The Nepal Weekly 
November 28, 2023
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that if we could not stop global rise in temperature, there could be a serious and adverse impact on the prospects of climate resilient development in developing countries like Nepal. He PM Dahal warned that there could be a rise in the cases of climate change-induced disasters, food security and scarcity of potable water.
PM Dahal was addressing the national conference on climate change organized by the Ministry of Forests and Environment recently in Kathmandu. The national conference was organized to form a common viewpoint on the position paper to be prepared by Nepal and presented in the upcoming global climate change conference – COP28.
A team led by PM Dahal will leave for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to participate in the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP-28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) scheduled to run from November 30 to December 12 in Dubai, UAE.
During the COP28, Nepal will eloquently lobby the rich and developed countries of the world to fulfill their commitments to limit the increase in global temperature, pledged PM Dahal. “Nepal would also put forth the country’s claim on climate action as well as speedy and full implementation of the agreement to provide the climate financing as grant for climate adaptation and resilience,” he assured.
Stating that Nepal is highly vulnerable to climate change impacts, PM Dahal said, “We are facing multifaceted challenges induced by changing climate. The time table, nature and quantity of monsoon rain are massively changing, the temperature of the atmosphere is rising and natural disasters are increasing among others.”
The Head of the Government further shed light on the climate change related challenges faced by Nepal saying, “The glaciers are melting and exploding, landslides and dry droughts are increasing in hill areas and incidents of floods are rampant in the Terai region. Due to global warming, two-thirds of the glaciers of the mountains in our region are melting.”
He further asserted that climate change had massively impacted thematic areas such as agriculture, hydro resources and tourism as well as food security, health, water supply, means of livelihood and security sectors that contribute to the national economy.
Notably, scientists, in a study Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment, have warned that two-third of Himalayan glaciers, the world’s Third Pole, could melt by 2100 if global emissions are not reduced or controlled timely.
PM Dahal said the National Climate Change Policy 2076, the Environment Conservation Act 2076 and Regulations 2077, the National Framework on Local Adaptation Plan of Action 2076, the Climate Resilience Plan and Budget Formulation Directive 2077 and the Climate Change Related Gender and Social Inclusion Strategy and Action Plan 2077/2078 have been formulated and implemented.
“The National Adaptation Plan 2021-2050 and the Nationally Determined Contribution in line with the Paris Agreement will make us further stronger. The leadership of the federal, provincial and local levels and the support and collaboration of development partners and stakeholder agencies are needed for implementing the national policy, plans and programmes on climate change adaptation and mitigation that we have prepared to fight the climate change effects and impact,” he asserted. The PM also called on the national and international organizations to focus their cooperation towards the programmes contained in the National Adaptation Plan and the Nationally Determined Contribution Implementation Plan that have been prepared by including our needs and priorities.
“The recent visit of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to the Khumbu region serves as a poignant reminder of the urgent need to address climate change issues faced by Nepal. Guterres’s inspection of the impacts of climate change and interactions with local communities contribute significantly to globalizing the problems faced by this region. It amplifies Nepal’s call for recognition and support in the international community’s efforts to combat climate change,” he added.
Prime Minister Dahal also reflected on his address at the 76th United Nations General Assembly in New York, where he highlighted the profound impacts of climate change in Nepal. This reiteration underscores the government’s dedication to addressing climate-related challenges and implementing initiatives for the development of tourism infrastructure in vulnerable regions such as Khumbu.
Stressing the need for drawing the global attention to identify and address problems of Himalayan nations, the PM clarified that Nepal would strategically raise the problems faced by the Himalayan nations, and take the leadership to make a strategy for cooperation. Maintaining that Nepal needs USD 21 billion for the implementation of adaptation priorities by 2030, he emphasized the need for Nepal to lay the claim in a factual manner for the country’s easy access to the established adaptation fund.
