KATHMANDU: At the plenary session following the Sagarmatha Sambaad opening ceremony, Minister for Forests and Environment Ain Bahadur Shahi Thakuri stressed the critical role of mountains not only as majestic landscapes but also as essential climate regulators.
Representing Nepal, Minister Shahi highlighted the urgent climate crisis impacting the Himalayan region, describing it as a global emergency with visible transformations—receding glaciers, changing ecosystems, and disrupted traditional lifestyles. “This is not a local but a global crisis,” he stressed.
Nepal, home to eight of the world’s 14 highest peaks, carries the sacred responsibility of conserving these natural treasures. Minister Shahi noted the mountains’ crucial role as part of the ‘Third Pole,’ providing fresh water, biodiversity, and spiritual vitality to one-fifth of humanity.
He drew attention to the widespread mountain crises across the globe—from the Himalayas to the Andes, the Alps, and the Rockies—warning that climate impacts extend from highlands to islands, ultimately affecting river basins, agricultural plains, and coastal ecosystems.
“The future of humanity is intertwined with the future of these mountains,” he said, citing data from the World Meteorological Organization that 2024 is the hottest year in 175 years.
Citing the IPCC’s sixth assessment report, Minister Shahi noted mountain regions are warming twice as fast as the global average, triggering glacial retreat, avalanches, floods, and altered water cycles. Nepal, in particular, faces serious risks, with vulnerable groups—small farmers, women, indigenous peoples, Dalits, children, and the elderly—bearing the greatest burdens.
Despite Nepal’s minimal carbon footprint—0.57 tons per capita in 2023 compared to the global average of 6.76 tons—its socio-economic development is hampered by climate impacts. Nepal’s extensive forests, covering 46% of its land, act as carbon sinks and biodiversity reservoirs.
Minister Shahi reaffirmed Nepal’s commitment to climate leadership, targeting net zero emissions by 2045, five years ahead of the global goal. He called for global cooperation based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and stressed prioritizing support for mountainous countries facing rapid glacier loss.
Demanding increased climate finance at COP30, Minister Shahi asserted, “Addressing loss and damage is not charity, it is climate justice.” He also advocated for a fair carbon market that ensures environmental integrity and direct benefits for local communities.
Concluding on a hopeful note, he said limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius is still achievable through collective, decisive, and rapid action.
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