Let Climate Justice Prevail

Globally pervasive temperature rise is a burning issue that has put the earth’s environmental health at stake. This has emerged as a major global challenge for the 21st century and further ahead. The catastrophic effects of global warming are already visible in the form of unpredictable weather patterns, long-term climate change and their consequential adverse repercussions on human health, agriculture, livelihood, biological diversity and economy. Scientists have pointed out that this phenomenon is human made. And there is an agreement that human actions are needed to reverse this dangerous trend. Collective measures can make a positive impact to fight this challenge but enough efforts are not being put into action. Greenhouse gas emissions continue without major cuts in the burning of polluting fossil fuels, adding fuel to the fire. 

As climate change impacts continue to be seen in ever more devastating meteorological events and appearance of new diseases, it is the poor and vulnerable nations and communities that suffer the most as they do not have enough resources at their disposal to meet the rising climate challenges. It is this severity of the burning climate issue that Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba was raising prominently the other day when he was addressing the initial meeting of the National Council for Environmental Protection and Climate Change Management. 

The Prime Minister aptly expressed the concern that Nepal lies in the throes of climate vulnerability as the country is going through increasing number of natural disasters triggered by extreme weather events. It is evident that temperature rise and resultant climate change in the world and the region in Nepal’s vicinity are behind all the calamitous events unfolding in recent decades and years. The troubles invited by rising temperatures are multi-faceted and adversely affecting all walks of life and livelihood.  As predicted by the scientific community, the monsoon dynamic is making a shift unexpectedly. There are instances where meteorologists have failed to make accurate forecasts of monsoon rains. 

This year, when the monsoon was expected to make a retreat, the nation saw the spells of heavy rainfalls during the Dashain festival. Late monsoon downpours caused big losses of life and property. Communities and government agencies are caught unprepared when such weather events occur during most unexpected time of the year. Besides the toll on precious lives, the damage on vital infrastructure and ready-to-harvest rice crops is immense. Such losses are occurring almost every year. Dengue, a mosquito-transmitted disease, is spreading all across the nation in epidemic proportion. The insects are making their uncommon presence even in mountain districts. This is the undeniable proof of temperature rise and climate change. 

As the world prepares to gather for the 27th Conference of the Parties (COP 27) in the Egyptian city of Sharm el-Sheikh from November 6, highly climate vulnerable nations like Nepal should stay prepared to make their voices heard in this global forum. Poor and under-developed countries have negligible contribution in the emissions of greenhouse gases but they are the ones who have to suffer the most under the impact of climate change. Prime Minister Deuba has said that rich nations with significant contribution in the warming should come up with fair share of Nationally Determined Contributions. Such voices should be heard and climate impact damages compensated through proper financing mechanism so that climate justice prevails.