THE WORLD’S BIGGEST CALAMITY: CLIMATE CHANGE OR WARS

Climate change is the biggest global threat which has the potential to directly affect the planetary life. Its damages are beyond imagination and are not irrecoverable. The hazardous effects of climate change are exacerbating day-after-day but the worst part is that developed nations have not yet ascertained the gravity of the situation and have virtually turned deaf ears to the recommendations of international environmental protection agencies and repeated warnings of environmental scientists. Considering such an attitude, one may foresee that those days are not far ahead when the world may witness any chaotic situation or major environmental disaster. These disasters may have magnanimous impact on the future of mankind and are not akin to war which usually happens on contemporary issues and only on regional basis. War may be discussed as disastrous but it could not be so disastrous when compared with any climatic disaster. Although, the world appears to be unanimous to bring about peace and security across the globe and not to engage in any war yet sudden climatic changes may change the whole scenario and turn the planet to the position where war on any environmental issue becomes indispensable. In order to minimize the perilous effects of climate change, concerted efforts at global level are extremely necessary. The article

no threat to the world peace. The only real danger to the world is climate change. This global threat can be minimized through global cooperation. The global cooperation must contain a mechanism to implement the Paris Accord (2015) on Climate Change, to shift the nations from non-renewable energy resources to renewable energy resources and to provide financial assistance to the Third World countries to fulfill the global climate related targets.

FACTS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING THE CLIMATE CHANGE AS WORST CALAMITY:
Melting glaciers and ice sheets is the first factor that made the climate change as the worst calamity on the earth. Glaciers and ice-covered mountains have a key role in maintaining the ecosystem of the world. Their conversion from solid to liquid water can cause a loss of a particular environment in which different wild-lives live. This situation can endanger even the lives of animals. Besides this, glaciers are a source of fresh water. Fast melting of glaciers can deprive a large population of freshwater resources. Pakistan is such a country which fulfills its fresh water needs from ice sheets and glaciers of the Himalayas. Now, these glaciers are dissolving into water rapidly. Pakistan has not enough capacity to store fresh water. Consequently, fresh water is flowing into the saline water of the Indian Ocean. Pakistan is not only facing this untoward situation, but the same situation is prevailing from Arctic to Peru, from Switzerland to the equatorial glaciers of Man Jaya in Indonesia. Therefore, evaporating glaciers, ice fields and sea ice are contributing significantly into turning the climate change, the biggest threat to the world.
Secondly, rising sea level is posing existential threat to various nations. Rising sea level is not different from the previously discussed impact of climate change. Sea level is rising because of abundant quantity of water flowing from mountains to the sea and oceans due to increasing warm weather and melting of glaciers. Further, enervating heat of the sun expands volume of ocean water. Owing to this continuous process, the sea level has increased between four and eight inches in the past hundred years (IPCC, 2014). Moreover, scientists have pointed out that current sea level is the product of the earth's 4.6-billion-year history (Mimura, 2013). However, the recent surge has taken exception from the previous patterns of rise and fall. Shanghai, Bangkok, Jakarta, Tokyo and New York are facing the brunt of these fluctuations in the sea level. The governments of these countries are mulling over new plans to shift these cities from the existing perilous places to new safe places. This process will take stupendous time, money, planning and attention of affected nations. Developed nations may be able to handle the mass exodus but developing countries would have to face huge financial implications involved in shifting their endangered cities. Thus, global warming has hazardous impacts for the world population living on coastal areas.
Weather patterns are also changing due to the climate change. Duration of seasons has changed has changed the weather patterns around the globe. This fluctuation in the duration of seasons is wrecking heavy in agriculture sector because fruits, vegetables and crops are taking time to ripe. Moreover, crop productivity has decreased significantly. Furthermore, heat waves are rearing their heads in different parts of the tropical regions (Perkins-Kirkpatrick and Gibson, 2017). Apart from claiming lives of the low strata of society, heatwaves bring activities of life to a complete halt. In 2018, China and Pakistan faced the enervating heat waves that had multiple socio-economic ramifications. Moreover, every year, meteorological departments of diverse nations announce the record-breaking heat or coldness. These kinds of fluctuations in weather pattern are the result of climate change. Now, it is not easy to overcome this global challenge. Therefore, it is being termed as the biggest calamity of the world in the modern times.
