Bangkok:Emphasis has been laid on space technology and data exchange along with regional cooperation to mitigate complex disasters caused by climate change in the Himalayan region.
According to National News Agency RSS, Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Biraj Bhakta Shrestha, stressed the importance of these measures during the inaugural session of the Fifth-Ministerial Conference on Space Applications for sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific, organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok, Thailand.
Minister Shrestha highlighted the need for regional cooperation and technological use to combat climate and geo-disasters. He drew attention to the significant impact of recent disasters, such as the avalanche at Lirung of Langtang and the landslide at Budhigandaki, which have resulted in considerable loss of lives and damage to properties, including impacts on under-construction hydropower projects.
The minister noted that the Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment estimated the total losses from these disasters at about 2.7 billion US dollars, with approximately 4.8 billion US dollars required for reconstruction. He welcomed the draft of the Bangkok Ministerial Declaration, advocating for enhanced satellite data sharing, early warning systems, and technical cooperation during the third phase from 2026 to 2030.
Additionally, Minister Shrestha reaffirmed Nepal’s commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2045 and promoting clean energy systems, even though the country contributes only 0.01 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. He shared plans for a regional dialogue titled “Sagarmatha to the Sea Lessons from Disasters Bhotekoshi-Trishuli disaster in Nepal for strengthening to cascading Hazards in Asia and the Pacific,” organized jointly by Nepal and the UN ESCAP as a side event of the conference.