As an environmentalist who is deeply engaged with the climate vulnerabilities of the Global South, I view South Asia as a stark illustration of climate injustice. This region is a home to nearly two billion people (about 26% of the global population) across India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Maldives and Afghanistan. It occupies a precarious position on the frontlines of the climate crisis. Despite contributing only about 8% to global greenhouse gas emissions (World Bank, 2020), South Asia faces some of the most severe and disproportionate impacts of global warming. Its ecological fragility, high population density, and heavy reliance on climate-sensitive sectors such as agriculture, fisheries, and water resources exacerbate its exposure to rising temperatures, increasingly erratic monsoon patterns, glacial retreat, and sea-level rise (IPCC, 2022). These intersecting vulnerabilities not only threaten environmental sustainability but also intensify existing socio-economic inequalities across the region.
Some of the extreme weather events South Asia is experiencing are as follows:
1. Extreme Heatwaves:
One of the most immediate and alarming manifestations of climate change in South Asia is the intensification of extreme heat events. The region is witnessing increasingly frequent, prolonged, and severe heatwaves, with recent years registering temperatures surpassing 50°C in parts of India and Pakistan (WMO, 2025). These extreme temperatures pose critical health risks, particularly for vulnerable populations such as outdoor laborers, the elderly, women, and residents of densely populated informal settlements who lack access to cooling infrastructure or adequate healthcare (UNESCAP, 2025).
Emerging climate projections warn that without significant mitigation efforts, large areas of South Asia could face deadly wet-bulb temperature thresholds, where high heat and humidity levels make it physiologically impossible for the human body to cool itself by the latter half of the century (IPCC, 2025; Pal & Eltahir, 2025). Such conditions could render parts of the region periodically or permanently uninhabitable, raising urgent questions about climate justice, adaptation financing, and the future of climate-induced displacement in the Global South.
2. Glaciers Melting and Water Scarcity:
The Hindu Kush-Himalaya (HKH) region, often referred to as the “Third Pole,” holds the largest volume of snow and ice outside the Arctic and Antarctic. These glaciers feed many of South Asia’s major rivers, including the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra, which are lifelines for hundreds of millions of people (ICIMOD, 2019).
Climate change is accelerating glacial melt in the HKH region, leading to altered river flows, increased risk of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), and long-term threats to water availability (Wester et al., 2019). Initially, faster glacial melt may increase water flow, but in the long run, diminishing glaciers will reduce river discharge, especially during dry seasons (Bolch et al., 2019).
3. Unprecedented Rainfall and Droughts:
The South Asian monsoon, which brings the majority of annual rainfall to the region, is becoming increasingly unpredictable. Climate change has disrupted the timing, distribution, and intensity of monsoon rains, leading to both severe droughts and catastrophic floods (Turner & Annamalai, 2012).
For instance, northern India and eastern Pakistan have experienced erratic rainfall patterns, with devastating impacts on agriculture, particularly for smallholder farmers who rely heavily on rain-fed farming (WFP, 2021). Flooding events, such as those in Pakistan in 2022 and in Kerala, India in 2018, displaced millions and caused extensive loss of life and infrastructure damage (UN OCHA, 2022; Government of Kerala, 2019).
At the same time, droughts in parts of Afghanistan, Nepal, and southern India have led to crop failures, livestock deaths, and heightened food insecurity. Changing rainfall patterns also threaten to exacerbate the spread of pests and diseases, undermining food systems across the region (FAO, 2021)
4. Public Health:
The health impacts of climate change in South Asia are becoming increasingly apparent. Rising temperatures contribute to heat-related illnesses, while flooding and poor sanitation during extreme weather events increase the spread of waterborne diseases like cholera, dengue, and leptospirosis (WHO, 2021). Air pollution is aggravated by climate change and is already a major public health crisis in cities such as Delhi, Lahore, and Dhaka (HEI, 2020).
Climate change also indirectly worsens malnutrition and mental health challenges. Crop failures and rising food prices reduce access to nutritious food, while displacement due to floods or droughts leads to increased psychological stress and trauma (UNICEF, 2022).
5. Climate-Induced Migration and Conflicts:
As climate change intensifies, displacement and migration are expected to increase. In Bangladesh, millions are already moving from rural to urban areas in response to river erosion, salinity, and floods (IOM, 2021). In Pakistan, severe droughts in Balochistan and Sindh have pushed rural families toward cities (Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, 2022).
Urban centers, often ill-equipped to accommodate rapid influxes of people, face mounting pressure on housing, water, sanitation, and health services (World Bank, 2022). Climate-induced resource scarcity, particularly water that could exacerbate existing tensions within and between countries. Transboundary river basins, such as the Indus and Ganges, are flashpoints where competing demands for water, combined with declining availability, could lead to geopolitical friction (Pohl et al., 2014).
6. Governance Challenges and the Way Forward:
Despite clear evidence of climate impacts, South Asia faces significant governance challenges in addressing the crisis. Many countries in the region struggle with limited institutional capacity, competing development priorities, and inadequate climate finance (UNESCAP, 2021). Regional cooperation remains weak, even though many climate threats such as air pollution, river flows, and cyclone that impacts cross national borders (SAARC, 2019).
However, there are promising signs of progress. Countries like India and Bangladesh have developed national adaptation plans and early warning systems for cyclones and floods (UNFCCC, 2022). Grassroots initiatives in Nepal and Bhutan are promoting community-based adaptation and conservation (ICIMOD, 2020). Regional frameworks, such as the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), have the potential to facilitate knowledge sharing and joint action on transboundary climate issues (SAARC, 2019).
Conclusion:
South Asia stands at a decisive moment in the global climate crisis where inaction is no longer an option. The region must confront a dual imperative: urgently adapting to the escalating climate impacts already unfolding, while asserting its voice in global climate negotiations to demand equitable solutions and financing. This requires not only robust national policies and investments in climate-resilient infrastructure, but also a renewed commitment to regional cooperation particularly in managing shared natural resources like transboundary river basins.
Rivers such as the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra sustain hundreds of millions across borders, yet they remain poorly governed amidst growing water stress, political tensions, and climate-induced variability. Strengthening cooperative, science-based governance of these river systems is essential to ensure equitable water sharing, prevent conflict, and build climate resilience across the region.
The window for transformative action is narrowing. South Asia must lead with urgency, solidarity, and climate justice at its core.
Leave a comment