Nepal president calls for regional cooperation to address climate change crisis in Hindu Kush Himalaya

Kathmandu, Aug 18 (PTI) Nepal President Ramchandra Paudel on Monday called for regional cooperation to address the crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and air pollution in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region.

Inaugurating the two-day Hindu Kush Himalaya Parliamentarians' Meet here, Paudel said, "This conference is the beginning of a roadmap for the present and a commitment for the future.” The high-level regional gathering brought together around 200 delegates, including parliamentarians, policymakers, environmental scientists, climate experts, and media from the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region, which spans 3,500 km from Afghanistan to Myanmar, to foster collaboration on urgent climate, environmental, and development issues.

"With parliamentarians’ support, cooperation, and foresight, it would be possible to address the common crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and air pollution (in the HKH region),” Paudel said.

The event is organised by the Committee of Agriculture, Cooperatives, and Natural Resources of Nepal’s Federal Parliament in collaboration with the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).

Highlighting the transboundary nature of challenges like disasters, air pollution, and biodiversity loss, ICIMOD Director General Pema Gyamtsho said, "HKH is becoming an epicentre of multi-hazards with increasing vulnerabilities from geological, hydrological, and climatic risks." "Despite their global importance, mountain ecosystems remain under-represented in regional and international climate forums, plans and policies. The existing frameworks often overlook the unique challenges and contributions of mountain regions, leaving them inadequately addressed in global environmental governance,” he said.

Kusum Devi Thapa, chair of the organising committee, stressed the need for collaboration among legislative, executive, and judicial bodies, supported by media, development partners, and the scientific community, to address the region's environmental crisis.

Nepal Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba, Environment Minister Ain Bahadur Shahi Thakuri, and parliamentarian Bir Bahadur Balayar emphasised the importance of regional cooperation and high-level political commitment to tackle the escalating climate crisis.

The meeting featured three panel discussions on biodiversity conservation, the future of the HKH region, and the role of parliamentarians in mitigating climate disasters.

The delegates noted that the impacts of climate change on mountain ecosystems extend beyond immediate disasters, causing biodiversity loss, ecosystem degradation, water scarcity, and wide-ranging socio-economic consequences for high mountain communities. PTI SBP SCY