KATHMANDU: A student-centered initiative aimed at combating climate change through the control of plastic pollution has been launched in Kathmandu. The Climate Smart School program has been introduced by South Asian Youth for Sustainable Development (SAYS) with the support of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS).
The initiative was launched on January 16 at NIC Academy in Sanobharyang, Kathmandu. The event saw participation from a SAYS team comprising KAS scholars from Nepal, India, and Afghanistan. During the program, KAS Director Dr. Andreas Klein formally handed over weather-monitoring equipment, blue dustbins for plastic waste segregation, and student kits to the school.
According to SAYS, the growing burden of plastic waste is a direct and visible contributor to climate change. As addressing plastic pollution has become central to climate action, the organization emphasized the urgent need for immediate, community-level intervention. The program highlighted that recycling one kilogram of plastic can prevent up to four kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions.
The blue dustbins, provided to strengthen source-level segregation of plastic waste, will complement the green and red bins already in use at the school. Green bins are used for organic waste, red bins for hazardous waste, and the new blue bins will enable the separate collection of plastic waste, making waste management more effective and facilitating plastic reuse and recycling.
The initiative is also expected to contribute to reducing carbon emissions while encouraging students to practice waste segregation at the source. Additionally, it supports the livelihoods of informal waste workers at the grassroots level by engaging them in the waste management process.
The weather-monitoring equipment will track temperature, rainfall, and extreme weather events, enabling the school to respond more effectively to climate-related risks.
Through the Climate Smart Club, students of NIC Academy will lead peer-based awareness programs on waste segregation, reuse, and responsible resource management. The student kits distributed during the program aim to raise awareness about climate change and sustainable practices, empowering young people to become active agents against plastic pollution.
Aimed at strengthening climate resilience within the school community, the initiative seeks to promote long-term behavioral change that extends beyond the classroom. SAYS stated that the program demonstrates how climate resilience can be built at the school level through informed students, practical tools, and regional collaboration.
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