In the present day, one of the greatest crises the world faces is climate change, and, sadly, over time, it has developed into a chronic problem. It has completely destabilised weather patterns, and the consequences are evident, with unpredictable shifts occurring almost everywhere. Areas that once received heavy snowfall are now often left without it, even atop the tallest peaks. Months-long droughts are followed by sudden, unending rain spells. The indigenous wisdom that people accumulated over centuries is now disrupted, ignored by those who portray themselves as defenders of the Earth. Communities that once could predict the arrival of snow, spring, and monsoon based on their deep understanding are now clueless about what they once believed and practised.
Meanwhile, countries like Pakistan are on the verge of ecological and economic disaster. Very soon, remote areas may stop receiving snowfall altogether, a phenomenon already observed in certain regions. Springs will dry up. Glaciers will shrink. And this dependency on natural resources will inevitably cause irreparable loss, leaving people helpless between life and death. Regions whose economies depend on tourism and agriculture will collapse under climate-induced disasters. Pakistan, as an agricultural state, is particularly vulnerable.
Our response to such challenges, however, remains both immature and farcical. A few days ago, while apprehending a timber smuggler in Mankial, Bahrain, Swat, a senior officer from the Kalam Forest Division approached the local youth who had captured the timber, ostensibly to investigate the incident. First, he offered a pseudo-appreciation for their efforts while launching into a rambling and irrelevant historical account, tracing events all the way back to 1857, which had no connection to the matter at hand. In an attempt to justify their incompetence, the officer absurdly suggested that the British had directly instructed locals to begin timber smuggling immediately upon leaving the subcontinent.
Imagine dealing with the realities of climate change while authority is entrusted to those who deny proven facts, actively worsening the ecosystem
Surprisingly, he tried to persuade the residents that trees exist merely to be cut and recklessly so. The most absurd claim he made was that climate change does not exist; it is supposedly a hypothetical exaggeration spread by outsiders. To rationalise this unfounded statement, he cited a fabricated example of a foreign country where trees fell due to windstorms, despite no logging. This was meant to be an official investigative address by a senior figure from the forest department in Upper Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Listening to such irrational nonsense, I could not remain silent. I meticulously dismantled each of his shallow statements, emphasising that our region is flood-prone and that climate change has impacted us on every front, particularly through the monstrous floods of 2010, 2022, and 2025. Despite repeated interruptions, I managed to challenge his lectures and attempted to teach him that climate change is a reality, and we are among the worst-hit victims.
Eventually, succumbing to my arguments, he demanded the timber back in order to leave immediately. But, credit to our comrades, what had been captured was never handed over. He departed, leaving behind his failed attempts to manipulate ordinary people. Perhaps, for the first time, he faced resistance.
Imagine dealing with the realities of climate change while authority is entrusted to those who deny proven facts, actively worsening the ecosystem. These are crises larger than climate change itself.
This climate change apologist, a senior officer of the Kalam Forest Division, was, in fact, complicit with the smugglers. To cover his incompetence and support their illegal activities, he propagated these irritating conspiracy theories about climate change. Most astonishingly, this was the response of someone supposed to be a guardian of the forests, which are considered our strongest bulwark against climate change.