The COP29 managed to put together a deal at the eleventh hour of the talks wrapping up, wherein wealthier nations agreed to provide developing countries worldwide $300 billion annually in climate financing. A laughable offering, well below the estimated $1.3 trillion that experts estimate is needed for developmental and climate goals of countries struggling to fight the devastating impacts of climate change. A bloc representing the 45 nations most vulnerable to climate change have stated that “this is not just a failure; it is a betrayal.” 

Vulnerable communities, with little agency in these talks, remained sidelined at this year’s COP, even as they bear the brunt of climate change they didn’t cause. The choice of venue for COP29, hosted in Azerbaijan, added insult to injury, spotlighting the petrostate’s history of crimes against Armenians and its fossil fuel ties to Israel during an ongoing Palestinian genocide. This reaffirms the global communities’ failure to see climate justice as an intersectional fight against all injustices, failing to address the systemic injustices and human rights violations while elevating regimes complicit in violence and environmental exploitation. 

Read More: The Untold Crisis of Climate Change, Media Bias, and the Forgotten Muslim Refugees

Within the same week of a disappointing COP29 came the news of the U.S. indictment of Gautam Adani, an Indian billionaire accused of a bribery charge to secure a massive $2 billion solar energy contract. Which begs the question, why are corrupt billionaires taking charge of the so-called “clean energy” revolution? Meanwhile, America’s climate future faces a leadership shift that amplifies billionaire saviorism, granting undue influence to people like Elon Musk—despite allegations of human rights abuses, anti-union practices, and authoritarian alliances. This begs yet another question: why do we, ordinary citizens of the world struggling to survive the chaos of ecological devastation unravelling all around us, rallying behind billionaire climate saviorism? Have we not learnt our lessons yet?

The climate justice movement has already been hijacked by opportunists leveraging greenwashed capitalist agendas, delaying the systemic change urgently required. This so-called “green revolution” has become synonymous with battery stored renewable energy as the best path forward to a sustainable future, while undermining the urgency and delaying the work of shifting to an economy that centers degrowth. Only through rejecting capitalism can we reduce our culture of hyperconsumption, which is the only way we can pave a viable path for a future that guarantees harmonial cohabitation with all creation on Earth, a precedent already practiced by Indigenous people around the globe.

The failure of COP29 reflects not only a lack of ambition but also a continued denial of agency to front-line communities, who are often excluded from decision-making despite bearing the greatest burden of climate impacts. Instead, there has been an increase in influence by corrupt industrialists in steering global climate policy with greenwashed capitalist agendas. 

Today, the climate action movement is dominated by a push for renewable technology development, an important component for which is battery storage. However, the catastrophic costs of developing this technology is barely garnering attention in these international climate events. The continual ignorance of the plight of Congolese from the rush of cobalt mining is indicative of a movement that is no longer serving the people or planet. How are we, as consumers, urged to expedite the electrification of our communities with a heavy reliance on battery storage sourced amidst the growing calls raising alarm of a silent genocide underway in the DRC? Can we take a pause to reflect why we have signed up for a green revolution that is being delivered through the exploitation of innocent children mining rare metals with their bare hands in extremely hazardous conditions? 

This is a crucial junction for grassroots mobilizers and front-line defenders to reclaim the fight for climate justice on their terms, rejecting tokenizing pledges and centering Indigenous and vulnerable voices in the fight for an equitable and just future. By building global alliances grounded in solidarity and resistance, the movement can dismantle the structures perpetuating climate and systemic injustices.

The post Climate Justice Belongs to the People, Not to Green Capitalists appeared first on Muslim Climate Watch.

The ongoing genocide and colonization in Palestine interconnect layers of climate issues, social justice, and public health crises; issues central to my demographic and expressed through our voting choices. My community has done and will continue to do everything to make sure we are heard in the elections.

Like many of my fellow Arabs, Muslims and allies, I am shattered by the active genocide of my people in Gaza. This feeling is especially intensified as we begin fasting for the holy month of Ramadan this week. With over 155 days of Israeli bombardment in Gaza, innocent Palestinians endure daily massacres and starvation, facilitated with help from the U.S. Hunger, climate oppression and environmental warfare are weapons of genocide actively being employed by Israel in Gaza. 

