The recently concluded general election in India was shrouded in irony. The six-week long voting period coincided with one of the worst heat waves yet recorded, but there was hardly any discussion of climate change or environment-related issues in the public political discourse.

The Quad has an opportunity (and a need) to revamp itself as a bigger, more durable platform by engaging with diverse concerns of the region, including non-traditional ones, particularly climate change.

The roof of the world is leaking; melting to be more precise. The fragile Himalayan ecosphere is facing an imminent threat from warming temperatures induced by climate change. This will not only have ecological consequences but will alter, if not destroy, the lives of millions living downstream across political boundaries and cultures.