Climate change has made people vulnerable to flooding across the globe. It is so because global temperature has increased by 2°C over the pre-industrial era. High temperature means the higher evaporations of water and rainfall. That is why the current decade has witnessed massive flooding in England, United States, China, Africa, India and Pakistan. Unfortunately, flooding has lowered the standard of life of the people living in those flood-hit areas, depriving people of the basic necessities of life (Hussain, 2020). In this situation, governments often do their best to rescue their citizens but the problem is recurrent due to the climate change. The effects of climate change are much disastrous as compared to the war because nations have to indulge in any war to settle their interest or dispute. To mitigate the disasters of war, countries re-establish and reconstruct themselves with the help of international community to normalize the situation. However, climate change is a converse calamity that afflicts its damages every year without any break. Over and above, international community is unable to pay the desired attention to it. According to the Institute for Environmental Studies of Amsterdam University, every year, 21 Million people became victim of floods and various nations as well as the international community are unable to avert this dangerous and life threatening calamity.
Drought has become a new routine in the last ten years because of climate change (Krakauer et al., 2019;Siddiqui and Safi, 2017). Excessive emission of Chloro-Fluoro-Carbons (CFCs) is absorbing rays of the sun. These rays are scaling up temperature of the earth's surface. This surged temperature gives impetus to exorbitant evaporation from soil. When overweening evaporation does not reciprocate with the rainfall, drought takes rain everywhere. Apart from developing nations, countries like US are facing such a situation in its states (Krakauer et al., 2019). Droughts have social, political and economic implications as well. Socially, human beings along with other wildlife and animals die due to un-availability of water. Economically, agricultural and industrial sectors bear heavy loss due to scarcity of water. Politically, governments face the anger of opposition and masses. In some cases, governments are toppled by mammoth mobs or ambitious dictators. In some grave situations, rivers too dry up and trade through rivers comes to a standstill. Drought or drought like situation is very odd and beyond thinking in the 21 st Century when human beings have acquired modern and cutting-edge technologies and scientists have tamed the forces of nature. Keeping in view this scenario, it seems that climate change has begun giving tough time to modern man and his inventions. Usually, wars are fought by two or three nations except war is over by long-standing dispute. During war, warring parties are supported by their friendly countries whenever they face shortage of any necessary thing or tool of war. Nonetheless, climate change has emerged even bigger threat then wars because it has begun affecting the whole world (Scranton, 2018;Parker, 2017;Perkins, 2013;Welzer, 2012;James, 2009). Each country is finding ways to get resources to fulfill the environment related targets given by the United Nations during United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (1992); United Nations Millennium Declaration (2000), United Nations Millennium Development Goals (2015), United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (2016). To overcome the effects of climate change, the UNO is also portraying as an ineffective body in this regard.
Global warming is directly responsible for squandering natural resources. Fresh water reserves are being wasted by actions of atmospheric heat on glaciers and icesheets; wild fire has become rampant in prominent and vast forests of the South America. In 2019, wildfire, flared-up in the Amazon forests of Brazil. According to an estimate, very precious timber worth millions of dollars burnt in the wildfire. The United Nations agency on climate change termed it climate induced wildfire. In this way, natural resources are wasting. But respective countries are unable to protect and preserve them. In a nutshell, climate change is incurring losses equally for all living beings on the earth whereas in war, natural resources are protected. Invading countries invade other nations keeping in view the worth of natural resources that are to be acquired by the former states. In this manner, wars protect and reserve natural resources and the conquered nation is on the gaining end. However, climate change and its diverse affects do not spare anyone and indiscriminately affects everyone. It afflicts environmental, social, political, and economic damages equally on all parties. Therefore, climate change rearing its head as a formidable threat to the whole world.
Wars bring about unity in nations. All individuals of a nation pledge to fight for preserving the honor and prestige of their country. They forget their differences and make their government politically stable and viable. For example, at the time of Second World War (1939)(1940)(1941)(1942)(1943)(1944)(1945), the British Government was consisted of all political parties in the House of Commons. But scenario is emerging differently in the times of increased global warming. Climate change is wedging differences within countries and its aftermaths are horrific. People are looking towards governments for relief, but governments are unable to deliver to their citizens due to multiple constraints. Resultantly, masses are protesting against governments, creating political instability in country. The Japan Times reported in 2017 that Sub-Saharan civil wars are raged by climate change induced flooding, drought and other relative destruction.
