C for Catastrophe. Also, for Climate Change and Covid-19. What else?

Climate change is devastating communities around the world, and Covid-19 is not helping. What will the future look like for me, and other youths of today, if climate change continues to worsen? Will we be the ones who have to pay for the actions of the generations before us?

While this pandemic is sweeping the world, it has also brought to light another big issue that the world is facing right now: Climate Change. The recent reported drops in greenhouse gas emissions in some of the most polluted cities in the world have led to cleaner air and clearer skies, but many experts agree that this upside of Covid-19 is short term.

The world is experiencing the negative impacts of climate change, and Covid-19 is stressing the people that are most affected by it. Being a 19 year old about to start university, I definitely did not expect to be facing a pandemic like Covid-19. Just months ago, I was planning a graduation trip with my friends to visit different countries and relax before we start our university lives. Having to deal with Covid-19 is not easy for anybody, but add climate change to the mix, and this horrible mix of catastrophes seems like a warning sign for my future.

Photo by James Day on Unsplash

In the list of top 10 countries most vulnerable to climate change, majority are countries in Africa. The southern tip of Africa is experiencing its worst drought in recent years, with mean temperatures rising 2 times faster than the global average. Later and shorter rainy seasons have threatened the lives of 45 million people with famine. In India, climate change has altered the monsoon patterns. Sudden, extreme rainfall causes floods that destroy properties and crops, followed by a sharp drop in rainfall that brings drought to many areas. People in these drought ravaged countries also face food, money and electricity shortages. The lives of these people are already threatened with little to no access to basic necessities and nutritious food, but here comes Covid-19. Hand washing is vital in preventing the contraction of Covid-19, but in these water scarce countries, people simply cannot do that. Health care facilities there also may not have the water they need to maintain hygienic conditions to treat patients.