Kathmandu: Preparations for ‘Sagarmatha Sambaad’ have been accelerated. The multi-stakeholder dialogue forum is being organized here on the theme ‘Climate Change, Mountains and the Future of Humanity’. It is committed to deliberate on the most prominent issues of global, regional and national significance. The ‘Sagarmatha Sambaad’ is scheduled from May 16-18 with an objective of highlighting the problems facing mountainous and coastal countries due to climate change.
According to National News Agency Nepal, the first meeting of a management committee, formed for the preparation of the ‘Sambaad,’ on Sunday decided to invite heads of nations and governments of mountainous and coastal countries, experts working in the climate research sector, representatives of national and international private sectors, and influential figures. The committee, under the coordination of Foreign Minister Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba, has prepared the format for the arrangement of infrastructures and programs for ‘Sagarmatha Sambaad’, as stated by Maheshwor Dhakal, the contact person of the Sambad and joint-secretary of the Ministry of Forests and Environment.
The committee also decided to form an expert committee comprising 16 experts from different sectors, as well as a publicity and coordination committee under the coordination of the joint-secretary of the Foreign Ministry. The meeting resolved to request the partner organization for demonstration of good practices to mitigate impacts of climate change.
Dhakal mentioned that dialogue would be held at the province level, with preparatory dialogue focusing on the issues of children and youths. The Foreign Ministry, Forest Ministry, and Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers are tasked with assigning the employees required for the ‘Sagarmatha Sambad’, and the Sagarmatha Sambad Secretariat is to be made active.
Minister for Forests and Environment, Ain Bahadur Shahi Thakuri, is the co-coordinator of the committee, which includes the Chief Secretary and officials from various ministries such as the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Foreign Ministry, Finance Ministry, Home Ministry, National Planning Commission, and others. The Forests Secretary acts as the member-secretary of the Committee.
The previous meeting of the Preparations Committee was held on Magh 27 (February 9) with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli present. Inviting heads of the states or governments from neighboring India, China, and South Asian nations to the Dialogue was on the agenda. Prime Minister Oli had earlier, on Magh 8, 2081 BS (January 21, 2025), declared the intent to host the Dialogue in Kathmandu, coinciding with the 2025 International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation. Originally planned during Oli’s first premiership in 2076 BS, the event was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Deepak Kumar Kharal, Secretary of the Ministry of Forest and Environment, stated that the event aims to amplify Nepal’s voice on climate change, drawing international attention to the country’s high vulnerability despite its minimal contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions. Through the Dialogue, Nepal seeks compensation for the losses it faces due to the climate crisis and for payment for its environmental services.
Despite the Paris Agreement’s goal to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5°C, projections indicate that the global temperature is expected to exceed by 1.8°C before 2050. Several research studies suggest that this temperature rise could lead to the melting of two-thirds of the snow storage in the mountains.
Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dadhiram Bhandari, who is leading preparations for the event, emphasized that the event is a top priority for the government. It will highlight the consequences of climate change in Nepal’s mountain regions, seeking common understanding among the people in these regions and the international community about the impacts of the climate crisis in the region.