KATHMANDU: Stakeholders at a national seminar in Kathmandu have emphasized the urgent need for broader cooperation to tackle the growing climate change crisis. The seminar, organized to mark International Mountain Day, brought together representatives from various sectors to discuss collaborative efforts required to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
According to National News Agency Nepal, Dr. Sindhu Prasad Dhungana, Chief of the Climate Change Management Division at the Ministry of Forests and Environment, highlighted the increasing risks faced by mountain regions due to climate change. Dr. Dhungana noted the accelerated melting of snow and the heightened risk of glacial lake outbursts and avalanches, underscoring the need for enhanced investment in provincial and local-level capacity to address these challenges. He further emphasized the importance of effective research and increased access to international climate finance to implement ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
Climate ch
ange expert Raju Pundit Chhetri pointed out the insufficient climate finance available to combat the crisis and urged government bodies at all levels to prioritize climate-friendly budgeting. He warned that Nepal’s scheduled exit from the Least Developed Countries (LDC) group in 2026 could result in the loss of international benefits, stressing the need for the country to bolster its internal capacity to manage the crisis.
Dr. Bimal Regmi, another expert in the field, advocated for increased investment in disaster preparedness and early warning systems as essential measures to effectively respond to climate change-related challenges.