N SECRETARY GENERAL António Guterres did not mince words at the recently held Climate Ambition Summit: `Humanity has opened the gates of hell.

Such a vivid portrayal resonates deeply with countries like Pakistan. Despite contributing under 1pc to global emissions, Pakistan ranks among countries most vulnerable to climate change. Last year`s unprecedented floods stand as a heartwrenching testament to this reality, with a third of the country submerged, 1,700 people killed and over 8m displaced, besides more than $30bn in economic losses. Yet, global responses have been insufficient. In his address to the UNGA, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar spoke of how first the Covid pandemic, and then climate change, have had a hand in Pakistan`s triple food, fuel and finance challenge, and reminded the world of the $10bn in aid that was pledged to Pakistan in January. He urged countries to resist selectively providing funds on the basis of geopolitical considerations. His plea follows a briefing in March by UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric who had revealed that only 40pc of the pledges were fulfilled. Mr Kakar is also set to demand, at the upcoming COP28 in November, the realisation of the $100bn annual climate pledge and the establishment of a `loss and damage` fund, further reflecting a plea for climate equity. His appreciation for the UN-sponsored SDG summit`s endeavours, notably the proposed annual $500bn SDG Stimulus, offers some hope for cooperative global progress.

With the imminent threat of global temperatures rising by 2.8°C, the world is quickly becoming an uninhabitable place.

In Pakistan, amid the turmoil, lies buried an unrealised truth: women bear the brunt of the fallout from climate change. In our part of the world, where patriarchy is already a burden borne by them, climate change adds another layer of hardship. Women, as primary caregivers and agricultural workers, face the immediate impacts of shifting weather patterns in the region. Their roles, often bound by tradition, do not afford them the luxury of escape, making them the first victims. In Sindh the hardesthit province in last year`s floods after getting 471pc more rain than the 30-year average of the 1.5m cotton-pickers, 70pc are women, most of whom are now without homes or livelihoods.

As world leaders gather to discuss the future, it is essential to remember that the crisis isn`t just about melting ice caps or the rising sea level. It is about human lives, particularly those of women in vulnerable areas, teetering on the edge. The globe`s collective conscience must move beyond mere acknowledgment.

Words, like those of Mr Guterres, must translate into immediate action. It is not just about saving the planet; it is about saving its people. The most vulnerable among us can no longer be collateral in this global debacle.