KATHMANDU, Sept 15: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has directed all stakeholders to resolve the problems and challenges created by climate change by managing and implementing appropriate policies and programs.

Addressing the second meeting of the National Council on Environment Protection and Climate Change Management on Friday, the prime minister stressed the need for concrete initiatives in drawing the attention of the world to identify and address the problems faced by the Himalayan nations.

He urged stakeholders to hold discussions and cooperate in making special plans and programs targeting the mountainous region, stressing the need for strategically raising problems faced by Himalayan nations like Nepal and making a strategy of cooperation with Himalayan nations accordingly.

Pointing out that Nepal is at high risk due to regional and global climate change, PM Dahal said Nepali people have been facing multifaceted challenges due to massive changes in the nature, amounts and schedule of monsoon rains caused by climate change, temperature rise and massive changes in rain pattern, resulting in increase in disasters and untoward incidents.

"Poor women, people of indigenous nationalities and other marginalized communities have been affected the most by climate change risks. Besides climate change, environmental pollution and biodiversity loss are other matters of concern. Taking into consideration these challenges, the government led by me has put climate change and environment protection on high priority," he said.

Informing that a Nepali delegation led by himself would participate in the Climate Ambition Summit 2023 slated for September 20 in the UN Headquarters in New York, the PM said that the government will present a paper during the summit that shows significant works done by the government, the private sector, civil society and local stakeholders for the reduction of impacts and adaptation to climate change.

The prime minister further said they would strongly demand for the full implementation of the agreement to provide twice the declared flow of finance for adaptation. He added that Nepal would lobby rich and developed countries of the globe to fulfill their commitments to limit the global temperature rise.

"Nepal will discuss with the respective sector the procedural difficulties it has been facing in accessing climate finance and disparity in the allocation of funds and other difficulties," he stressed. 

Expressing his disagreement with the investment in climate change that is focused on debt, PM Dahal stressed the need for lobbying to ensure that the assistance provided for the promotion of adaptation, resilience and the concept of loss and damage should come in the form of financial grants and climate justice.

Nepal should focus on the issues to be raised for the welfare of the entire state and Nepali people in the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference in the United Arab Emirates from November 30 to December 12, he stressed, adding, "To address the impacts of climate change facing poor, women and destitute groups, there is a need for commitments for additional assistants and to address the question relating to climate justice."

Others present in the meeting were deputy prime ministers, ministers, chief ministers, members of the National Planning Commission, professors and experts, among others.

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