Climate Justice For Every Person

‘Sagarmatha Sambaad’ is inspired by the motto of वादे वादे जायते तत्त्वबोधः This ancient maxim enjoins us to seek truth in a spirit of debate and dialogue, and through the exchange of differing ideas and points of view.

The Sambaad provides an occasion for reflection and introspection and aims to encourage meaningful conversations on matters that matter to us all, from the mountains to the seas, and from the Global North to the Global South.

The theme of the Sagarmatha Sambaad this year is “Climate change, Mountains and the Future of Humanity.” As a land of delicate mountain ecosystems, Nepal is already facing the full force of climate change.

As conscientious custodians of our rivers, forests, and mountains, we contribute more than our due share to the health of the planet. However, we are forced to face a heavy and disproportionate burden of the negative impacts of climate change. 

The absence of honest dialogue and impactful action not only heightens the risk on the environment – in Nepal and elsewhere – but also puts the future of humanity itself at great peril. 

This is grave injustice and must be addressed promptly lest it become too late. Over the next three days, we will ask ourselves how best to tackle the existential threat of climate crisis, restore the health of the planet, and ensure the well-being of the people who live in it. 

Mountains are humanity’s shared global resources. They store and supply freshwater, act as natural carbon sinks and are home to breathtaking biodiversity and abundant natural resources. They offer an array of sustainable climate solutions in the form of reforestation, watershed protection and eco-tourism.

The Himalayas, in particular, are integral to the Earth’s natural cooling system as they serve as a natural climate stabilizer. There are organic links and complementarities between mountains and oceans. A climate distress in the mountains finds a parallel echo on the sea coasts; the fates of the two are closely intertwined.

For the people of Nepal, the Himalayas are not only an embodiment of an ancient culture and heritage, but are also a central pillar of our national pride and identity.

The tragedy is that the Himalayas are facing an unprecedented stress test in real time today, exposing not only the fragile nature of our mountain ecosystems but also glaring evidence of the lack of meaningful global climate action. 

As a mountainous country with high disaster risk vulnerability, Nepal faces a stark predicament.

Nepal has experienced a series of severe weather events in the recent past with devastating impacts on people and their livelihoods. Floods and glacial lake outbursts have caused large-scale destruction and damage, and droughts, water scarcity, and forest fires have brought untold suffering to the people across the country.

We are the trustees of a planet we were fortunate to inherit whole and healthy from our forebears. We must act now to make sure that we pass it on to our future generations just as green, beautiful, and robust as we received it from them.

The Himalayas are shouldering the heaviest weight of climate-induced disruption today.

Our glaciers, the fragile yet timeless symbols of a healthy planet, are retreating at an alarming pace. What took millennia to form is melting away in silence just in front of our eyes.

Mountain communities everywhere are especially vulnerable as they depend on nature for their daily lives. Climate-induced disasters are shaking the very foundations of their existence and livelihoods.

Yet, there are incredible examples of many local communities fighting strenuously against climate change. Women, indigenous people, youth, and marginalized groups — especially in mountain regions — are the gentle caretakers of our natural world. They fight on the home ground, and they know how to fight a long fight.

Recognizing and giving value to their local knowledge and lived experience is critical to building adaptive and sustainable communities, as is empowering them with resources and opportunities for finding sustainable solutions to an existential crisis.

This cannot happen without concomitant cooperation among governments, corporations, and civil society at the international level.

The Atharva Veda proclaims: Maata Bhoomi Putrohum Prithviyah! The Earth is my mother; I am her child. Inspired by this ancient maxim, Nepal remains deeply committed to tackling climate change by aligning itself with international efforts aimed at combating climate change. 

As per our commitment to the Paris Agreement, we are working towards lowering emissions, exploring local climate solutions, and nurturing a sustainable and resilient Earth.

Nepal has committed to achieving the target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. Hydropower, a clean form of energy, has remained Nepal’s largest source of electricity. Community forestry, a natural resource management program pioneered by Nepal, has not only helped Nepal enlarge its forest cover significantly but has also emerged as a model of participatory conservation the world over.

We have embraced initiatives like the National Adaptation Program of Action (NAPA) and Local Adaptation Plans for Action (LAPA). These empower local communities to design solutions that fit their unique needs and realities.

Nevertheless, the cascading impacts of global warming and climate change far exceed our capacity and resources to mitigate them. We call for predictable and adequate climate finance as we require greater resources to implement our national and local adaptation plans. 

Climate change is a global crisis transcending national boundaries. Nothing less than a global alliance based on justice and solidarity can hope to make a dent on the existential crisis that climate change brings in its wake. Thus, we call for a sufficient and effective loss and damage fund that can be easily accessed by countries in crisis. 

Nepal has therefore been consistently at the forefront of advocating for climate justice in international forums and multilateral institutions. 

It is essential that the world acknowledges the vulnerabilities of countries like Nepal and supports targeted mitigation and adaptation strategies through the provision of climate finance, adaptation support, and technology transfer. 

As we engage in dialogue, I kindly invite you to reflect on how we can connect mountains to oceans, advance the green economy, and uphold climate justice for every person.

I also hope that this forum will be an opportunity to contemplate on the linkages between climate change and regional and international peace, security, and stability, as well as the impacts of climate change on migration, food security, humanitarian crises, and disaster risks.  

I hope this Dialogue will help spark fresh ideas, foster cooperation, and mobilize greater political will in combating the specter of climate change and the existential threat to the future of humanity. 

(The article is an edited version of Hon. Foreign Minister Dr. Rana’s address at the opening session of the Sagarmatha Sambaad-2025.)