Simran Siraj

Tariq Alexander Qaiser does not see the Karachi coastline as a wasteland; he sees a &quot;Forest in Peril,&quot; the title of his film exploring the vulnerability and resilience of mangrove ecosystems on Bundal Island, which is still breathing despite the city&rsquo;s best efforts to stifle it.&nbsp;For over 15 years, Qaiser has navigated the narrow channels of the Indus Delta, documenting a world most Karachiites, the children of Kolachi, have forgotten.&nbsp;As an architect, Qaiser understands that a city is only as beautiful as it is livable.&nbsp;<blockquote>&quot;Beauty is about wellness,&quot; he explained in an exclusive conversation with Pakistan TV Digital. To him, the mangroves are not merely trees; they are the city&rsquo;s primary infrastructure.</blockquote>&nbsp;Speaking of Pakistan&rsquo;s unique position, he said, &quot;Pakistan is truly blessed with aquifers. Our subsurface water resources are incredible.&quot;&nbsp;He envisions a future in which we &quot;create micro-climates in zones along the entire length of Pakistan,&quot; turning riverbeds into vast &quot;oxygen machines.&quot; It is a grand architectural vision, yet one grounded in biology.&nbsp;Pakistan is one of the few countries with a riverbank long enough to run the entire length of the country, and it is &ldquo;very doable&rdquo; to plant trees along the bank, he said.&nbsp;The story Qaiser tells is one of documented loss. In 2011, the delta was a different world.&nbsp;<blockquote>&quot;The canopy was in the range of 50 to 60 feet,&quot; he recalled. &quot;The density was so deep and dark that rays of light would come through like shards of light ... it felt primordial.&quot;</blockquote>&nbsp;In those days, the channels were so narrow, barely four feet wide, that you had to duck under branches to pass, he said.&nbsp;Today, those same channels have widened to 15 feet as mangroves are cut down for fuel or land clearing.&nbsp;&quot;Those areas that I have on record at 50 to 60 feet,&quot; he noted with almost clinical sadness, &quot;are currently in the 20s.&quot; The loss is the dismantling of the city&rsquo;s natural defense system.&nbsp;Despite the profound changes that sometimes taint the sea air, Qaiser refuses to look away. He urges Karachi&#39;s residents to reconnect with their roots.&nbsp;<blockquote>&quot;We, the children of Kolachi, are people of the sea. We must recognize our foundations, our roots, and where we were born.&rdquo;</blockquote>&nbsp;He invites the city to go to the shore, to &quot;breathe in the scent of nature,&quot; and to recognize that while we have spoiled much, the potential for recovery is &quot;low-hanging fruit.&quot;&nbsp;Qaiser&rsquo;s mission is a ten-year commitment to a landscape that refuses to die. His documentation is a bridge between what was and what could still be. For him, the math is simple: If we protect the mudflats and the old growth, the city survives.&nbsp;&quot;The Indus River is not dead as yet,&quot; Tariq insisted, his voice carrying the weight of nearly two decades of observation. &quot;And we need to bring it back. We need to bring it back.&quot;

Climate

Tariq Alexander Qaiser does not see the Karachi coastline as a wasteland; he sees a "Forest in Peril," the title of his film exploring the vulnerability and resilience of mangrove ecosystems on Bundal Island, which is still breathing despite the city’s best efforts to stifle it.

