Climate reparations
A brief and rapidly closing window to secure a liveable future”. That’s the sobering assessment made by scientists on the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which earlier…
‘Now I’m nothing’: Zimbabwe floods leave local traders destitute
In eastern Zimbabwe's Rusitu Valley, heavy rain brought by Cyclone Idai this month caused flooding that rampaged through dozens of small grocery stores and market stalls. Their owners have been…
Pakistan’s place in a globalized world
In an increasingly globalised world, we are geographically very beneficially at the crossroads separating South Asia with Central Asia and the Middle East, this must be converted to our geo-political…
Preparing to live sustainably alongside increasing natural risks
The past few weeks have been a grim reminder that natural disasters know no borders. They can strike countries at opposite ends of the globe simultaneously and whether in Asia…
Series of potent hurricanes stokes scientific debate
The rapid-fire formation of four unusually potent Atlantic hurricanes, including Harvey and Irma, has stoked scientific debate over what role global warming is playing in this phenomenon. First came Harvey,…
Scoring with bodies
NO one expects to go on holiday to see death at work. The carnage caused by the recent snowstorm in Murree, which trapped thousands of eager tourists in their cars, was the…
A tale of two islands
The details of the two-island (Bundal and Buddo) controversy have been discussed in the national media so exhaustively over the last one week that one can, without having to build…
IMF, World Bank begin push to swap debt relief for green projects
The idea of forgiving debt held by poor countries in exchange for “green” investments gained ground this week during the spring meetings of the IMF and World Bank, with concrete…
Building urban resilience
Last week, all of Karachi was closely monitoring the formation and trajectory of cyclone Tauktae, waiting with bated breath and hoping that it does not make contact with Pakistan’s coastal…
Future deserts
‘THE fate of a premature seer and that of a timely fool is the same.’ This adage applies perfectly to the foolhardy congregating in Glasgow to hear the warnings of…
