The global climate pattern is undergoing drastic change. Snowing in Saudi Arabia, floods in the deserts of Africa, melting chunks of the polar ice caps, they all point to a greater impending danger, warning us of a global catastrophe. It is called 'Global Warming'. The global average temperature is rising exponentially, day by day, year after year. This is also causing melting of glaciers, rise in sea level, submerging of islands and low lying coastal areas, extinction of vital species of plants and animals, drying of lakes and rivers, loss of groundwater, forest fires, reduction in the green cover, spread of diseases, heatwaves, torrential rains, storms etc.

India is already facing the harmful effects of global warming. On 26 July, 2005 Mumbai experienced 37 inches of rainfall within 24 hours which brought the entire city to a halt devastating life and property.. In the following years, the desert area of Rajasthan and part of Bihar, experienced heavy flooding. The Sunderbans are submerging under the Bay of Bengal. The great Himalayan glacier is rapidly receding, pointing to the grave danger of losing this vital geographical factor to the Indian climate. The root of the problem lies in thickening of the atmosphere by gases released from anthropogenic or human activities related to transport, industrialization, urbanization, etc. Deforestation has worsened the problem.

India and Bangladesh figure among the nations threatened to be most adversely affected by the phenomenon of global warming. In the face of this crisis, it is we the people, who need to sit up and take address the situation.