Kaski, October 1
Annapurna Rural Municipality has called for climate justice and urgent measures to address growing climate-related risks in the mountain region from the Annapurna Base Camp (ABC).
The rural municipality held a special village executive meeting at the ABC, located at an altitude of 4,130 metres, on Wednesday to draw attention to the impacts of climate change and the need to strengthen local resilience.
Annapurna Rural Municipality Chairperson Bishnu Bahadur KC said floods, landslides and river erosion during this year’s monsoon had damaged infrastructure, agriculture, transportation and tourism. Floods in the Modi Khola and Kimrung Khola damaged hotels and roads, while Birethanti and Syauli Bazar remain at risk. The washing away of a paved road also disrupted road connectivity between Ghorepani and Pokhara for 40 days.
The meeting called for federal and provincial support through policies, technical assistance, adequate funding, climate finance, research and stronger intergovernmental coordination.
According to spokesperson Bharat Man Gurung, the municipality will prepare an Annapurna Climate Resilience Action Plan and assess climate risks and vulnerabilities across all 11 wards.
The meeting also decided to develop an early warning and emergency communication system, introduce climate-resilient infrastructure criteria and maintain regular records of loss and damage from climate-induced disasters.
