According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), the European climate observatory, August 2026 was the joint warmest month ever recorded, tied with July 2023.

The global average surface air temperature in August 2026 was 1.65°C higher than the estimated pre-industrial baseline, and the monthly global average temperature crossed 1.5°C above the pre-industrial average for the first time since November 2025.

The observatory pointed out that the key reasons for the high temperatures were global warming triggered by greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel burning and prevailing El Niño conditions over the tropical Pacific.

As heat is breaking records, everyone is being affected, from deaths and devastation to communities being driven into poverty.

Collective action is the need of the hour, and every effort must be put in before everyone is engulfed, even those who have contributed less to the destruction of the planet.

Arunachal, too, should become an active partner by protecting its forests, promoting sustainable agriculture and adopting a development model that has a lesser impact on the environment and becomes a major driver of climate-resilient practices. We still have time, natural resources and communities, and the state must work towards ensuring that irreparable damage is not inflicted.