Read More: Israeli Bombs Pushing Towards Climate Devastation

Despite a majority of Americans calling for a ceasefire, the Biden Administration has used its veto power in the UN Security Council to stop an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.  It has also failed to allow the safe delivery of humanitarian aid trucks into Gaza, all while supplying Israel with the weapons killing Palestinians, my people. These actions are not only directly enabling a genocide, but are also contributing heavily to the climate crisis. 

The climate cost of the first 60 days of Israel’s military response was equivalent to burning at least 150,000 tonnes of coal. It is greater than the annual carbon footprint of more than 20 of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations, this being a significant underestimate. This underscores the urgency for climate justice as historical and current polluters continue to exacerbate climate conditions for vulnerable front-line communities.

Following the significant ‘uncommitted’ votes, the U.S. rushed in to airdrop aid in Gaza, which not only has been criticized as hypocritical, but also reported to be costly, inefficient, and even deadly. Parachutes carrying the aid malfunctioned and killed Palestinians. Disaster relief experts have touted that these are not meaningful enough to make a dent in the humanitarian crisis caused by Israel and the U.S. 

Another attempt at regaining trust with my demographic, and likely a direct response to the uncommitted campaign, manifested at Biden’s State of the Union address, where the President announced that the U.S. will build a temporary port on Gaza’s Mediterranean coast to receive humanitarian aid by sea. President Biden’s attempts are not nearly enough to stave off his blatant hypocrisy. Moreso, some experts have reported that this temporary port could potentially be an opportunity for the U.S. to extract natural gas from Gaza, amidst a climate emergency when countries are divesting from fossil fuels. 

Extensive and unprecedented destruction has targeted agricultural lands housing perennial trees like olives and citrus fruits, as well as field crops like vegetables. A report by Lawfare said, “the legally proportionate collateral damage by lethal weapons used in civilian populated areas would be thoroughly immoral.” Israel has also dropped white phosphorus on Gaza and Lebanon, a chemical that is not only excruciatingly painful but also greatly harms the environment deep within the soil.

Read More: Israel’s Water Apartheid Policies in the Palestinian West Bank and Gaza Strip

Ongoing airstrikes and a lack of electricity or fuel are causing Gaza’s water and sewage management facility to remain untreated, releasing 130,000 cubic meters of untreated sewage into the Mediterranean Sea every day. However, climate change does not recognize borders and political arrangements, and environmental degradation in Palestine will make its way to Israeli settler territories. 

Gaza also had one of the world’s highest densities of solar rooftop installations. However, the current war has destroyed these solar systems, with 17 of the 29 largest rooftop solar installations either completely destroyed or displaying significant external damage. By denying Palestinians the ability to employ climate mitigation and adaptation efforts, Israel is committing climate apartheid.

The Israeli Occupation Forces have not only blocked humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, but they have intentionally massacred Palestinian civilians as they tried to obtain food from the few trucks that were permitted to enter, inciting the “flour massacre.” Israeli settlers have protested and blocked humanitarian trucks from entering, with 72 percent of Israelis opposing providing humanitarian aid to Gaza according to a survey conducted for Israel’s Channel 12 television. Gaza is now facing famine with at least 800,000 Palestinians starving to death and more than a dozen children dead due to malnutrition. 

Our vote is a protest demanding for the decision-makers of this country to hear us, especially as my fellow Muslims in Gaza continue to suffer during our holiest month. Ramadan has come at the most sensitive of times, and Biden has betrayed his supporters to enable the ongoing massacre of my people. The focus in Gaza this Ramadan, like the rest of the Muslim world, should have been on prayer and spirituality. Instead, they must prioritize survival as they become victims of famine and extreme living conditions worsened by a climate crisis exacerbated by Israel.

Come November, any candidate who wants to represent my demographic will need to earn our vote. This will only happen if U.S. stops the genocide, and urgently addresses the interlocking humanitarian, climate and public health crises. The U.S. must not only acknowledge but halt its policy to ethnically cleanse Palestinians to get our vote.

The colonization of a people and land isn’t a “single-issue.’ I reject any notion that my community and our allies are not clear-eyed about what is at stake this November. We are raising the alarms to stop the crises that are impacting all of us and we’re not being heard. 

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Muslim Climate Watch’s editorial stance.

The post Uncommitted: Arab American & Muslim Voices Unite for a Ceasefire & Climate Justice in Palestine appeared first on Muslim Climate Watch.

