KATHMANDU, Jan 17: 99 youth of Nepal, who call themselves ‘Himalayan Warriors,’ came together to launch a 99-day campaign named ‘HOPE’ on Sunday. Through the campaign, the warriors are demanding the government of Nepal and the international community step up and take up responsibility of the climate injustices perpetuated on to the Himalayan communities.
The event kicked off from Maitighar Mandala to collect 99,999 signatures to hand it over to the government of Nepal demanding to make climate smart Great Himalaya Trails as a National Pride Project. They also demanded the government to declare Great Himalayan Trail as Priority Climate Adaptation Landscape of Nepal in the developing National Adaptation Plan (NAP) and to provide Ministry of Environment with the pollution tax collected by the government for monitoring and improving the deteriorating urban and rural environment.
Ang Tehsering Sherpa, former Environment Minister Ganesh Shah, climate activist Prashant Singh, environmental justice non-profit committee members, and climate activists, all gathered at Mandala to support the campaign.
“Mountains are our asset and they are now in extremely poor state. If we do not act now, we will lose this asset,” Ganesh Shah, former environment minister, told the gathering.
Nepal currently has 21 national pride projects, and none of them focus on mountain development.
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