Karachi's shrinking mangroves and why they matter

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ISLAMABAD: Global forced displacement is projected to reach a record 139.3 million people by the end of 2025 across 136 countries, despite a brief mid-year decline, as severe funding cuts threaten humanitarian response and aid agencies warn donor fatigue has become the biggest crisis facing refugees worldwide. UNHCR forecasts that 139.3 million people will be forcibly displaced by year-end, up from 123.2 million at the end of 2024. Mid-year figures showed 117.3 million displaced, a temporary dip of 5.9 million that masked the worsening crisis. Sudan became the world&#39;s largest displacement crisis with 14.3 million refugees and internally displaced people, replacing Syria at 13.5 million, followed by Afghanistan with 10.3 million and Ukraine with 8.8 million. The modest decline masks a deepening humanitarian catastrophe. Up to 11.6 million refugees risk losing UNHCR assistance in 2025, representing one-third of those reached last year. UNHCR&#39;s funding requirements for 2025 are $10.6 billion, yet only 23% have been met by mid-year. UNHCR projects ending 2025 with $3.9 billion available, a decrease of $1.3 billion compared to 2024. High Commissioner Filippo Grandi noted the last time UNHCR had less than $4 billion was in 2015, when forcibly displaced people numbered half today&#39;s total. The consequences The funding crisis has forced brutal choices.&nbsp;The UNHCR reduced its global staffing by 30%, eliminated 3,500 permanent positions, terminated hundreds of temporary roles, and downsized or closed offices worldwide. In South Sudan, 75% of safe spaces for women and girls supported by UNHCR closed, leaving 80,000 refugee women and girls without access to medical care or psychosocial support. In Afghanistan, protection services primarily for women and girls were cut by more than half, while in Lebanon, over 83,000 refugees lost shelter assistance, according to UNHCR. In Uganda, malnutrition rates are soaring in reception centers with limited clean water and food. Education for 230,000 Rohingya refugee children in Bangladesh risks suspension, while UNHCR&#39;s entire health programme in Lebanon may shut down by year-end. Nine of the top 20 humanitarian donors announced Official Development Assistance (ODA) cuts by mid-2025, including three of the four largest donors. Germany&#39;s draft 2025 budget proposed a 53% reduction in humanitarian assistance, while the UK government plans to cut foreign assistance from 0.5% to 0.3% of Gross National Income (GNI) by 2027. UN aid coordination took in $15 billion in 2025 funding, the lowest level in a decade, reaching 25 million fewer people than in 2024. The climate crisis The decrease in displacement figures stems largely from Syrian returns. Nearly one million internally displaced Syrians returned between January and June 2025, reducing Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) by 13% to 6.5 million, while at least 526,100 Syrians returned from abroad. However, many returns happened under adverse conditions. A UNHCR report released on Nov. 10 revealed a troubling &quot;climate trap&quot;: 75% of displaced people are living in countries with high-to-extreme climate exposure. In early 2025, about 1.2 million refugees tried to return home, but half returned to climate-vulnerable drought and flood zones, risking secondary displacement. The report warns that by 2050, the world&#39;s 15 hottest refugee camps, mainly in the Sahel, will experience 200 days of dangerous heat per year, effectively making them uninhabitable. It remains unclear how sustainable current returns will be as active conflict has abated, but insecurity persists, and basic services remain inadequate. Low and middle-income countries host 73% of the world&#39;s refugees, with 67% staying in neighboring countries and 60% never leaving their own country. Looking ahead to 2026, donors pledged $1.161 billion to UNHCR, slightly above last year&#39;s all-time high and covering almost 18% of projected needs. Yet the percentage of unrestricted funding dropped to 17%, nearly half of what it was in 2023, limiting UNHCR&#39;s capacity to allocate resources where needs are greatest. UN aid chief Tom Fletcher said disease outbreaks spiked, millions went without essential food and healthcare, and programmes protecting women and girls were slashed as hundreds of aid organizations shut. Grandi warned that whether the decline in displacement continues or reverses depends largely on achieving peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, and Ukraine, preventing deterioration in South Sudan, improving return conditions in Afghanistan and Syria, and securing adequate funding to address displacement crises globally.

Photo from the Global Appeal 2025 report (UNHCR)

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UNHCR warns global forced displacement will reach a record 139.3 million by the end of 2025, as conflicts, climate risks, and severe funding cuts deepen humanitarian crises, leaving millions of refugees without protection, aid, and basic services worldwide.