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

In addition to the ongoing humanitarian disaster and genocide of the Palestinian population, Israel’s bombing of Gaza is pushing us towards a climate catastrophe. The vast amount of explosives and the emissions produced as a result risks pushing the Earth beyond planetary boundaries, causing irreversible environmental damage. With the support of major Western powers such as the US and the UK, Israel is committing war crimes and destroying the planet in the process. 

US Funding Genocide & Global Climate Devastation

The United States (US) continued and unequivocal support of Israel through diplomatic, military, and financial means, alongside rejecting calls for a ceasefire has enabled Israel to act with impunity. Artillery & machinery from US companies including Woodward Inc, and General Nucleonics are being used in the current and past attacks on Gaza. At the time of writing, Israel has dropped over 25,000 tonnes of explosives on Gaza since October 7, 2023, equal to two nuclear bombs. With the number of children killed in Gaza in the past month surpassing annual child death tolls across all conflict zones as of 2019, the devastation of continued violence cannot be overstated. 

Israel’s use of white phosphorus in the Gaza Strip, illegal under Protocol III of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (1980), has been extensively reported by Human Rights Watch. Under the Protocol, the use of incendiary weapons and devices on civilian populations is strictly prohibited. Despite the existence of these international conventions and laws, Israel continues to bomb the besieged strip while the civilians have nowhere to go. 

Every dollar the US spends on the military increases global GHG emissions while diverting financial resources, skills and attention away from addressing climate change.

Environmental Consequences 

Israel’s use of white phosphorus also represents an environmental concern, causing widespread contamination of soil, water, and air. The toxic pollution and contamination produced by missiles, bombs and white phosphorus cause long-term environmental harm, affecting local ecosystems and wildlife. For a population already suffering under occupation and complete blockade, the contamination of food supplies by white phosphorus and bombs is devastating, increasing food insecurity and vulnerability of the population.

The relentless bombing of Gaza is pushing the Earth beyond its planetary boundaries—the environmental limits beyond which the Earth is at risk of irreversible change and environmental degradation. 

The excessive bombing of Gaza has led to an increase in GHG emissions contributing to global warming and climate change. Widespread destruction caused by the bombings has reduced vegetation and biodiversity, disrupting the local ecosystems and contributing to the advancement of land system changes. The destruction of infrastructure further advances ecological thresholds, through the need to rebuild and intensive resource use, further increasing emissions. Similarly, the targeting of hospitals, schools and sanitation systems necessitates extensive rebuilding efforts in the aftermath of violence. These often require the extraction of resources, placing greater pressure on already scarce resources.  

Prioritizing War Over Climate Action

Despite persistent calls from the scientific and climate community for the urgent need for climate action, Western countries continue to support military operations fuelling climate crisis, instead of allocating funds to climate action. World militaries account for 6% of global GHG emissions, with the US military alone being the largest institutional source of GHG emissions. 

America’s $158 billion in bilateral assistance in the form of military aid and missile defence funding to Israel, showcases US complicity in Israel’s war crimes and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians as well as projecting the nation’s focus on geopolitics as opposed to climate change and action. 

The Biden administration is knowingly investing US taxpayer money towards a genocidal apartheid regime when the promised $100 billion of annual climate finance funding to developing nations bearing the brunt of climate change remains unfulfilled.

References

• https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/12/us-top-diplomat-blinken-visits-israel-urges-protection-of-gaza-civilians
• https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/12/israel-says-6000-bombs-dropped-on-gaza-as-war-with-hamas-nears-a-week
• https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/10/12/questions-and-answers-israels-use-white-phosphorus-gaza-and-lebanon
• https://www.instagram.com/p/CyvNJfto1YK/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D
• https://bonpote.com/en/the-5th-planetary-boundary-has-been-officially-crossed-and-nobody-cares/
• https://www.arij.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/The-environmental-impact-of-Israeli-military.pdf
• https://www.pbs.org/wnet/peril-and-promise/2022/01/militaries-produce-6-of-ghgs-but-theyre-not-required-to-report-it/
• https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-20415675#
• https://www.woodward.com/en/shop/woodward44-missile-actuation
• https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/23/gaza-death-toll-exceeds-5000-as-israel-continues-daily-bombardments#:~:text=Children%20make%20up%2040%20percent,to%20Gaza%27s%20Ministry%20of%20Health.
• https://sgp.fas.org/crs/mideast/RL33222.pdf
• https://www.marketplace.org/2023/10/23/a-look-at-the-history-of-u-s-aid-to-israel/#
• https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02846-3
• https://www.tni.org/en/publication/climate-collateral
• https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/safety-and-security/non-proliferation/hiroshima,-nagasaki,-and-subsequent-weapons-testin.aspx#:~:text=On%20this%20basis%20of%20comparison,was%20of%2025%20kilotons%20(ca.
• https://www.instagram.com/p/CyyieC7os9i/?igshid=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng%3D%3D
• https://www.instagram.com/p/CyvNJfto1YK/

The post Israeli Bombs Pushing Towards Climate Devastation appeared first on Muslim Climate Watch.

