• Brazil’s Amazon forests are ablaze with dozens of fires, most of them set intentionally by loggers and others seeking greater access to forest land. At this scale the fires are paving the way for a global climate catastrophe. 
• Meanwhile, many cities in Europe and elsewhere have seen high temperatures never before experienced. 
• Heat waves have also accelerated melting of glaciers in Greenland at a rate that was not anticipated.

Nationalism and climate change:

• The Brazilian President has stated that the Amazon forest fires is an internal matter.

• The American President Donald Trump has withdrawn from the Paris Climate Agreement stating that it is against the national interests of the U.S. Across the Atlantic.

• British Prime Minister has received funding from climate science denial groups while saying that he would lobby the U.S. to take climate change more seriously.

The burning of the world’s largest forest reserves, the withdrawal of the world’s leading polluter from a major international treaty and the U.K.’s isolationist policies may appear to be the triumph of nationalist ideology.
But these actions have consequences that far transcend national boundaries and impact all creatures that share life on the planet.

Way ahead:

Better land use:

Changes in land use pattern and climate change:

• While energy and transport are mainly responsible for the accumulation of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere, changes in land use patterns too have made significant contributions. 
• Deforestation, industrial agricultural systems and desertification are major drivers of climate change. 
• Agriculture, forestry and other land use activities accounted for a little less than a quarter (23%) of the total net anthropogenic emissions of GHGs between 2007-2016.

A recent report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report makes it clear that unless land is managed in a sustainable manner, climate change can’t be tackled.

Solution:

• Managing land better for farming would entail implementing more sustainable agricultural practices. It would mean, for instance, reducing chemical input drastically, and taking the practice of food production closer to natural methods of agroecology, as these would reduce emissions and enhance resilience to warming. 
• The IPCC report calls for avoiding conversion of grassland to cropland, bringing in equitable management of water in agriculture, crop diversification, agroforestry and investment in local and indigenous seed varieties that can withstand higher temperatures. 
• It also recommends practices that increase soil carbon and reduce salinisation.

An inclusive land use policy:

• To make these significant changes and reduce inequality and poverty, land use policy should incorporate better access to markets for small and marginal farmers, empower women farmers, expand agricultural services and strengthen land tenure systems. 
• Sustainable land management can reduce multiple stressors on ecosystems and societies. It will also help societies adapt better to warmer climates and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

Establishing sustainable food systems:

• Reducing food waste, which is estimated to be a quarter of the food produced.
• It also necessitates eating locally grown food and cutting meat consumption.

Alongside these changes, it is important to put an end to deforestation, while conserving mangroves, peatland and other wetlands.

Addressing the transnational challenges of climate change and land:

The narrow lens of nationalism is no longer serving us.
We need a new planetary ethics that supports alternative systems for the future, for a sustainable earth.
Focus has to be on the following:

• Gowth of ecological sensibilities.
• Supporting pluralism.
• Enhancing quality of life.
• Shifting values away from consumerism.
• Creating new identities and cultures that transcend conventional boundaries.

Conclusion:

Viewing the transnational challenge of climate change through the narrow lens of nationalism will only spell disaster. A sense of solidarity across boundaries needs to be created, instead of building fortress worlds, will contribute to the path we build.