Forced displacement to reach 139M by end-2025, warns UNHCR

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan authorities issued fresh landslide warnings on Sunday with rains lashing areas already devastated by a powerful cyclone, as the death toll rose to 618.&nbsp;More than two million people, nearly 10% of the population, have been affected by last week&#39;s floods and landslides triggered by Cyclone Ditwa, the worst on the island this century.&nbsp;The Disaster Management Center (DMC) said monsoon storms were adding more rain and making hillsides unstable, including the central mountainous region and the north-western midlands.&nbsp;Helicopters and planes were being used on Sunday to supply communities cut off by landslides in the center of the country.&nbsp;The Sri Lanka Air Force said it had received a planeload of relief supplies from Myanmar on Sunday, the latest batch of foreign aid.&nbsp;The government has confirmed 618 dead, 464 from the lush tea-growing central region, while 209 people remain unaccounted for.&nbsp;The number of people in state-run refugee camps had dropped to 100,000 from a peak of 225,000 as floodwaters receded across the island by Sunday, the DMC said.&nbsp;More than 75,000 homes were damaged, including close to 5,000 that were completely destroyed, it added.&nbsp;The government on Friday unveiled a major compensation package to rebuild homes and revive businesses wiped out by the natural disaster, which hit the island as it was emerging from its 2022 economic meltdown.&nbsp;A senior official earlier said recovery and reconstruction might cost up to $7 billion.&nbsp;The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Friday it was considering Sri Lanka&rsquo;s request for an additional $200 million to help with rebuilding.&nbsp;The money is on top of the $347 million tranche due later this month, part of a four-year, $2.9 billion IMF bailout loan agreed in 2023.&nbsp;President Anura Kumara Dissanayake told parliament on Friday that Sri Lanka&rsquo;s economy had made a significant recovery, but was not strong enough to withstand the latest shock alone.&nbsp;Survivors will be offered up to 10 million rupees ($33,000) to buy land in a safer location and build a new house, the finance ministry said in a statement late on Friday.&nbsp;One million rupees is being offered in compensation for each person killed or left permanently disabled.&nbsp;The government did not say how much the package would cost, raising concerns given the country&#39;s recent economic turbulence.&nbsp;The central bank has ordered commercial lenders, both state-owned and private, to reschedule loans.

The Disaster Management Center (DMC) says monsoon storms were adding more rain and making hillsides unstable, including the central mountainous region and the north-western midlands.

