KATHMANDU, May 9: Nepal faces a high risk of disasters and calamities, Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development Ram Nath Adhikari told the Ministerial Conference on Integrated Multilateral Risk Early Warning in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Minister Adhikari explained that Nepal's geography, ranging from the Terai plains to the high Himalayas, made the country highly vulnerable to various types of disasters such as floods, landslides, droughts, cold waves, lightning, and glacial lake outbursts, which regularly inflict heavy damage, destroy infrastructure, and severely impact economic activities.
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According to the Minister's Secretariat, he emphasized Nepal's efforts to integrate risk information into national and local development plans, strengthen institutional capacity, and provide life-saving information to vulnerable communities on time.
"Climate change has increased both the frequency and unpredictability of such risks, with remote and mountainous communities bearing the brunt," Minister Adhikari said.
He also stressed Nepal's commitment to building a shared vision and promoting cooperation among member states to establish climate-resilient and effective early warning systems.
The Government of Sri Lanka and the Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (RIMES) jointly organized the conference, which brought together countries from Africa and Asia to discuss risks, early warnings, and collaborative strategies.