Apart from polarization in domestic politics, climate change has also divided the international community. Manifestation of this divergence came to surface when the Paris Agreement on Climate Change (2015) was opened to sign for countries of the world. Surprisingly, many crucial countries like China, Libya, Iran, Iraq and Yemen did not sign the treaty whereas the US even withdrew itself. Owing to this division, the Paris Agreement cannot be enforced in its letter and spirit. Still highly industrialized nations are free to emit hydrocarbon to the limit as they want. Nonetheless all countries have agreed to maintain peace internationally. Existence of the United Nations Organizations is the practical consensus of all nations to maintain peace in the world. This factor indicates that climate change is transforming itself into the worst crisis for the globe.
It appears that climate change, poverty, inequality and hunger are inseparable from each other. Super-charged floods and frequent droughts cause inflation and shortage of edible things. Rich individuals can buy edibles regardless of their prices whereas poor people suffer immensely from this situation. They have to face starvation and malnutrition. According to the World Resources Institute (Carter et al., 2018), 100 million people living in developing countries could be pushed into poverty due to climate change by 2030. Besides floods and droughts, rising sea level is compelling some countries to shift their cities to safe places. Currently, Indonesia is shifting Jakarta to the northern side of the country because it is gradually sinking in the ocean. This type of relocation will give birth to massive exodus and unemployment would make it very difficult for the developing countries to provide basic amenities to these displaced people, especially those living in slums. This phenomenon will increase the crime rate and endanger the peace of the country. Perhaps the words of Pope Francis ring true "Climate Change is a brutal act of injustice towards poor". Therefore, climate change is a nightmare for the poor and depressed classes who are generally unable to cope with these situations.
The dangerousness of climate change can be estimated from the fact that affects and bleak consequences of climate change can lead the world towards war whereas war rarely induces a climate change. As mentioned above, climate change causes water scarcity and squandering of other natural resources. When one country faces shortage of necessary resources to survive, it indulges in skirmishes or full-fledged war with neighboring country in order to acquire desired resources. Currently, over-population and climate change are the main reasons behind pushing Pakistan towards water scarce country whereas India while taking undue advantage of its geographical location is usually engaged in stoppage the routine flow of water to Pakistani rivers at the times of dire need. Ultimately, this untoward situation may lead to a major conflict especially when both the countries have history of hostilities towards each other as both states have fought three wars. Besides them, Ethiopia and Egypt are at logger heads over water disputes. These types of conflicts are now at their initial stage but they can be exacerbated if climate change brings about drought and water scarcity in different portions of the world.
Undoubtedly, war brings on destruction and catastrophe. However, climate change has bigger cataclysmic effects than the outbreak of wars. It is so because wars are fought with neighboring countries or other hostile nations that are visible and considering the strengths and weaknesses of enemies, opposite party can plug its shortcomings. However, scenario in climate change is quite different as it is inflicting tremendous damages to socio-political and economic lives of nations as nations are not taking them as serious threat. The main reason of it is invisibility of the trouble.
States are not taking it as an immediate threat, which scenario is playing havoc. Moreover, many countries and international organizations have begun perceiving it as a pre-dominant hazard the world has ever faced. Nonetheless, owing to shortage of financial resources and lack of political will to reduce the causes of climate change, this primary issue is consigned to back business. Now, with each passing day, it has become very difficult to suppress climate change related issues because the outbreak of Covid-19 has compelled governments across the world to focus on health related matters along with struggle to boost up economic progress.
The scope of the threat of climate change is highest because climate change causes environmental destruction without taking care of borders. It has emerged as a global issue and the countries emitting excessive hydrocarbons are endangering other nations which have no role in such crossborder emissions. It appears that the struggle of one or two states does nothing in curtailing the pernicious effects of climate change and the situation is so grim that it needed the collective effects of the whole world, especially, the developed nations. Thus, climate change is exposing the globe to the greatest menace the world has ever faced.
Now, main powers of the world have acquired nuclear capabilities. War between nuclear countries means total destruction of both warring parties. Thus, the strategic analysts too opined that fullfledged war is impossible in the background of nuclear deterrence whereas only one major existential threat is the climate change which could be taken seriously. Recently, the UNO has declared the decade 2021-2030 as "the United Nations Decade of Ecosystem Restoration". Similarly, Kofi Anan, the former Secretary General of the UNO termed the climate change as a major risk that is leading the world towards an irreversible point. If this happens, we risk denying present and future generations the right to a healthy and sustainable planet -the whole of humanity stands to lose. Likewise, German Chancellor asserted that climate change knows no borders and it being a global issue, concerted efforts are needed.
