South Asia faces climate catastrophe without regional cooperation

Climate experts from Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh are issuing a stark warning that South Asia must revitalize regional cooperation to address intensifying climate risks. A new World Bank study highlights the extreme vulnerability of the region, projecting that by 2030, approximately 90% of its population will be exposed to extreme heat and nearly 25% will confront severe flooding due to climate-induced disasters.

A Unifying Crisis and Shared Geography

Despite persistent political tensions, experts suggest the climate emergency could serve as a rare unifying force. "Climate can indeed be a unifying factor in an era when there is plenty of antagonism to go around," stated Imran Saqib Khalid, a climate governance expert from Islamabad. He emphasized the necessity of a cross-border early warning system for shared threats like monsoons. This sentiment is echoed in Bangladesh, where Professor Shafi Mohammad Tareq noted that the region's interconnected river systems and shared geography make coordinated action unavoidable for effective mitigation and adaptation.

Geopolitical Hurdles and Imperative for Action

The primary obstacle to cooperation remains the strained political relations between South Asian nations. Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, a Pakistani policy expert, acknowledged that recent political tensions hinder official collaboration. However, he insisted that "ring-fencing" specific areas for climate cooperation or working through international channels remains feasible. He stressed that the three countries face identical climate challenges and are equally vulnerable to shared phenomena like monsoon devastation and coastal cyclones, which cause poverty and food insecurity on both sides of their borders.

Potential Pathways and Existing Frameworks

Experts point to underutilized regional institutions like the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) as potential platforms for a coordinated response. Indian environmentalist Gufran Beig argued for more effective collaboration to mitigate cross-border issues like air pollution. Khalid proposed that joint climate finance proposals to international funds could provide economic incentive for cooperation, reviving stalled mechanisms. He also highlighted the potential of people-to-people exchanges, recalling the successful cross-border knowledge sharing during the Green Revolution in the 1960s.