Nepal reinvigorates mountain agenda through International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations collaborated with the Government of Nepal and other partners in commemorating the International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development (IYSMD) 2022. Aiming to explore adaptation and mitigation measures for climate change impacts in the mountain ecosystem through the convergence of an expert community at national, regional, and global levels, the Ministry of Forests and Environment of Nepal led the two days regional event in Kathmandu on 23-24 March 2022. The event was the first in a series of events planned throughout the year to celebrate IYSMD 2022, and explored key issues and the way forward for the conservation of mountain ecosystems and better livelihoods for the mountain communities, especially the most vulnerable groups.
Addressing invitees and delegates of the “Regional Policy Dialogue on Sustainable Mountain Solutions”, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba shared the programmes developed by the government to reduce the climate change impacts affecting mountain ecosystems. Referring to the recent report issued by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), PM stated that temperatures in Asian mountains have been rising by 0.54 degrees Fahrenheit per decade so far. Nepal has also been affected by the temperature rise, resulting in melting of glaciers and changed river flows, disruptions in plant growth and agricultural activities, which are posting a threat to the livelihoods of the people living in the mountains of Nepal.
The Prime Minister further stated, "Our vegetation, agriculture and human life in the mountain region has witnessed a serious impact comparatively, so Nepal is seeking for collaborative effort in jointly addressing these global issues”. He recalled his participation in COP 26 (UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties) for drawing the global attention to impacts of climate change and prioritizing the resilience programmes in Nepal.
Shankar Das Bairagi, Chief Secretary from Government of Nepal lauded that United Nations General Assembly has designated 2022 as the International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development and Nepal, as a partner, aims to increase awareness on the importance of sustainable mountain development, better livelihoods of mountain people, environmental conservation and sustainable use of mountain ecosystems.
Sharing his remarks in the inaugural session, Ken Shimizu, FAO Representative in Nepal stated that FAO is collaborating with relevant national and international partners for a Sustainable Mountain Development agenda on a global level as the Secretariat of the Mountain Partnership, drawing on the concerns for food security and livelihoods of the mountain people, and addressing the needs of the most vulnerable mountain communities. He added that the regional dialogues would help to identify the major issues of mountain development and establish Nepal as a leading nation to advocate concerns of mountain people in the global and regional arena, with an aim to fostering partnership and facilitating collective action among the mountainous countries for sustainable mountain development. At the country level, the dialogues will support the development of a road map for concrete policy measures and actions.
The five thematic priorities titled "Mountain Economy", "Mountain Biodiversity and Ecosystem", "Mountain Culture", "Mountain Women" and "Mountain-Lowland Connections" were emphasized by national and international speakers, following the panel discussion in each thematic area. The panellists from different agencies highlighted that the event contributed in strengthening policy formulation to build the resilience of mountain peoples and clarifying the road map for adaptation and mitigation measures.
In his closing remarks, Minister Ram Sayah Yadav stated that with the decision of the United Nations to celebrate the year 2022 as the International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development, the Ministry of Forests and Environment was happy that Nepal was the first country in the world to initiate celebrations for the IYSMD 2022. He stated that the Ministry, with close collaboration with FAO and other developing partners, is scheduling the Mustang Summit in May 2022, followed by various events and programs planned throughout the year of 2022, culminating in the celebration of International Mountain Day on 11 December.
He called for urgent measures to halt global temperature rise to secure human existence, referencing the way forward of the workshop as a roadmap to achieve SDG targets and to stimulate concrete initiatives at all levels, ensuring the quality of life of the mountain people.
.