HKH region reeling under climate change impacts: Forest Minister Shahi

Kathmandu, May 17: Minister for Forest and Environment Ain Bahadur Shahi Thakuri has stated that the residents of Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region were facing the dire impacts of climate change though their contributions to carbon emission is negligible.     

Minister Thakuri expressed his concerns at the ministerial-level meeting of the countries of the HKH region organized on the sidelines of the second day of the Sagarmatha Sambaad on Saturday.     

Stating that the rise in temperature in the HKH region was relatively higher, Thakuri said that the rise in temperature was taking toll on both ecosystem and human lives.     

He also mentioned that vulnerable countries in the Himalayan region like Nepal were bearing the brunt of extreme weather conditions.     

Furthermore, the Minister acknowledged the HKH region as a very sensitive and important global ecosystem which, he added, was source of clean drinking water to over 2 billion people on the planet.     

This zone is crucial in conserving rich biodiversity and known to sustain agriculture and energy. "The water generated from the Himalayas is a life-saving resources for we Nepalis," he said, recognizing the Himalayas' importance in supporting our livelihood and food system.     

Highlighting the vulnerability of mountains to climate change, he said that mountains, which are the sources of our civilization and prosperity, are reeling under adverse impacts of climate change and contributing to recurring cases of disasters including burst of glacial lakes, drought, landslide, erratic rainfall among others.     

He emphasized coordination and collaboration among countries across the world for climate actions.     

He viewed that climate actions should be taken forward in collaboration as, rivers, glacial rivers and ecosystems are not affected by countries' borders.     

Appreciating the significant role of development partners and stakeholder agencies in mountain conservation efforts especially the Kathmandu-based ICIMOD, he urged more unified response to global climate crisis.     

Calling for more investment in mountain community, in enhancing institutional capacity and more regional unity, the Minister articulated the government's willingness to forge multifaceted partnership to conserve HKH region.     

He also sought cooperation and support in implementing all the commitments made in the ministerial-level discussion and ongoing Sagarmatha Samabaad.     

Lauding the initiatives of Himalayan University Consortium, the Transboundry Landscape Programme, he said that we should link scientific cooperation with political commitment.     

The Minister also expressed Nepal's readiness to build a regional platform for technological, financial and diplomatic coordination towards this end.     

He also saw the need for Nepal to take the lead in mitigating the climate change risks in the HKH region and overall mountainous countries.     

Minister Thakuri said that we should raise our collective voices more eloquently in the United Nations Secretariat on Climate Change and the Convention on Biological Diversity and other international forums to bolster cooperation, foster collaboration and advocate for climate justice.(RSS)