Another problem with the environment is that every nation of the world is trying to become an industrialized nation and in this pursuit, new industries are being set up to manufacture new products wherein coal-based power projects are being installed to fulfill energy needs. On the other hand, the industrialized countries are already unwilling to mitigate the carbon emissions from their industrial sectors. The US has even withdrawn itself from the Paris Agreement (2015) because the Accord obliges the US to decrease its carbon emissions. Earlier, Kyoto Protocol (1997) had seen the same fate as the Paris Agreement (2015). The world's cooperation over the Millennial Development Goals and on the Sustainable Development Goals has not changed the situation as there is no significant progress in the matter. Pernicious effects of climate change are going out of control and to control the situation tangible steps are required to be needed at the earliest failing which it may be predicted that gruesome effects will haunt the global population significantly and by then the damage would be irreversible. Irrefutably, climate change has turned out to be an existential threat whereas sensible nations cannot let perilous things happen around themselves. As such, timely efforts and pragmatic steps are needed to achieve the desired results and avert any further destruction or disaster.

TREND TO RESOLVE CROSS-BORDER ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES TO AVOID WARS:
The domestic courts of the developed countries are of the view that keeping in view the cross border environmental issues, even domestic environmental laws can be applied over foreign companies or cross border entities. In this regard, we may refer to the case reported as State of Georgia v. Tennessee Copper Company (1907) wherein the State of Georgia sued foreign companies for discharging hazardous fumes which polluted the air over Georgia. In this case, the US Supreme Court observed that:-"It is fair and reasonable demand on the part of a sovereign state that the air over its territory should not be polluted on a great scale by sulphurous acid gas, that the forests on its mountains, be they better or worse, and whatever domestic destruction they have suffered, should not be further destroyed or threatened by the act of persons beyond its control, that the crops and orchards on its hills should not be endangered from the same source." However, the legal analysis of cross-border international environmental pollution is not so easy or simple as the countries facing such like cross-border environmental issues have to resort to diplomatic solutions because of the fact that domestic courts and laws are unable to cope with the complexities of international disputes. Courts are generally reluctant to apply domestic laws in extraterritorial matters but it appears that environmental problems are the exceptions to such application. Although this exception has not been considered as an adequate but it is evident that at least courts in Canada are willing to apply laws on cross-border environmental issues.
It appears that resolution of environmental issues through diplomacy is not speedy but the same can be seen as effective in the sense that diplomatic efforts often result into international arbitration and cross-border or regional treaties to save the environment. Moreover, there is a dire need that cross-border environmental issues must not be left at the discretion of private parties as it may have the potential to significantly disrupt the diplomatic and other relations between the countries leading to the confused situation as to the application of environmental law.

RECOMMENDATIONS:
In order to reduce the adverse impacts of climate change, it is imperative to implement the Paris Agreement (2015) in its true letter and spirit. Some environmental analysts even emphasized to make major amendments in it. Currently, the Paris Agreement (2015) does not compel developed and rich nations to finance environmental initiatives in developing or most affected nations. The clause of free riding has dumped the agreement. For its effectiveness, it is necessary to redesign the Accord in such a manner so as to collectively burden all the nations to bear costs and benefits from development. Moreover, technological research and development is imperative to change the existing paradigm.
The most effective method of improving the situation is the agriculture sector, wherein there is a dire need to genetically develop such species of crops and plants which not only have more yield ratio but must have vibrant role to improve the situation. For instance, plants with long roots may have more capacity to absorb maximum carbon or with big or more leaves have the capacity to produce more Oxygen in the environment. Undoubtedly, these small but careful initiatives shall be helpful in preventing the earth from environmental disasters.
Further, it is necessary to shift the world form non-renewable energy resources to renewable energy resources. After cautious warning of international bodies and most concerned nations, many countries have begun taking steps to shift from non-renewable energy resources to renewable energy resources. Currently, China is the biggest emitter of carbon, followed by US. 60% of China's energy needs are fulfilled by relying on coal. However, now, China has become the world first country that has invested $150 billion on electric energy. Besides this, Joe Biden, the US President has emphasized to invest $2 trillion on decarbonizing the US economy. Similarly, Petrostates such as Middle-East Countries are seeing the future of their Petro-economies bleak and unfavorable due to the fact that world is taking its major shift towards alternative energy resources i.e. wind, solar or hydropower energy etc. Presently, these countries are searching for the alternative business to run their economies. All the afore-mentioned initiatives being taken by different countries are the positive signs towards improvement in the climate change. For this purpose, cooperation among developed and developing nations is needed to reduce the global temperature by 2C to take the situation to the pre-industrial era.
