Common forum of environment ministers from Hindu Kush region needed, Minister Shahi says

Baku (Azerbaijan), Nov. 12: Minister for Forest and Environment Ain Bahadur Shahi has said that regional, national and local plans for action on adaptation should be implemented by considering the natural environment, cultural diversities and economic systems of the Hindu Kush region.     

At a meeting organized by Bhutan in Baku on Tuesday at the sideline of the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Minister Shahi said that the development of a common forum of environment ministers of the Hindu Kush Himalayan region would be suitable.     

On the occasion, Minister Shahi urged for regional collaboration as well as global partnership in the fight against climate change impacts.     

During the meeting, Minister Shahi shared that Nepal's Thame village was washed away after the glacial outburst and more than 250 Nepalis lost their lives in the late monsoon-induced disasters a month ago. These two incidents could be taken as examples of how the mountainous countries like Nepal suffer from the climate change.     

Likewise, Minister Shahi said the snow-capped Himalayas of Nepal are at high risk of snow melting due to the climate change impacts.     

Saying that the Hindu Kush Himalayan region was the most vulnerable zone in the world in terms of climate change impacts, Minister Shahi added that this region has served water and bio-diversity to almost one-fourth of the world population.     

Presided over by Bhutan's Prime Minister, the environment ministers from Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Tajikistan, China and India were present at the meeting.(RSS)