Dialogue on mountain climate to be held next month

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Apr. 16: To highlight the issues faced by mountains and people in the context of climate change, Nepal is organising an international expert dialogue on “Mountain, People and Climate Change” from May 22-23, 2024, in Kathmandu.

The dialogue will be organised to create a shared platform on the “Group of Mountain Partnership” to raise awareness of mountain vulnerability to climate change, promote collaboration for a common understanding and position of the mountainous countries, and give mountain communities their due in international and regional processes, said joint-secretary Dr. Maheshwor Dhakal at the Ministry of Forest and Environment (MoFE).

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Dr. Dhakal said that the dialogue also aimed at exploring and exchanging knowledge, research, and innovative solutions for adapting to climate change, minimising loss and damage to mountain people and their livelihoods, and optimising the transition to clean energy.

Another objective of the dialogue is to promote multilateralism, collaboration, and partnerships concerning technology transfer, capacity development, and climate finance for mountainous nations and their inhabitants, Dr. Dhakal added.

“This dialogue aims to strengthen, coordinate, and prioritise mountain-based actions in the context of climate change. It also seeks to encourage mountain countries and agencies to collaborate on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) mountain work programmes and mandates,” he said.

According to Dr. Dhakal, this discourse should allow governments and stakeholders in mountain countries, along with their allies, to better understand mountain climate concerns and solutions, share expertise and experiences, and enable synergies. “More crucially, the dialogue aims to produce concrete roadmaps and strategies for mountains during the experts’ dialogue on mountains and climate change in the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) 60 session and beyond.”

Speaking at the programme, Minister for Forest and Environment, Nawal Kishor Sah Sudi, emphasized that the mountain problem was not just an individual issue, it concerned the entire nation and required leadership, which was directly linked to livelihood.

He said, “All three levels of government should coordinate to address these issues internally and collaborate globally to tackle them on a global scale.”

The dialogue will have opening and closing sessions, along with discussions on three main topics. These include climate science and evidence of mountain impacts, mountain solutions like local adaptation and climate justice, and mountain prospects such as economic growth through clean energy. The aim is to produce concrete outcomes for addressing climate change in mountain regions.

Dr. Deepak Kumar Kharal, Secretary of MoFE, appreciated the work of the secretariat in preparation of the event and acknowledged the support received from various development partners, civil society, and Nepali experts. 

Dr. Kharal also requested all the stakeholders, including the media, to provide their crucial support in making this international expert dialogue a grand success.

More than 200 participants from mountainous countries, international communities, development partners, NGOs, private sector, and civil society organisations are expected to attend the dialogue.

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, the government has formed an advisory committee chaired by the Minister and co-chaired by the Province Minister of the Ministry of Forests and Environment (MoFE) to provide strategic guidance. 

An organising committee led by the Secretary of MoFE, representing relevant ministries and agencies, has been established.

The joint meeting of the advisory and organising committees formed the secretariat and expert group, tasked with expediting the organization of the expert dialogue. 

During the dialogue, representatives from all mountain countries, including partners, will collectively draw conclusions to be presented at the expert dialogue during the forthcoming Bonn Session in June 2024, which includes Nepal’s initiative on Sagarmatha Sambad (mountain dialogue).