A global crisis

The images from ongoing battles-burning buildings, shattered streets, and injured civilians- are visceral reminders of war’s immediate brutality. But while incendiaries, explosives and reactive materials inflict acute, localized devastation in conflicts such as those in Ukraine and Gaza; a different kind of assault is unfolding more slowly and on a far larger scale- the assault on the globe by climate change. The death toll and destruction from violent conflict are horrific and urgent; yet the cumulative, diffuse harm of climate change now rivals and, in many ways, surpasses them. Over the past months, abnormal weather has ravaged dozens of countries. Several states in India experienced devastating flash floods and landslides that killed nearly a hundred and displacing lakhs. Across the world, record heatwaves, intensified storms, catastrophic floods, prolonged droughts and more powerful wildfires have killed thousands, displaced millions and left economic and human costs that are difficult to quantify. Entire communities are uprooted by floods or wildfires; roads, homes and public infrastructure are washed away or incinerated. Ecosystems that once buffered storms and supported livelihoods have been degraded or destroyed. These are not isolated incidents but symptoms of a warming planet where extreme events are more frequent, more intense and less predictable. The consequences extend beyond immediate destruction. Floodwaters bring bacterial contamination and unsafe drinking water; smoke from wildfires spreads particulate pollution and respiratory illness; warmer temperatures expand the range of disease vectors, increasing the risk of viral, bacterial and parasitic outbreaks. Food systems are acutely vulnerable. Droughts and shifting rainfall patterns reduce crop yields; storms and floods destroy harvests and farmland; the combined stresses amplify food insecurity. The 2025 Global Report on Food Crises explicitly linked these “climate shocks” to acute hunger affecting millions- a stark reminder that climate instability rapidly becomes a humanitarian catastrophe. There is no quick fix. Mitigation requires sweeping changes: dramatic reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions, strict control of atmospheric chemical and particulate pollution, and a rapid transition to cleaner energy and agricultural practices. The scale of the task demands political will, economic planning and international cooperation on a scale rarely seen outside wartime mobilization. International consensus acknowledges the crisis, yet meaningful action remains frustratingly inadequate. While most nations express commitment to reducing emissions, implementation remains fragmented and tepid. Notable exceptions being nations like the U.S. administration under current President Trump, who have actively resisted global climate agreements. The US keeps company with countries like Iran, Libya and Yemen that prioritize short-term economic interests over planetary survival. There is hardly any option- accept incremental, insufficient steps and watch disasters multiply, or commit to bold, sustained policies that limit warming and protect vulnerable populations. Real progress will mean aligning national interests with global survival – protecting coasts and crops, curbing air and water pollution, and investing in resilient infrastructure and public health systems. Climate change is not an abstract future risk. It is a present, escalating siege on lives, livelihoods and the institutions that sustain them. If the civilized world can agree against the violence of war, it must muster equal resolve- and far greater foresight- to confront the slow-burning war of climate change before its casualties become too numerous to count.