Water & Energy Apartheid Behind Sustainable Development

Kashmir suffers from persistent and severe water and energy shortages despite the region’s plentiful water resources and hydropower potential. Under the pretext of sustainable development, India has entangled the region in water and energy apartheid. Indigenous Kashmiris are systematically deprived of water and energy resources, whilst India disproportionately benefits from the exploitation of the region’s resources. The inequality in resource allocation, driven by political, economic and geopolitical factors, continues to negatively impact the environment, as well as the indigenous communities of Kashmir. 

India’s appropriation of Kashmir’s water resources is undergoing an aggressive dam construction season, supposedly aimed at generating ‘clean energy’. However, this construction spree in an ecologically fragile is posing many environmental risks, while displacing many locals. In a classic case of greenwashing, India is hiding the severe negative impacts of the development of these dams by labelling the projects as furthering sustainable development through clean energy. Ironically, despite the construction of a number of new dams, Kashmir continues to experience debilitating water shortages and prolonged electricity outages.

Occupied Kashmir currently generates around 3,263 megawatts of hydropower exceeding the region’s demand of 2,134 megawatts. Despite sufficient generation capacity, the region continues to grapple with frequent power outages. These power outages often persist for extended periods of time, particularly during harsh winters and hot summers where outages last over 4-8 hours a day. 

National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Ltd. (NHCP) is a power producer owned by the Indian Occupation operating in the region and responsible for generating 60% of the region’s electricity. Despite the NHCP capitalizing on Kashmir’s water resources, it provides just 10 -13% of the electricity it produces to Kashmir, exporting the majority to India. This results in Kashmir being forced to procure the majority of its power (around 80%) from India at extortionately high prices to meet its energy requirements. This water exploitation and unequal electricity allocation emphasizes the reality of indigenous Kashmiris suffering from water and energy apartheid at the hands of the Indian Occupation. 

Forced Displacements

The Indian Occupation’s dam construction in the region has resulted in the displacement of hundreds of thousands of indigenous Kashmiris. India’s relentless pursuit of hydro resources includes plans for the construction of eight new dams in this environmentally fragile region. In the district of Kishtwar located in the Chenab valley, India has begun constructing seven dams along the Chenab River all within a 50-mile radius of each other. These dams alone have resulted in the displacement of over 20,000 Kashmiris from their ancestral lands, upending lives and posing significant risk to the region’s fragile ecology. 

Read More: Climate Change in Pakistan Amidst El Niño

It is worth noting that such examples are not one-off occurrences but instead have become concerningly common. The construction of the large-scale 900-megawatt Baglihar Dam in 2008, located in the Ramban district along the Chenab River, was responsible for the forced displacement of over 1,400 people. In all cases of displacement due to dam construction, the Indian government has provided inadequate compensation to the affected people, leaving them displaced without a home, land or means of sustaining themselves. Consequently, many displaced people are experiencing generational poverty, with their primary means of sustenance snatched from them.

Lack of Environmental Due Diligence

The South Asian Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP) has drawn attention to major flaws in the process of environmental impact assessment during the construction of dams in Kashmir. The group has provided evidence of India’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change granting clearance for dam construction before such crucial assessments had been completed and without appropriately consulting affected stakeholders. This included indigenous Kashmiris whose resources, homes and land were being appropriated to facilitate dam construction while they were left in the dark. This reinforces the power imbalance between the Indian occupation and the Kashmiri population. 

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

Despite claims that dams along the Chenab River, including the Baglihar 900 MW and Sawalkot 1,856 MW dams, are run-of-the-river schemes, experts challenge this categorization. Instead, experts have provided evidence that these dams are at high elevations, equipped with large reservoirs to store vast volumes of water and house substantial powerhouses, typical of a reservoir hydropower scheme as opposed to a run-of-the-river scheme. The disruption of natural water flow by these large dams results in significant ecological and social impacts including habitat destruction and displacement of communities. Moreover, by diverting water supplies from rivers and storing them in large reservoirs, these dams also pose challenges to the livelihoods of Kashmiris living downstream who depend on these rivers and their fisheries.

