A prism of possibilities

South Asia's perspective at COP29 is largely focused on the urgency of adaptation, resilience building, and securing climate finance to address the region's specific vulnerabilities

- ASISH GUPTA

As COP29 draws near in Baku, Azerbaijan, the urgency for substantial progress on climate action has reached new heights. Stakeholders from around the world are calling for decisive measures across several crucial areas to address the escalating climate crisis. Since COP28, global climate indicators have only deteriorated further, marked by continuous warming and an increase in extreme weather events that are affecting communities worldwide. Each passing month in 2024 has set new temperature records, and the year is now on track to become the hottest in recorded history. This intensifying trend highlights the critical need for COP29 to translate pledges into concrete action, addressing both mitigation and adaptation to protect vulnerable ecosystems and populations from the accelerating impacts of climate change.

Alarming climate records

Throughout 2024, temperatures have repeatedly broken historical records, with June standing as the hottest on record. This follows a continuous trend from 2023, as 2024's temperatures surpassed previous records set by several tenths of a degree Celsius, a notable jump given the typical rate of change. Sea surface temperatures have continued to rise, marking record highs across significant parts of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. These temperature changes have intensified weather patterns, contributing to severe weather events in various regions. A critical driver was El Niño, which contributed to warmer-than-average sea temperatures and had a noticeable influence on precipitation and temperature distribution worldwide.