Kathmandu: Minister for Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation, Deepak Khadka, has expressed the government’s commitment to protecting glacier lakes and strengthening the meteorological forecasting system. Speaking at an Inaugural Ceremony and Technical Session on Learning Sharing of Watershed Management under the Nepal National Glacier, Water and Weather Week (NNGWWW 2025) here today, the Minister vowed to ensure the budget for the conservation of glaciers from the upcoming year.
According to National News Agency Nepal, Minister Khadka recognized the high risk of glacier outbursts and the subsequent potential consequences at a greater level, underlining the need to implement timely measures to minimize such risk. He further expressed his concerns over the impact of increasing global temperature, a result of climate change primarily caused by rapid industrialization on the Himalayas.
Minister Khadka stressed the need for the government to focus on policy-making and finding practical solutions in light of the growing impact of climate change, the shrinking state of glaciers, and the changing meteorological patterns. He emphasized the necessity for the maximum utilization of waters and the preservation of water resources.
“Rivers and glaciers that have originated from the Mountain ranges have created the foundations for energy, agriculture, tourism, and biodiversity; these water resources are the backbone of our culture, civilization, and economic development. In recent years, due to climate change, our glaciers are shrinking, posing grave challenges for water resource management and future water security,” Minister Khadka said.
He pledged to establish an effective emergency management system by adjusting the existing meteorological forecasting systems to digital technology and prioritizing the promotion of clean water, strengthening the weather forecasting system, and the sustainable development of water resources with the implementation of the Sustainable Water Resources Management Adaptation Strategy.
Secretary at the Water and Energy Commission, Mathu Prasad Bhetwal, highlighted that the NNGWWW 2025 aimed to create public awareness on the significance of protecting water and water resources and the importance of meteorological information and systems. The Week is themed “Glacier Preservation, Closing the Early Warning Gap Together”.