Ecological and Environmental Damage

The construction of numerous dams in Occupied Kashmir, located near each other, has unleashed severe ecological and environmental risks.

Seismic Activity

The region of Occupied Kashmir sits on a seismic belt, making it prone to frequent and intense earthquakes. Kashmir’s seismic vulnerability is exacerbated by the construction of large-scale dams on or near fault lines, where the permeation of water from dams into the fractures induces earthquakes. India’s building of dams within a mere 50-mile radius of each other along the Chenab River is a further cause for worry. This bumper-to-bumper dam construction can trigger earthquakes, endangering lives and livelihoods in the process. 

Landslides and Flooding

Landslides and flooding are a common consequence of excessive large-scale dam construction. This is evident with the example of the Baglihar Dam, which has triggered frequent landslides and flooding in villages along the Chenab River. 

Loss of Habitat

Excessive dam construction has altered the natural flow of rivers, putting migratory fish and other aquatic creatures at risk of extinction, and disrupting the delicate balance of the ecosystem. Birds that feed on marine life are forced to look elsewhere for food, in time disappearing from the region’s floodplains, wetlands and farmlands. GHG emissions have also increased as a result of dams.

Deforestation

India’s felling of trees to build dams has caused widespread deforestation in the region. This has led to devastating environmental impacts including a reduction in flora and fauna of the region, increased glacial melt, flash floods, and a rise in GHG emissions due to the loss of tree cover that served as carbon sinks. 

Climate Justice for Kashmir

India’s damaging development projects in Occupied Kashmir are being overlooked by the international community due to its greenwashing. Such destructive development projects are ramping up under the guise of sustainable development and clean energy initiatives, raising serious concerns of water apartheid, displacement and environmental degradation. The construction of dams not only displaces indigenous communities but also disrupts fragile ecosystems and exacerbates the impacts of climate change, thus posing long-term risks to the region’s sustainability. 

Recognizing the rights of indigenous Kashmiris by restoring their sovereignty over their resources through inclusive resource management and development strategies is vital to the well-being of the region. Conducting comprehensive environmental assessments for all infrastructure development projects in the region is crucial to rectifying the environmental and societal harms, while also fostering sustainable development in the region. 

References

• Ahmad, O. (2016, January 16). Environmental assessment for Jammu and Kashmir dam breaks all rules. The Third Pole. https://www.thethirdpole.net/en/energy/environmental-assessment-for-jammu-and-kashmir-dam-breaks-all-rules/
• Akmali, M. (2020, November 21). Power generation in Jammu and Kashmir plummets to 408 MWs. Greater Kashmir. https://www.greaterkashmir.com/todays-paper/power-generation-in-jk-plummets-to-408-mws
• Al Jazeera. (2021, September 9). Kashmir villages facing submergence as India plans Himalayan dam. Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/9/9/kashmir-india-new-himalayan-dam-ujh-environment
• Environmental impacts of dams. (n.d.). International Rivers. Retrieved September 12, 2023, from https://archive.internationalrivers.org/environmental-impacts-of-dams
• India’s grand plan for Kashmir dams. (n.d.). Thediplomat.com. Retrieved September 12, 2023, from https://thediplomat.com/2022/10/indias-grand-plan-for-kashmir-dams/
• Jammu and Kashmir’s power supply to double in 3 years from 3500 MW. (n.d.). Moneycontrol. Retrieved September 12, 2023, from https://www.moneycontrol.com/europe/?url=https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/jammu-and-kashmirs-power-supply-to-double-in-3-years-from-3500-mw-8295651.html
• Javeed, A. (2022, April 21). Power crisis in Kashmir valley likely to worsen. Kashmir Observer. https://kashmirobserver.net/2022/04/21/power-crisis-in-kashmir-valley-likely-to-worsen/
• Kaur, H. (2019, September 10). Weaponizing Water in Kashmir. Legal Planet. https://legal-planet.org/2019/09/10/weaponizing-water-in-kashmir/
• Lateef, S. (2021, December 28). Why is Kashmir facing a power shortage? Deutsche Welle. https://www.dw.com/en/why-is-india-administered-kashmir-facing-a-power-shortage/a-60275456
• Nabi, S. (n.d.). Green power at any cost? Asparagus Magazine. Retrieved September 12, 2023, from https://www.asparagusmagazine.com/articles/new-hydro-dams-in-indian-controlled-kashmir-will-hurt-ecosystems-and-indigenous-communities
• Naik, R. H. (2020a). Climate tracker. https://climatetracker.org/construction-of-7-new-dams-in-kashmir-raises-human-environmental-cost-concerns/
• Naik, R. H. (2020b, July 24). Video: The human costs of the Baglihar dam. The Third Pole. https://www.thethirdpole.net/en/energy/video-the-human-cost-of-the-baglihar-dam/
• Naik, R. H. (2020c, October 30). Homes, nature lost for seven new dams in Kishtwar, Jammu & Kashmir. The Third Pole. https://www.thethirdpole.net/en/nature/homes-nature-lost-for-seven-new-dams-in-kishtwar-jammu-kashmir/
• Open letter to J&KSPCB: Cancel public hearings for Sawalkote HEP for violations. (2016, January 14). SANDRP. https://sandrp.in/2016/01/14/open-letter-to-jkspcb-cancel-public-hearings-for-sawalkote-hep-for-violations/
• Understanding the role of Water in India’s occupation of Kashmir. (2020, August 2). Stand With Kashmir. https://standwithkashmir.org/understanding-the-role-of-water-in-indias-occupation-of-kashmir/

