Through mountain dialogue, Nepal hopes to draw awareness of climate issues

Kathmandu: Delegates and subject matter experts from 12 countries, including India and China, are due to gather here next week to talk about and raise awareness about climate change and its effects on mountain countries, according to an announcement made Tuesday.

'Sagarmatha Sambad', or the Mountain Dialogue, with a central theme 'Climate Change, Mountains and the Future of Humanity' will take place here from May 16 to 18 and is expected to attract around 300 participants, with 50 per cent foreign delegates.

Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world, is known as Sagarmatha in Nepalese.

“The high-level dialogue forum aims to address the pressing global environmental concerns and challenges, particularly the climate change adversely affecting the mountainous regions and vulnerable communities,” organisers of the event said at a press briefing here.

One of the major objectives of the upcoming event is to provide a suitable platform for multi-stakeholder, inter-regional global dialogue in Nepal on pressing contemporary issues facing the world, according to Lok Bahadur Paudel Chettri, joint secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and also the coordinator of the Publicity Committee of the event.

The participants will discuss the impact of climate change -- from the Himalayas to sea, sustainable green economy, climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction, climate justice and future of humanity, and regional and global partnership to tackle the global climate crisis, the organisers said.

Delegates from 12 countries, including from India and China, will include ministers, high-ranking government officials, diplomats, representatives of donor agencies, climate change experts and environmentalists as well as development actors and leaders from various sectors who will seek to forge regional and international cooperation for a unified response towards global climate crisis, a statement from the organisers said.

The mountain dialogue will conclude with a Kathmandu declaration that will suggest a way forward to deal with the crisis.

With PTI inputs