Kathmandu, Oct 19: Nepal is preparing to prioritize climate justice, protection of the Himalayan region, climate adaptation, and climate-related loss and damage at the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP-31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
COP-31 is scheduled to take place in Antalya, Türkiye, from November 9 to 20.
The Ministry of Forests and Environment said Nepal would draw the international community's attention to the risks and damages the country has suffered from climate change despite its negligible contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions.
Ministry Secretary Rajendra Prasad Mishra said climate change was increasing risks in the Himalayan region, with recent disasters highlighting the vulnerability of mountain communities.
He said Nepal was focusing on protecting the Himalayan region and drawing international attention to the losses suffered by vulnerable communities. Preparations were also underway to make Nepal's delegation to COP-31 organized, effective and inclusive, he added.
"We want the delegation to be organized, effective and inclusive. Discussions are underway to form an effective delegation with representatives from all concerned ministries and civil society," Secretary Mishra said.
Nepal will participate in COP-31 under the leadership of Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal. Forests and Environment Minister Gita Chaudhary will also attend the conference.
Nepal has consistently highlighted the climate-related risks facing the Himalayan region at international climate conferences. Secretary Mishra said recent disasters had further underscored the region's vulnerability and the need for greater international attention.
"Since the beginning, we have been raising the issue that the Himalayan region is at high risk from climate change. Recent disasters have reinforced the need to view the region from a different perspective. Our efforts are focused on linking the risks facing the Himalayan region, climate adaptation, loss and damage, and climate justice with an effective implementation mechanism," he said.
As part of preparations for COP-31, the government plans to organize a national conference on October 29, bringing together representatives of sectoral ministries, foreign diplomatic missions in Nepal, development partners, civil society and the private sector.
Joint Secretary Dr Maheshwar Dhakal, chief of the ministry's Climate Change Management Division, said Nepal's national position paper and policy documents on climate change would be released at the conference.
According to him, the position paper will be finalized after incorporating suggestions from participants and feedback from the international community. It will cover the protection of the Himalayan region, climate adaptation, reduction of carbon emissions and the potential impacts of rising global temperatures on the mountains.
"Disasters in the Bhotekoshi and Budhigandaki river systems have heightened awareness of climate change impacts and climate-related disaster risks in the Himalayan region. Earlier disasters in Melamchi, Thame, Manang, Mustang, Kanchanpur and Ilam have also highlighted the challenges posed by climate change," Dhakal said.
The ministry is also preparing to involve civil society, the private sector and the media, alongside government representatives, to highlight Nepal's climate risks and conservation efforts before the international community.
Nepal will set up a pavilion at the conference venue in a space provided by the Turkish government. According to Dhakal, the pavilion will host discussions and showcase photographs and videos highlighting disasters in flood-prone areas, the vulnerability of the Himalayan region, climate change impacts and the challenges facing Nepal.
The ministry is seeking financial support and collaboration from development partners and non-governmental organizations to establish the pavilion.
Nepal has been raising climate justice at international forums
Nepal has been advocating climate justice at various international forums, including through the group of least developed countries, the United Nations and successive COP conferences.
The ministry said the commitment to climate justice expressed by Prime Minister Balendra Shah at the United Nations General Assembly and the issues raised by Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal at the pre-COP meeting would also inform Nepal's priorities at COP-31.
Joint Secretary Dhakal said discussions were underway at the international level to facilitate Nepal's access to the Fund for responding to Loss and Damage to support relief and rehabilitation following climate-related disasters.
He expressed hope that an announcement on assistance from the fund, based on Nepal's submissions, would be made by COP-31.
Climate scientist Kushal Gurung said Nepal needed to expand access to international climate finance and make carbon trading more effective to address climate change impacts and recover from disaster-related losses.
He said mobilizing climate finance, addressing loss and damage, and promoting carbon trading should be among Nepal's key priorities.
Gurung identified mobilizing the resources required to implement Nepal's third nationally determined contribution (NDC 3.0) as a major challenge. He said Nepal should prioritize grants and concessional financing when expanding access to climate finance to avoid increasing its debt burden and creating additional economic risks.
He also stressed the need for Nepal to present evidence-based scientific assessments of recent disasters in the Bhotekoshi and other areas at COP-31 to garner international support for addressing the resulting losses and damages.
"Securing sufficient assistance from disaster relief funds for post-disaster relief and recovery is challenging. Nepal should therefore also advocate for a financial mechanism that can be activated immediately during disasters and a fund that can provide assistance promptly," he said.
Gurung said Nepal should strengthen bilateral cooperation with other countries to expand carbon trading, which he described as an important avenue for mobilizing climate finance.
He added that providing international partners with clear information on Nepal's carbon trading potential, investment opportunities, project locations and necessary legal provisions could help attract greater investment and cooperation in the sector.(RSS)
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