Similarly, nuclear technology is an important alternative source of clean energy. Besides clean energy, nuclear energy is effective and sustainable as it also protects air quality. Nuclear energy is obtained by splitting uranium atoms by the process of nuclear fission. The heat released by fission is used to create steam that spins a turbine to produce electricity. Moreover, nuclear installations occupy small tract of land and produce minimal waste. Despite its diverse benefits, usage of these sources of energy is the least because of the fear of its usage in making destructive weapons, nuclear bombs. If a country wants to install a nuclear power plant, the state has to follow several SOPs devised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). It is now the high time to remove all hurdles in the way of establishing nuclear power plants while relaxing the permissions for such installations at International level as it is a matter of the survival of our planet, the earth.
The Southern nations of the globe have fragile economies. Their main issues are poverty, inequality, unemployment, and lawlessness. The trouble of climate change is at the fag-end of their priority list. This trend is very dangerous and developed economies have to provide financial assistance for tackling such problem. This economic aid will definitely help out these feeble economies to at least undertake massive plantation to curtail the pernicious effects of climate change. Further, countries like China, US and India being the biggest producers are also mainly contributing towards carbon emissions and its accumulation in the atmosphere. Therefore, it is the duty of such producers to at least allocate some portion of their income gained through production to shoulder responsibility of tackling climate change crisis.
Lastly, climate change is a global problem. So, it needs global cooperation to overcome its hazardous effects. Supercharged floods, frequent droughts, rising sea level and wastage of natural resources are rampant across the world and make no distinction amongst countries. These catastrophes not only harmed the world but have adversely affected the development works. The rich nations have comparative advantages over the poor nations in a sense that rehabilitation process is carried out soon after disaster whereas poor nations wait for the aid to come to start rehabilitation activities. Moreover, the poor countries cannot do any significant act to mitigate adverse impacts of climate change because of their multiple financial, political, and social constraints. Thus, it is generally essential to make concerted efforts to eliminate injustice with such poor nations failing which there is likelihood that developed countries may also face the situation beyond their control.
In short, climate change has become the biggest calamity of the world and has no limitations or borders whereas although wars are considered as the greatest danger to the stability of a nation yet it has limited effects. The nature of disasters as a result of war is disastrous but climate change has magnanimous and gigantic effects. War may be seen as a tool to acquire or usurp the natural resources, fertile lands, prestige and honor of nations whereas environment on the other hand is the problem being faced by the countries across the globe. To a great extent, the UNO has succeeded to build consensus amongst nations about this universal problem but there is a dire need to put pragmatic and tangible efforts to ameliorate the situation. The dawn of the 21st Century has brought gigantic challenge of climate change, which is even bigger and fatal than wars as in such case the root cause, being the enemy of the whole humanity, is invisible but assaults in a more forceful manner as compared to the enemies of war which are visibly seen and for which arrangements may be made to properly defend oneself. The loss as a result of environmental disasters incurred billions of dollars to national economies and supercharged floods, droughts and low production of crops have pushed millions of people towards death. If this situation is not taken seriously at this stage, then our future generations will have to pay the huge price and face serious consequences.

CONCLUSION:
The nature has given the planet earth the ability to replenish and ordinary environmental issues are generally resolved by the nature itself with the passage of time. The extraordinary intervention of mankind in the nature has resulted into colossal environmental problems posing serious threat to the planet and it is apprehended that the whole ecological system will either collapse under the burden of problems created by mankind or the future of the coming generations will be horrific and beyond imagination. Although, different countries are presently engaged in a competition to acquire and usurp as much natural resources of the poor nations as they can but this will not eventually solve the problem and it is extremely essential to act towards the right direction and to see the entire globe as one community in order to put collective efforts to overcome the problem. In this regard, the first step is the proper implementation of the Paris Accord (2015) with few amendments ending free riding. To invest heavily in alternative or renewable energy resources and do more plantations to eliminate carbon emissions and shifting towards clean energy sources like nuclear power plants in order to provide the cheapest and sustainable energy to all the countries of the globe is yet another major step. In this regard, developed and progressed nations must support the economically backward countries to achieve their national targets on climate change. It is only through these efforts and to act as a global family that the intensity of the threat may be averted otherwise our future generations have to pay the price. ___________________________