The government is hosting the International Expert Dialogue on Mountain, People, and Climate Change from coming May 22.
According to the Ministry of Forest and Environment, the two-day event is going to be organized inviting experts from concerned sectors in Kathmandu.
At a news conference organized by the Ministry here on Monday, Minister for Forest and Environment Nabal Kishor Sah said the international expert dialogue would help to develop consensus among mountain countries, stakeholders, and allies on common issues, including mountain solutions in addressing climate change issues.
Likewise, on behalf of the Government of Nepal and the organizing committee, Deepak Kumar Kharal, Secretary of MoFE appreciated the work of the secretariat in preparation for the event and acknowledged the support received from various development partners, civil society, and Nepali experts.
Kharal also requested all the stakeholders, including the media, to provide their crucial support in making this international expert dialogue a grand success.
The International Expert Dialogue on Mountain, People, and Climate Change aims to strengthen coordinate, and prioritize mountain-based actions in the context of climate change and encourage mountain countries and agencies to collaborate on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) mountain work programs and mandates, reads a press release issued by Spokesperson of the Ministry, Badri Raj Dhungana.
This discourse should allow government and stakeholders in mountain countries and their allies to better understand mountain-climate concerns and solutions, share expertise and experience, and enable synergies.
More crucially, the dialogue aims to produce concrete roadmaps and strategies for mountains at the experts’ dialogue on mountains and climate change in the SBSTA 60 session and beyond.
Mountains are invaluable natural assets. Mountains are home to 15 percent of the global population and nearly half of its biodiversity hotspots. These mountains are providing ecosystem goods and services including fresh water and air to the global communities particularly the communities living downstream. However, mountains are facing immense pressure from exploitation, degradation, and climate change.
Despite its significance, mountains still do not get due recognition and representation in global forums. In this context, the Government of Nepal is hosting an International Expert Dialogue on Mountain, People, and Climate Change in Kathmandu, stated the statement.
The Government of Nepal gives foremost importance to promoting the mountain agenda in the global forums. For advancing the mountain agenda, the COP28 was a cornerstone to recognize the climate change impacts in the mountainous regions across the globe.
The dialogue will have opening and closing plenary including thematic discussions in three major thematic areas, including two plenary and seven dialogues in different dimensions of climate change adaptation and mitigation. Theme one on ‘climate science and mountain evidence’ includes the session covering evidence on climate change impact, vulnerability, and risks, emerging threats, and crises in the mountains, and an urgency for action in mountains and beyond. Similarly, theme two focuses on ‘mountain solutions’ and includes sessions on people, policy, and prosperity; locally-led adaptation; and climate justice, equity, and local voices, as per the press statement.
The third session includes a mountain perspective focusing on resources and opportunities mostly the economic growth through transition to clean and green energy, densifying climate finance, and advancing global cooperation and regional partnerships.
More than 200 participants representing mountainous countries, international communities, and development partners, international non-government organizations, private sectors, and civil society organizations are expected to join the dialogue.
During the dialogue, representatives from all-mountain countries, including mountain partners will jointly draw common conclusions, which will then feed into the SBASTA expert dialogue in the forthcoming Bonn Session in June 2024, including Nepal’s initiative on Sagarmatha Sambad (mountain dialogue). (RSS)
