises News | Al Jazeera. Available at: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/3/20/somalia-drought-may-have-killed-43000-in-2022-half-under-5-un (Accessed: 18 August 2023). 
• Wehliye, F., & Glaser, S. (2021). A Conversation About Climate Change In Somalia. Poplar & Ivy Winter 2021. DOI:10.54823/4oil01a1 (Journal Article)
• World Food Programme. (April 8, 2023). Somalia Annual Country Report 2022 – Country Strategic Plan 2022 – 2025. Report.

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