Climate patterns are gradually changing year by year across the globe. There are 195 countries with diverse terrains, including forests, mountains and deserts. A country’s specific climate and geography are closely linked to key outcomes such as demographics and economy. People’s livelihoods and dependence on resources, both internal and external, are deeply influenced by these climatic conditions.
For instance, residents of deserts rely heavily on potable water from other regions, need fewer resources to cope with cold weather and have minimal rainwater drainage requirements. People living along seashores or in tropical regions experience a climate of moderate to hot weather. Their energy needs to manage climate severity in order to remain relatively stable and their diets depend largely on seafood.
In contrast, inhabitants of cold, mountainous regions face milder summers but harsher winters. They require abundant fuel and food resources, often relying on what they produce in summer or importing supplies from other nations. This natural balance in ecosystems is vital for all living beings in their habitats.
When ecological balance is disturbed due to climate change, the consequences are severe. A temperature rise of just 1–2 degrees Celsius can trigger glacier melts and cloudbursts in mountainous areas, leading to flash floods and landslides. Such events directly destroy lives, homes, seasonal crops and livestock. This would also indirectly affect populations living downstream in plains, where flooding disrupts food security and infrastructure. Coastal populations face rising sea levels that submerge land, displace communities and threaten livelihoods. These are just some of the impacts; other contributing factors include deforestation, carbon emissions and rapid urbanization.
The impact of industrialization
The root causes of ecosystem imbalances are overwhelmingly human-driven. Industrialization, which began in the late 17th to early 18th century, accelerated resource consumption. The British Industrial Revolution relied heavily on coal and iron, while the first American oil well was drilled in 1859, leading to rapid industrial growth in the US by the 1870s.
After World War II, industrialization expanded further with mechanized agriculture, large-scale manufacturing and new modes of transportation, such as steamships, automobiles and airplanes. Cities became centers of industry and research, driving urban migration.
Industry and urbanization heavily rely on fossil fuels such as coal, oil, diesel and furnace oil. Burning these fuels releases large amounts of carbon, contributing to global warming. Urbanization also leads to deforestation, displacing habitats critical for ecosystem stability. Additionally, transportation relies on fossil fuels, further increasing carbon emissions. Together, these human activities are major drivers of climate change.
Developing countries, where industrialization is still evolving, contribute relatively little to global carbon emissions. On average, a person in a high-income country emits roughly 30% more carbon than someone in a low-income country. Pakistan, for example, produces less than 1% of the world’s carbon emissions. Yet it ranks among the top ten most vulnerable countries to climate change, bearing the brunt of industrialized nations’ carbon output.
Countries like Bangladesh face similar challenges — minimal contributions to global emissions but high vulnerability to floods and cyclones. Wealthier nations, which are the primary producers of fossil fuels and have higher carbon footprints, should support these vulnerable countries.
Urgent action needed
Recent events highlight this vulnerability. In August 2025, torrential monsoon rains caused devastating floods in India and Pakistan, affecting thousands of lives, livestock and infrastructure. On top of that, Pakistan’s 7,000 glaciers are rapidly melting, increasing the risk of glacier lake outbursts and flash floods.
Vulnerable nations urgently require funding not only to mitigate and adapt to climate damage but also to ensure compliance with international treaties, such as the Indus Water Treaty (which governs the use of the river Indus and its tributaries, allocating the eastern rivers to India and the western rivers to Pakistan). Any suspension or unilateral violation of such agreements could set a dangerous global precedent, making the exploitation of natural resources easier and accelerating climate deterioration.
Climate change is no longer a distant threat. For countries like Pakistan, its impacts are immediate and catastrophic, demanding global attention, accountability from high-emission nations and urgent action to protect human lives and natural ecosystems.
[Elliott Frey edited this piece]
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Fair Observer’s editorial policy.
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