Experts call for grant-based climate finance to support mountain communities

Kathmandu: Thematic plenary sessions are being held under the Sagarmatha Sambaad in Kathmandu today.

Nepal launched the first-ever Sagarmatha Sambaad yesterday with a powerful call for urgent global climate action and enhanced international cooperation to address the escalating climate crisis, particularly in fragile mountain ecosystems.

The forum is named after Mount Everest, locally known as Sagarmatha. This year’s theme is “Climate Change, Mountains, and the Future of Humanity.”

Speaking at a session on risk and assessment of the Himalayan region on the second day of the Sagarmatha Sambaad today, experts have warned that the Himalayan region is at greater risk due to climate change.

They emphasized that without proper mitigation measures, the region’s residents will face increasing dangers.

Dr. Tao Wang, Director of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, highlighted that the Himalayas are disproportionately affected by global warming.

Dr. Simon Allen, Senior Research Fellow at the University of Zurich, stressed the importance of building local capacity to address climate impacts.

Emily Mark, a senior geoscientist from BGG Engineering incorporated, Canada, noted that climate change will disrupt environmental systems and development.

Similarly, Rajiv Shaw, a professor from Keio University in Japan, called for collaboration at all levels—local to global—to tackle these pressing challenges.

Dr. Niels Hovius, head of the German Center for Geoscience Research, emphasized the need for improved forecasting systems for natural disasters, monitoring climate change effects, and implementing sustainability measures for adaptation.

Likewise, during the Sagarmatha Sambaad’s another parallel session toay on ‘Addressing Loss and Damage in the Mountains,’ experts and advocates underscored the urgent need for accessible, grant-based financing to help rebuild livelihoods, preserve biodiversity, and address the economic and cultural losses experienced by mountain communities in a warming world.

More than 175 foreign delegates from over three dozen countries are participating in the three-day mountain dialogue being held in Kathmandu. The inaugural session, along with various parallel plenary sessions, took place yesterday.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli inaugurated the the  Sagarmatha Sambaad  yesterday.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli emphasized that the event aims to provide a platform for honest dialogue and shared learning on climate change. He stressed the importance of finding collective solutions to the crisis.

The Prime Minister highlighted that safeguarding the mountains is critical to ensuring the survival of both the planet and humanity.