Experts, lawmakers call for establishing a dedicated ministry to oversee issues related to climate change

Kathmandu / March 8: Experts and lawmakers have underlined the need of establishing a dedicated ministry to oversee issues related to climate change to effectively tackle the challenges brought about by this issue.

Integrated approach among diverse sectors is essential to cope with the impacts of climate change. For this, a dedicated ministry and lawmakers’ group could facilitate, they added.

At a programme organized jointly by Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Crista and Gyannovation in the capital on Friday, NC lawmaker Pradip Paudel argued that there are dedicated ministries and committees on climate in foreign countries, which Nepal can follow, as the climate is taking a huge toll on us. In order to create pressure for it, lawmakers in Nepal also began the debate, he added.

Similarly, UML leader Thakur Gair, CPN (Maoist Centre) leader Madhav Sapkota, Rastriya Swatantra Party leader Shovita Gautam viewed a separate structure could be mulled to amplify voices on climate change impacts in Nepal.

CDD Chair Dr Dila Sangraula opined that women were most vulnerable to climate change, so time has come to take measures to ensure their resilience.

Environment Inspector at the Ministry of Forest and Environment, Hashana Shrestha, presented the facts that women are bearing the brunt of climate crises. So, the programmes launched for development could pay heed to it.

Chairman of Khaniyabas rural municipality of Dhading, Ran Bahadur Tamang, vowed incorporation of climate change in local school curriculum.

Advisor to Rural Municipality National Federation, Lekhnath Pokhrel, said innovative practices on climate change adaptation were going on at the local level under the women leadership.

Chairman of Disaster Risk Reduction Media Society, Surendra Pande, expressed worry as to why the media failed to pay adequate attention to this pressing issue.

Romy Ghimire, who has been involved in disaster risk reduction for long, said several local governments had also worked well on climate change.

CDD General Secretary Jivan Bhandari, youth activist Urisha Upadhyay and expert Uday Adhikari spoke briefly on the role of media, global status of climate change and insurance scheme for compensation.

The programme was held on the occasion of the International Women’s Day in the federal capital, Kathmandu. RSS