Kathmandu, September 1
Minister for Agriculture, Forests and Environment Gita Chaudhary has said the government must make climate change and environmental issues a matter of national priority.
Speaking at a discussion with experts held at the ministry before her departure to attend a ministerial conference of least developed countries, Minister Chaudhary stressed the need to present climate change as a matter of Nepal’s rights and claims on international platforms.
She said it would be difficult to prioritise the damage and problems caused by the climate crisis at the national level unless the government succeeds in establishing climate justice as a right before the international community. Mentioning that she had been advocating for environmental and climate change issues even before entering politics, Chaudhary said the government is now committed to prioritising climate justice. She also emphasised the need to establish mountain issues on the global agenda, noting that Nepal is a mountainous country home to Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak.
“Previously, one of our concerns was that the government did not prioritise climate change and environmental issues. But now that I am at the ministry, I want to work to ensure that this agenda receives the highest priority in Nepal. Unless we can present this agenda as our right and our claim, we cannot give it the priority it deserves. We call ourselves the country of Mount Everest, home to the world’s highest mountain. Therefore, we must lead the mountain agenda and establish it globally,” she said. Minister Chaudhary said climate change should not be limited to one or two programs or international conferences.
Stressing that government efforts alone would not be sufficient, she called for cooperation and collaboration among civil society, experts, the media and all other stakeholders.
