Nepal needs financial support to deal with climate crisis: PM

Kathmandu, Feb. 16

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' has said that although Nepal contributes almost zero to global emissions, it is experiencing the direct, unequal and harmful effects of climate change.

Addressing the conference on climate change and the role of parliamentarians in sustainable development here on Friday, PM Prachanda said that climate change was a big challenge for socio-economic and environmental welfare.

Mentioning that climate change is emerging as a global threat and will create a serious opportunity for development possibilities, he said that the least developed countries are more vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

"Our people have been badly affected by climatic disasters such as landslides, floods, forest fires, ice landslides and droughts," he said. "People of such countries who are at risk need financial and technical support, and the world should pay attention to that."

Pointing out the serious financial and technical gaps in the efforts to implement plans to reduce the effects of climate change, Prime Minister Prachanda said that there was a need to gather more resources to make the people flexible with the ecosystem and climate change and to plan and implement climate adaptation at the local level.

According to him, there is a need for dialogue between parliamentarians and policymakers around the world to advocate for climate justice and protect the sustainable future of the ecosystem, people and the earth. The damage and loss fund should be implemented smoothly, he said.

Prime Minister Prachanda said, "I want the developed countries to fulfil the climate finance obligation of US$ 100 billion, speed up climate actions through the Green Climate Fund and expand access to the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and emphasise its implementation."

As the president of an LDC, PM Prachanda also urged developed economies and the international community to help countries that are at risk of climate change.

He said that Nepal is fully committed to securing clean energy and maintaining 45 per cent of the land covered by forests. "Nepal is fully committed to the Paris Agreement. We are committed to achieving zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045,” he said. 

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 17 February 2024.