Events

Climate Change, Food Security and Freshwater: Tackling Constraints and Nurturing Opportunities in Mountain Regions

From: 15.10.2017 to: 16.10.2017

Coinciding with World Food Day on 16 October, the Karnali Integrated Rural Development and Research Centre (KIRDARC) and the Nepalese Civil Society Mountain Initiative (NCSMI), together with the Ministry of Population and Environment of Nepal, the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) and Kathmandu University (KU), are organizing a national conference on ‘Climate Change, Food Security and Freshwater: Tackling Constraints and Nurturing Opportunities in Mountain Regions’ on 15-16 October 2017 in Jumla, Nepal. The two-day conference will focus on food security, livelihoods, climate justice, natural hazards, human rights, and governance and policy issues. Representatives from mountain communities in the region will also share their stories and experiences about the issues they face.

Nepal, a least developed country (LDC), experiences high levels of both internal and external migration. Investing in food security has been a challenge as many mountain peoples have left their homes in the highlands for settlements in the lowlands and abroad to escape food insecurity and secure better livelihoods. Climate change has direct and severe impacts on food security and poses a serious threat to the natural freshwater regime of mountains, with potentially far-reaching consequences for mountain communities and millions of people downstream. Climate change adaptation and mitigation and disaster risk reduction measures need to be integrated into the overall development agenda. The conference aims to develop an action plan to support climate justice, food security, improved livelihoods and policies on climate change issues, with an emphasis on human rights.

Participants in the conference will include stakeholders working on food security, climate change and sustainable mountain development, parliamentarians from the region, policy-makers, political leaders, journalists and representatives from local communities, along with members of the NCSMI. The conference will include a plenary session, panel discussions with experts, field visits, interactions with mountain communities, and presentations of research papers and reports.

For further information, contact the Conference Secretariat at [email protected].

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