The post Unmasking Water Apartheid: India’s Dam Projects and Environmental Devastation in Occupied Kashmir 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.

Climate impacts across Afghanistan include frequent floods, glacial melt, prolonged periods of drought and landslides leading to food, water and shelter insecurity. In recent years, the country experienced a number of extreme climate effects, including a severe drought in 2018 that impacted more than 1 million people, and devastating floods in 2019 affecting more than 130,000 people. 

Despite producing less than 0.01% of historical global carbon emissions that have caused global warming, Afghanistan is paying a heavy price for it. 

Lasting Impacts of Environmental Damage

The relentless U.S. bombing of Afghanistan has left behind a trail of severe environmental devastation. The country’s soil lays barren with hidden unexploded bombs, depleted uranium, and other hazardous waste from daily operations at hundreds of U.S. military bases across Afghanistan. These environmental scars will haunt the nation for generations to come, entailing: 

• Degraded grasslands from the damage to the soil
• Extinction of several animal species, including leopards
• Diminished pistachio cultivation and exports 
• Severely impaired irrigation systems 
• Contaminated water sources tainted with toxic chemicals 

Who Pays for Environmental Clean-Up?

After almost 20 years of war, the U.S. has left behind hazardous and toxic waste at its military bases across Afghanistan upon exiting. Without conducting environmental remediation processes at its military bases, a procedure is necessary to ensure the sites are safe for future civilian use, the hazardous and toxic waste at these military bases can cause life-threatening impacts if left untreated, including cancer, for those in the vicinity. 

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

There is currently a legal prohibition that stops the U.S. from spending on environmental remediation overseas. The clean-up costs of the environmental damage in Afghanistan can be up to $15 Million USD. The number of U.S. bases across Afghanistan has varied over the years, with estimates of 700 to 800 bases at the height of the US-led war in the country.

The Secret Carbon Bootprint of War 

Did you know that militaries are not required to report their GHG emissions? Under the 1997 Kyoto Climate Accord, the U.S. negotiated a blanket military exemption to avoid reporting its military GHG emissions to the UNFCC. The 2015 Paris Climate Agreement removed this military exemption, however, it still only made military emissions reporting voluntary.

One estimate shows that the U.S. military is the single largest institutional source of greenhouse gas emissions in the world. The GHG emissions of the U.S. military from the war in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and Syria were more than 440 million tons of GHGs. In contrast, the GHG emissions of the entire country of Afghanistan during the period of 2001 – 2008 were only about 13 million tons.

How Can We Move Forward?

In a confluence of war and ecological vulnerability, Afghanistan stands as a poignant example of the intersections between geopolitical conflicts and the climate crisis. The lack of a mechanism for enforcing environmental remediation overseas is a real challenge for holding the U.S. accountable for its environmental damage in Afghanistan. The country’s plight highlights the pressing need for transparency in reporting the carbon footprint of the U.S. military. Additionally, climate justice for Afghanistan must include calling for necessary policy changes and reparations to enforce clean-up of the environmental damage caused by the U.S. military. 

