Nepal Leads Regional Collaboration to Tackle Climate Crisis in Hindu Kush Himalaya

Kathmandu, Aug 18 (PTI) — Nepal's President Ramchandra Paudel has emphasized the need for regional collaboration to tackle the critical issues of climate change, biodiversity loss, and air pollution in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region. Speaking at the opening of the two-day Hindu Kush Himalaya Parliamentarians' Meet, Paudel described the event as a foundational step towards crafting a roadmap for the present and a commitment to the future. This significant regional gathering has attracted approximately 200 participants, including parliamentarians, policymakers, environmental scientists, climate authorities, and media representatives from the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region. The expansive region extends 3,500 km from Afghanistan to Myanmar, and the meeting aims to foster collaboration on pressing climate, environmental, and developmental challenges. President Paudel highlighted, "With the support, cooperation, and foresight of parliamentarians, we can address the shared crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and air pollution in the HKH region." Organized by Nepal’s Federal Parliament's Committee of Agriculture, Cooperatives, and Natural Resources in partnership with the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), the event underscores the transboundary nature of challenges like disasters, air pollution, and biodiversity loss. Pema Gyamtsho, Director General of ICIMOD, remarked, "The HKH region is transforming into an epicenter of multi-hazards with increasing vulnerabilities stemming from geological, hydrological, and climatic risks." He further pointed out the underrepresentation of mountain ecosystems in regional and global climate forums, often resulting in policies that overlook the unique challenges and contributions of these regions. Kusum Devi Thapa, chair of the organizing committee, emphasized the necessity of collaboration among legislative, executive, and judicial bodies, with backing from media, development partners, and the scientific community to tackle the region's environmental challenges. Nepal’s Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba, Environment Minister Ain Bahadur Shahi Thakuri, and parliamentarian Bir Bahadur Balayar reiterated the critical need for regional cooperation and high-level political commitment to confront the escalating climate crisis. The event featured three panel discussions, focusing on biodiversity conservation, the future of the HKH region, and the role of parliamentarians in mitigating climate-related disasters. Delegates acknowledged that climate change impacts on mountain ecosystems go beyond immediate disasters, also leading to biodiversity loss, ecosystem degradation, water scarcity, and wide-ranging socio-economic impacts on high mountain communities.