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Nepal, Bhutan seek dedicated Himalayan climate agenda at COP31
Kathmandu, Oct 31 (IANS) Nepal and Bhutan have jointly proposed including a dedicated agenda item on temperature rise in the Himalayan region at the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31). The move comes amid growing concerns over climate-related disasters, including devastating floods in Nepal’s Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers on August 26, triggered by an avalanche damming a river, and a glacial lake outburst flood in Bhutan on Thursday night. In a press statement on Saturday, the secretariat of Nepal’s Minister for Agriculture, Forests and Environment said the two countries had submitted a joint proposal seeking greater international attention to the mounting climate risks facing mountain ecosystems and communities. The two countries have proposed an agenda item titled “1.5-Degree Temperature Rise in the Himalayan Region” at the conference, scheduled to be held in Antalya, Turkey, from November 9 to 20. Custom Ad: Multiplex Minister for Agriculture, Forests and Environment Geeta Chaudhary submitted the proposal on behalf of the two countries under Rule 12 of the conference’s draft rules of procedure, according to the minister’s secretariat. The joint initiative comes amid growing concerns over the impacts of climate change in the Himalayas, where rising temperatures are accelerating glacier melt, increasing water insecurity and exposing communities to extreme weather events. The proposal states that these changes pose risks of irreversible damage to Himalayan ecosystems and the communities that depend on them. Rivers originating in the region provide water, food and energy to more than two billion people living downstream, while the Himalayas contain nearly half of the world’s important biodiversity areas, it says. Under the proposal, Nepal and Bhutan have called for scientific studies on temperature rise in the Himalayan region and the implications of exceeding temperature targets. They have also proposed an annual high-level dialogue on mountains and climate change, along with the initiation of a process to develop an action plan for Himalayan ecosystems under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The countries have further called for the priorities of mountain regions to be incorporated into international discussions on climate adaptation, climate finance, and loss and damage. The proposal highlights the economic consequences of climate-related disasters, citing the devastating floods in Nepal’s Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river systems on August 26, 2026. The floods caused an estimated 2.7 billion U.S. dollars in damage, while recovery and reconstruction are expected to require 4.7 billion dollars, according to a Rapid Disaster Needs Assessment report prepared by the Nepali government. Climate-related disasters have also affected Bhutan. A flash flood on Thursday night, triggered by the bursting of the Shintaphu glacial lake, washed away infrastructure at the Gasa Tshachu natural hot springs, according to reports. No casualties had been reported as of Friday. --IANS scor/as
