Mitigating Environmental Degradation: The Strategic Roles of Muslims for Human Well-Being and Planetary Stability

As environmental crises escalate, with rising global warming, ice melting, species extinction, and pollution, urgent action is required to safeguard humanity and the planet. This article reviews the literature on environmental risks in Muslim countries, particularly poorer ones. The environmental impact equation (I = f [T, P, A]) underscores the key drivers—technology, population, and affluence, with affluence identified as the primary driver of climate change resulting from excessive carbon emissions. The wealthiest one percent produce approximately 70 times more carbon than the poorest 50%, yet it is poorer communities that disproportionately suffer the consequences. This paper examines how Muslims can contribute to sustainability and mitigate environmental damage by addressing ecological “overshoots,” promoting “degrowth” and “steady-state” economies, and fostering qanāʿah (contentment) as a personal lifestyle practice. The emphasis is placed on affluence, rather than population, as the critical factor in combating climate change.