Hon. Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal has called for increased climate finance and support for least developed countries (LDCs), saying climate adaptation is a matter of climate justice as countries contributing the least to global warming bear the brunt of its impacts.
Addressing a high-level dialogue on adaptation at the 31st UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya on Wednesday, November 11, on behalf of the LDCs, Khanal highlighted the severe human and economic toll of recent climate-induced disasters in Nepal. He said vulnerable countries could no longer afford to wait for overdue climate action, the ministry shared in a social media post.
Foreign Minister Khanal further emphasized that while LDCs continue to drive decentralized, human-centered adaptation through National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), their domestic efforts should be matched by global climate finance and support tailored to the evolving national needs of the countries furthest behind.
He outlined three key priorities of the LDCs: translating commitments to scale up adaptation finance into clear and credible delivery pathways with simplified access procedures; accelerating adaptation efforts at national and global levels in line with the UAE Framework for Global Climate Resilience and the Belem Adaptation Indicators; and promoting locally led adaptation by strengthening local institutions and enabling frontline communities to determine their adaptation priorities and investments.
