KATHMANDU: The decisions made at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP-28) have, for the first time, acknowledged the profound impact of climate change on mountains. The annual climate conference, held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), from November 30 to December 12 this year, not only brought mountains into the limelight but also accorded them priority.
Nepal, a mountainous nation, has been instrumental in drawing global attention to the impacts of climate change on mountain ecosystems since COP-15 in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 2009. Despite fervently raising mountain-related issues in subsequent climate summits, Nepal’s efforts had not materialized into concrete outcomes.
During the inaugural ceremony of the UN Climate Summit (COP-28), UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres referenced Nepal’s concerns, highlighting that global warming has rapidly accelerated the trend of iceberg melting. It is noteworthy that the secretary-general conducted on-site observations at Mount Everest and Annapurna Base Camps during his visit to Nepal on the eve of COP-28. This high-profile visit motivated Nepal to champion mountain-related issues at the UN conference.
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ hosted a high-level roundtable meeting during the conference to explore the agendas of mountainous countries. This marked the first-ever meeting Nepal hosted and chaired separately within the UN conference on climate change. The meeting saw a special address by the secretary-general, along with participation from dignitaries such as the Prime Minister of Andorra, the Kirgiz Foreign Affairs Minister, and the Bhutanese State Secretary.
As per the Paris climate deal, the global community committed to limiting the rise in Earth’s temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. However, projections indicate that, by 2050, the temperature in mountainous regions will exceed an average of 1.8 degrees Celsius, leading to the melting of approximately two-thirds of the glaciers in the region.
Minister for Forest and Environment Birendra Prasad Mahato expressed excitement about the inclusion of Nepal’s long-standing mountain agenda in the outcomes document of COP-28. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change secretariat deemed it a significant achievement for Nepal to have different outcomes documents addressing the effects of climate change in mountains.
Chief of the Ministry’s Climate Change Management Division, Buddhisagar Poudel, shared that the COP-29 minutes would mention the mountain agendas. He attributed this success to the discussions, negotiations, and lobbying conducted by Nepal to highlight the agenda. As a result, a ‘technical dialogue’ event on mountain agendas is scheduled to be hosted in Bonn, Germany, in June.
Poudel emphasized that this is just the beginning, and a report prepared after discussions with experts will make recommendations, facilitating the next COP to make strides in this direction.
The first global stocktake draft underscored the need to address the vulnerability of mountain ecosystems. Additionally, the establishment of a loss and damage fund, with a commitment of over 700 million US Dollars, was a notable achievement of the conference. The fund is set to become operational in January following the formation of its board and the appointment of its director.
In a groundbreaking move, state parties agreed for the first time to initiate the phase-out of fossil fuels, a significant accomplishment of COP-28. The conference also produced outcomes on climate finance.
Longitudinal data indicates a temperature rise of 0.05 degrees Celsius per decade, leading to rapid iceberg melting. Nepal, with 21 lakes at imminent high risk, boasts a total of 2,070 glaciers.
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