The war industry feeds on violence, unrest and human catastrophe – it not only exacerbates the impacts of climate change but also adds to the problem with its huge carbon and ecological footprint. Ultimately, divesting away from the war industry is a necessary step to combatting climate change.

References

• German Watch (2021). Global Climate Risk Index 2021. Report.
• UN Sustainable Development Group (2022). Finding common ground in Afghanistan’s fight against the climate emergency. Article.
• World Bank Group (2021). Climate change knowledge portal. Website.
• Our World in Data (2019). Who has contributed most to global CO2 emissions? Website.
• Neuhauser, J. A. (2015). U.S. military responsibility for environmental cleanup in contingency environments. Environmental Law, 45(1), 129–179.
• Scientific American (2021). U.S. forces are leaving a toxic environmental legacy in Afghanistan. Article.
• CBS News (2010). The 700 military of Afghanistan. Article.
• Investigative Reporting Workshop (2021). U.S. leaves Afghanistan, but military presence remains. Article.
• Khan, M. (2022). The environmental impacts of war and conflict. K4D Helpdesk Report. Institute of Development Studies.
• Center for Public Integrity (2015). U.S. troops burned waste in hazardous open pits when safer incinerators sat idle. Article.
• The New Republic (2016). The things they burned. Article.

The post Environmental Costs of US War in Afghanistan 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. 

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

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.

The post Climate Refugees of Somalia appeared first on Muslim Climate Watch.

The war in Yemen has been identified as one of the worst man-made humanitarian crises in human history, killing at least 233,000 people, leaving 24 million people in need of emergency humanitarian assistance and protection and 13 million people in danger of starvation.

Environmental Damage From Saudi-Led War in Yemen

Yemen’s soil, water, air and plants have been destroyed by hundreds of thousands of tons of toxic chemicals released by explosives, landmines and air raids from the ongoing war. The impacts of the toxic debris in the environment across Yemen will be felt for generations to come.

As of 2022, more than 800,000 landmines have been collected from farmlands, wells, streams, schools and almost everywhere across Yemen. Yemeni officials are unable to provide a true assessment of the scale of this catastrophe with the ongoing and escalating war. 

Many water sources and farmlands across Yemen have been contaminated with toxic chemicals from landmines.

This has led to severe water and food shortages, causing malnutrition in millions of people, especially children.

Depletion of Water Reserves Leading to Absolute Water Scarcity

Experts have warned about Yemen’s water crisis since 2010, stating that its water reserves are projected to be depleted in two to three decades. The country could soon run out of water.

A country experiences water scarcity when its water reserves fall below 1,000 cubic meters (m³) per person, often termed the water poverty line, and absolute scarcity if the reserves fall below 500 m³. Alarmingly, Yemen’s freshwater reserves are merely 67 m³ per person (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Yemen’s Absolute Water Scarcity

Air Raids & Cholera Outbreaks in Yemen

The war has destroyed critical sanitation infrastructure, leading to disease outbreaks. One study found air raids from the ongoing war in Yemen have significantly contributed to the incidence of cholera outbreaks across the country.

Displacement of Vulnerable Communities

Amidst the ongoing war, Yemen’s challenges are compounded by the worsening effects of climate change, driving its people to seek sustenance, clean water, and shelter elsewhere. This war-climate nexus has forced vulnerable communities into migration, striving to escape the simultaneous burdens of war, climate change and environmental devastation.

Yemen’s dual crisis of war and climate change are disproportionately impacting the most vulnerable populations, particularly women and children, and uprooting entire communities from their homes across the country. 

References

• The World Bank Group (2021). Climate Change Knowledge Portal: Yemen. 
• The World Bank (2019). Renewable internal freshwater per capita (cubic meters). Website. 
• Anadolu Agency. (2021). Experts assess environmental harm of armed conflict in Yemen. Article
• Inkstick (2022). Yemen’s war could cause it to run out of water. Article 
• Conflict and Environment Observatory. (2021).Protected area conservation in Yemen’s conflict. Report.
• Tarnas, Maia C. and Al-Dheeb, Najwa and Zaman, Muhammad H. and Parker, Daniel M. (2023).  Impact of Air Raids on the Reported Incidence of Cholera in Yemen, 2016-2019. Article.
• United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. (2006). Water scarcity. Report. 
• Center for Civilians in Conflict. (2022). Risking the Future: Climate Change, Environmental Destruction, and Conflict in Yemen. Report.

The post Climate Change, Environment & War in Yemen appeared first on Muslim Climate Watch.