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Nepal to host international climate change conference in 2020

24.09.2019

Climate change and its effects on mountains and mountain peoples in Nepal will be the focus of a conference to be held next April in the country’s capital of Kathmandu. The conference will serve as a platform for Nepal to express to the world the country’s concern about climate change’s direct and visible impacts on Nepal’s mountains, most notably the Himalayas.

The Nepal Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has pledged to host a two-day conference under the name of, “Climate Change, Mountains and Future of Humanity”.

The recently announced conference intends to focus on the impact of climate change on mountains and the role of stakeholders on this issue. It is an innovative step on behalf of the Government of Nepal, being the first time for the government to organize an international conference focusing on mountain issues.

The Karnali Integrated Rural Development and Research Centre (KIRDARC) Nepal, the Vice-Chair for Major Group Organizations in the Asia and the Pacific region on the Mountain Partnership Steering Committee, has long advocated for the creation of a conference to address this topic. Gobinda Bahadur Shahi, Program Director of KIRDARC Nepal, says that the Government of Nepal has organized this large conference focusing specifically on mountains as a result of the KIRDARC’s consistent advocacy.

Over the years, KIRDARC Nepal has organized different conferences, such as the Rara Conference 2014, Jumla Conference 2016 and the Mountain Conference 2017 to bring attention to mountain ecosystems and peoples. The organization has also continually met to advocate for the government to take the lead in addressing challenges in Nepal’s mountains.

Minister Pradip Kumar Gyawali says, “Mountains are our life and [we] need to protect [them].” Other ministry officials echo this sentiment, and express hope that the conference will facilitate open communication between Nepal and other countries to share their various perspectives, experiences and strategies in managing the effects of climate change.

On Wednesday, 18 September, the government held a national consultation seminar with stakeholders in the Nepalese capital to prepare for the lead-up to the conference. Following this year’s High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) under the 74th Session of the General Assembly, also called the SDG Summit, in New York, U.S., the relevant ministers plan to meet to discuss a detailed plan for executing the conference.

News from KIRDARC Nepal

Photo from FAO/Roberto Cenciarelli