What term did UN Secretary General António Guterres use to describe the severe state of climate change?
Global warming
Global boiling
Climate crisis
Climate catastrophe
Correct Answer: Global boiling
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SUMMARY of the Article “‘Global boiling’” by Masood Lohar, Dawn, June 25th, 2024
This year’s Haj witnessed a tragic incident where over 1,300 pilgrims succumbed to extreme heat, with temperatures soaring to 51.8 degrees Celsius. This event underscores the escalating crisis of extreme weather, described by UN Secretary General António Guterres as “global boiling.” The phenomenon represents a significant shift from global warming to more severe and dangerous climatic conditions. Similar heatwaves have recently affected Pakistan and India, with temperatures in Sindh reaching 52.2°C and in Delhi surpassing 44°C, causing widespread fatalities and heatstroke cases. These events align with a global pattern of unprecedented weather extremes. The term ‘global boiling’ highlights the unpredictable nature of current climate changes, which include alternating extremes like droughts, floods, and heatwaves. For instance, regions near Makkah recently experienced both extreme heat and flash floods. Other examples include record-breaking rainfall in Dubai, leading to severe flooding and fatalities, and simultaneous extreme weather events in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and China, ranging from severe flooding to prolonged droughts. These climatic anomalies are causing significant disruptions to human health, » Read More…
What percentage of the world’s population lives in autocracies according to the V-Dem Institute’s Democracy Report 2024?
48%
71%
55%
60%
Correct Answer: 71%
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SUMMARY of the Article “Fierce Heat,” Editorial, Dawn, June 24th, 2024
The editorial underscores the severe and escalating impacts of climate change, as evidenced by recent extreme weather events including savage heat, melting glaciers, and extreme rainfall. In June, cities across the northern hemisphere experienced unprecedented high temperatures, indicating that these heatwaves might surpass last summer’s records, which were the hottest in 2,000 years. This record-breaking heat has caused significant loss of life, with thousands potentially dead in Europe and Asia, including 200 homeless people in Delhi and over 1,000 pilgrims during Hajj, many of whom were Pakistanis. These incidents highlight the urgent need for measures to address global warming. Vulnerable groups, such as women, children, the elderly, the poor, and rural populations, face severe health risks including cardiovascular and respiratory disorders, miscarriages, and fatal heat strokes. The editorial calls for federal and provincial authorities in » Read More…
SUMMARY of the Article “Higher education up the creek,” by Faisal Bari, Dawn, June 21st, 2024
In this article, Faisal Bari discusses the numerous challenges facing Pakistan’s higher education sector, exacerbated by the government’s recent budgetary decisions. He begins with an anecdote about how a boss would preemptively defuse requests for raises by suggesting that staff might be fired, drawing a parallel to the government’s handling of the higher education budget. Although the government initially announced cuts to the budget, it later restored funding to the previous year’s level, an action Bari suggests was intended to appear generous. Despite an increasing number of universities and colleges being upgraded, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has not received a budget increase for several years, leaving many universities, even well-established ones, in severe financial distress. The situation is further aggravated by a 20% increase in salaries and 15% inflation, pushing public-sector universities towards financial crises, including potential defaults on salaries and pensions. The budget includes other adverse measures, such as the removal of a long-standing 25% income tax rebate for teachers and researchers, which previously helped mitigate the financial strain on these professionals. This removal, » Read More…
SUMMARY of the Article “Climate-smart finance bill,” by Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, Dawn, June 20th, 2024
The article criticizes Pakistan’s proposed finance bill for the next fiscal year for its lack of commitment to climate resilience, despite the country being highly vulnerable to climate change. The bill does not set a direction for sustainable economic development or climate-resilient investments and overlooks the need for institutional and policy reforms to address economic damages from climate-induced disasters. The government has instead chosen a simplistic approach to generate revenue by cutting subsidies, with little focus on economic development or climate resilience. Key government entities, such as the Planning Commission and the Finance Ministry, have failed to integrate climate considerations into their budgeting and reporting processes, resulting in a lack of climate-smart budgeting. Comparisons are drawn with Bangladesh, which has made significant strides in climate-proofing its budget and establishing climate funds and frameworks to support climate resilience. Pakistan is urged to adopt similar measures, including tracking climate-related expenditures, aligning budgetary processes with national climate policies, and exploring innovative green finance mechanisms like green bonds and debt-for- » Read More…
SUMMARY of the Article “Leadership, crisis, opportunity,” by Maleeha Lodhi, Dawn, June 17th, 2024
Pakistan is currently at a critical juncture, grappling with numerous crises, including political polarization, economic instability, and institutional degradation. This multifaceted crisis, or polycrisis, involves overlapping issues in governance, economy, politics, security, and human development, all reinforcing each other and creating a formidable challenge. National morale is low, with a significant portion of the population believing the country is heading in the wrong direction. Unlike previous crises that Pakistan has managed to overcome, the current situation is exacerbated by decades of poor governance and missed opportunities. Immediate reforms, particularly economic ones, are essential to address these structural issues. A significant gap persists between the challenges faced and the responses provided by successive governments, which have lacked a » Read More…
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