SACEP training: Minister Chaudhary bats for regional cooperation to tackling environmental challenges

Kathmandu, June 8: Minister for Agriculture, Forests and Environment, Gita Chaudhary, has highlighted the need for stronger regional cooperation among the South Asian countries to address shared environmental challenges, including plastic pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss.

The Minister emphasized coordinated efforts while addressing a regional training programme organized here today under the South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP).

During her address, Minister Chaudhary asserted that collective efforts, innovative solutions and regional solidarity are essential to effectively tackle growing environmental threats.

The Minister noted that the South Asian region, stretching from the Himalayas to the oceans, is increasingly vulnerable to issues such as climate change, air pollution and plastic pollution and described the situation as alarming.

Furthermore, she expressed her concerns over environmental challenges such rapidly melting of glaciers, rising of sea levels and the widespread presence of micro plastics in rivers and even human blood, highlighting the severity of the problem.

"These challenges are adversely affecting both human health and biodiversity," she said.  

During her address, Minister Chaudhary shared that Nepal has guaranteed the right to a clean and healthy environment through its constitution.

She further informed that Nepal has been implementing environmental protection laws based on principles such as sustainable development, climate change mitigation and the 'Polluter-Pays' approach.

The 'Polluter-Pay principle is the idea that cost of polluting activities should be borne by the party who caused it. 

The Minister also took the event as an opportunity to apprise that Nepal has already banned plastic bags thinner than 40 microns. She added the preparations are underway to prohibit certain single-use plastic products. 

"Such materials release harmful chemicals and micro plastics that pose risks to human health and the environment," she cautioned.

On another note, she proudly highlighted the notable progress made by Nepal in the areas such as community forest management, renewal energy expansion and enhancing the climate resilience of mountain ecosystems.

Nevertheless, Minister Chaudhary underscored the importance of coordinated efforts through mechanisms such as SACEP to address cross-border environmental problems.

Stating that traditional waste management systems focused solely on collection and disposal and are no longer adequate in addressing present day waste management problems, she called for the effective implementation of modern approaches such as the circular economy and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) among others. 

She noted that EPR makes producers, importers and brand owners accountable for the environmental impacts of their products throughout their lifecycle, while plastic credit systems encourages private-sector investment in plastic waste collection and recycling.

During the address, Minister Chaudhary also urged the South Asian nations for greater cooperation and commitment in environmental protection and cross-border pollution control.

She also pointed out the need for the South Asian countries to reaffirm their commitments to pursue economic development in an environmentally sustainable manner.(RSS)