Sri Lanka issues landslide warnings as cyclone toll hits 618

Here&rsquo;s everything shaping the world this week, from high-stakes diplomacy in Asia and shifting markets to new tech regulations, climate crises, cultural milestones, and major sporting events capturing global attention. Politics and DiplomacyThe week is dominated by geopolitical tensions as Beijing and Washington get ready for renewed talks on the sidelines of the East Asia and ASEAN summits in Kuala Lumpur. The talks will be attended by US President Donald Trump and Chinese Premier Li Qiang, paving the way for high-level diplomacy amid growing friction in the Indo-Pacific. Trump will travel to Japan as part of his ongoing Asia tour before meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the APEC Summit in South Korea later this week. Trade security, AI governance, and South China Sea maritime concerns are among the agenda themes. In Europe, France is debating its 2026 national budget and facing a number of high-profile corruption prosecutions, while the Netherlands is holding a crucial parliamentary election on Wednesday that could change the political landscape. At the UN, the Security Council examines peacekeeping missions in Libya, Bosnia, and Western Sahara, as the General Assembly gets ready to vote once more on the US embargo on Cuba. As Pakistan and Afghanistan continue their dialogue to defuse recent border tensions, Middle Eastern authorities keep an eye on the precarious situation along the Israel-Lebanon border. Economy and BusinessAmid conflicting inflation prospects, markets are cautious ahead of major interest rate announcements from the US Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank, and the Bank of Japan, which are expected to influence year-end monetary estimates.&nbsp; With Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Alphabet, Samsung, and Shell all releasing results, tech and energy earnings are driving global markets this week. Investors are keeping an eye out for indications of rising AI-driven capital spending and weakening consumer demand. While China&#39;s PMI and industrial data are closely monitored for clues about the global recovery, oil prices continue to fluctuate amid persistent tensions in the Middle East. A more comprehensive picture of the state of the European economy is provided by the GDP, inflation, and unemployment statistics released by Germany, France, and the larger eurozone. TechnologyAs the APEC Digital Ministers&#39; Meeting presents frameworks for AI ethics, data sharing, and digital taxation, a pivotal week for Big Tech regulation begins. A new enforcement phase of the EU Digital Markets Act emphasizes advertising transparency, app store fees, and platform dominance. Pressure for pre-election oversight is growing as congressional hearings on AI-generated misinformation continue in the US. At GTC 2025 in Washington, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is anticipated to reveal developments in cloud computing and artificial intelligence. In Asia, the Tokyo International Film Festival and Japan Mobility Show showcase the region&#39;s technological and design innovation, while China&#39;s Shenzhou-21 mission represents a significant milestone in its growing space program. Nintendo reveals financial results as &quot;Football Manager 26&quot; launches globally on November 4, and France holds the World Nuclear Exhibition, which focuses on investments in clean energy. Science and SpaceChina&#39;s Shenzhou-21 sends three astronauts to the Tiangong space station for a six-month mission to conduct materials testing and research on orbital life support. With the launch of its Aeolus-II satellite, the European Space Agency is improving climate and weather forecasting data worldwide. Researchers in Germany have made strides towards the viability of sustainable energy with a breakthrough in fusion power stability. In its quarterly nuclear safety report, the IAEA warns of continued Iranian enrichment activities and growing proliferation concerns in the Middle East. Climate and EnvironmentNational commitments are still far from reaching the 1.5&deg;C target, according to the UN Environment Programme&#39;s annual Emissions Gap Report. While Hurricane Melissa threatens widespread displacement as it advances across Jamaica towards Haiti and Cuba, severe flooding in Thailand and Vietnam continues. The Green Industry Plan is launched in Europe, aiming to accelerate investments in green energy and renewable manufacturing to compete with Chinese and US subsidies. Ahead of COP30 in Brazil later this year, early-season heatwaves in South America are raising concerns. CultureOver 100,000 artefacts, including the whole Tutankhamun collection, are on display at Cairo&#39;s Grand Egyptian Museum as it finally opens to the public after years of anticipation. The Tokyo International Film Festival and the AFI Fest in Los Angeles highlight international cinema, with Asian directors and European co-productions driving awards buzz. Authorities in several nations are maintaining increased security as Halloween celebrations take place around the world, following previous crowd-control incidents. SportsThe Women&#39;s ODI Cricket World Cup draws record attendance throughout South Asia as it comes to a close in Colombo. Top-ranked players visit Saudi Arabia for the WTA Finals in Riyadh, marking a highly anticipated debut for the kingdom&#39;s growing sports sector. While rugby internationals test lineups in London, Paris, and Chicago in preparation for the 2026 World Cup, more than 50,000 runners compete in the New York Marathon. FIFA&#39;s Executive Committee convenes in Zurich to finalise the logistics of the 2030 World Cup, which Spain, Portugal, and Morocco will jointly host.

Here’s everything shaping the world this week, from high-stakes diplomacy in Asia and shifting markets to new tech regulations, climate crises, cultural milestones, and major sporting events capturing global attention.

Articles tagged with "Climate"

Karachi's shrinking mangroves and why they matter

Forced displacement to reach 139M by end-2025, warns UNHCR

Sri Lanka issues landslide warnings as cyclone toll hits 618

This week around the world: power, policy, and pressure points