The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has established an environment diplomacy division under the ministry for the first time to strengthen diplomatic efforts on climate change and environmental issues amid the country’s growing vulnerability to climate-induced disasters.
The deadly mudslide on Aug 26 has claimed at least 1,411 lives, while 5,875 people, including Nepali and foreign nationals, remained missing as of Saturday evening, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority.
A report by World Weather Attribution last week said that human-caused global warming had thinned glaciers and thawed mountain permafrost, which likely contributed to destabilising a Himalayan slope that collapsed last month, triggering the disaster in Nepal.
Given Nepal’s vulnerability to widespread destruction from the impacts of global warming in the Himalayas, the government decided to establish a separate division within the Foreign Ministry to carry out focused diplomacy on climate change and environmental issues.
Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said that climate diplomacy should not be limited to participation in international conferences and events but should instead be pursued as a long-term institutional priority.
“Nepal has been continuously working on climate diplomacy at various international forums.
“Now, there is a need to institutionalise these efforts further,” he said. — Xinhua
