The answer lies within our world’s developing nations

By Poch Eulalia

ANNIHILATION Bethesda’s Fallout video game series all take place in a post-apocalyptic world where players must survive the nuclear wastelands with whatever resources they can find

The post-apocalyptic genre has become quite popular in mainstream media over the years, with most depicting a world sparse of resources.

From movies like the Mad Max franchise to video games with Bethesda’s Fallout series, each one centers around characters having to survive in a world that no longer runs as it used to. Resources in the world are sparse, with barely enough for whoever is left.

Such post-apocalyptic stories seem to narrow down the world’s demise to a combination of war, scarce resources, and climate change. It’s chilling to know how all three already seem to be affecting our world, but the true killer of the three is climate change.

According to UNEP, Africa was the first continent to establish an action agenda for restoring the ecosystem through the Pan-African Action Agenda on Ecosystem Restoration for Increased Resilience.

When you think about it, climate change leads to fewer resources due to the rising temperatures affecting water needed for drinking and growing food. Without enough water, the crops and livestock that keep us alive are the first to be affected, leading to diminished resources. If resources dwindle to a point where there’s not enough for everyone, chances are the desperation for survival will leave everyone fighting to keep as much as they can for themselves.

WASTELAND Mad Max: Fury Road shows a future where water is scarce, with the main antagonist Immortan Joe using it as a means to enslave others

Fortunately, many developing nations have responded to the call for alarm, working toward a sustainable future to prevent such bleak scenarios.

Starting off with someplace familiar, the Philippines is no stranger to ramping up efforts against climate change.

Republic Act 9729, or the Climate Change Act, emphasizes the country’s vulnerability to climate change and the need for it to adapt. Through this act, the Climate Change Commission was formed, with the purpose of drafting policies and recommendations that will help the country’s battle against climate change. The act places an emphasis on working with local government units (LGUs) to ensure suitable plans are made for the corresponding area.

Looking into our neighbors, other Asian and Pacific countries have started to make the switch to renewable resources. A list compiled by the Asian Development Bank shows that countries such as Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Vietnam are putting up solar power plants to provide electricity for their communities. The list also reveals nations like the Kyrgyz Republic and the Solomon Islands utilizing hydropower, which allows for energy to be produced from the natural flow of a body of water.

Further out, Africa has been described by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as “the most vulnerable region in the world.”

Despite this, African nations are continuing the fight against climate change. According to UNEP, Africa was the first continent to establish an action agenda for restoring the ecosystem through the Pan-African Action Agenda on Ecosystem Restoration for Increased Resilience. The program hopes to catalyze, promote, and implement ecosystem restoration initiatives throughout the continent.

To hear that so many nations are keeping up the fight against climate change is reassuring. It’s clear that the world has seen that the key to preventing a post-apocalyptic world lies within continued developments toward creating a sustainable future.

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How to prevent a post-apocalyptic future