KATHMANDU: At a time when a global climate summit, COP26 is beginning after two days at Glasgow, UK, the diplomats and experts here have stressed the need for Nepal to augment climate diplomacy.
At the program organized by the Institute of Foreign Affairs (IFA) on ‘Nepal’s Climate Diplomacy: Critical Issues and Way Forward’ here Thursday, the speakers underscored that all stakeholders concerned must implement climate diplomacy so that Nepal minimize the climate change risk and augment adaptation.
National Assembly member Bimala Poudel complained that Nepal’s climate diplomacy was weak. So, all sides need to be aware of it and make efforts accordingly.
She suggested effective collaboration and cooperation among the stakeholders as Nepal is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change while it has negligible role on global emission.
Former minister Ganesh Saha also suggested the cooperation among government, CSO and private sectors to establish Nepal’s access to climate finance at international level.
Similarly, former foreign secretary Durga Prasad Bhattarai viewed climate change has further exacerbated the situation in Nepal while poverty, inadequate education, social inequality and high dependence on natural resources for livelihood. It therefore warrants additional attention and sensitivity with further active diplomacy, he added.
IFA Executive Director Rajesh Shrestha shared information on IFA activities and stressed that Nepal should balance climate change activities and development needs.
Other issues that featured during the programme were urgency to mitigate socio-economic impacts of climate change, global principles of solution, regional and global cooperation, preparation for COP26 global climate science and policy and negotiation strategy and diplomacy.
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