Climate change is unfolding at a higher frequency, with more devastating damage, and disproportionately impacting the vulnerable. Hurricane Beryl’s destruction in the Caribbean, Cyclones Judy and Kevin’s destructive paths through Vanuatu, and the intensifying droughts in the Pacific Islands are stark reminders that Small Island Developing States (SIDS) bear the brunt of climate disasters.

The air shimmered like molten glass, suffocating everything it touched. In an ordinary town in Uttar Pradesh, India, the sun rose like a merciless predator, each ray a lash of unbearable heat. Families crowded rooftops, their breaths shallow and their bodies drenched in sweat, as rivers boiled and the land cracked. By the end of the week, over twenty million lives would be lost.