Kathmandu, January 10

President Bidhya Devi Bhandari today said Nepal wanted to play a proactive role in protecting biodiversity and reducing the negative impact of climate change.

Inaugurating an international conference on Biodiversity, Climate Change Assessment and Impacts on Livelihood in Kathmandu today, the president said Nepal had given high priority to issues of climate change and biodiversity conservation.

“Though Nepal’s contribution to climate change is negligible, it has also been facing the brunt of climate change. Risk of glacial lake outburst floods and desertification among other things finally force people to migrate from their places of origin.”

At the conference Population and Environment Minister Jayadev Joshi said developing countries were  badly affected by the impact of climate change that threatened the livelihoods of the people.

Tribhuvan University Vice-chancellor Prof Dr Tirtha Khaniya, Prof Nir Krakauer of City University College of New York, Director General of International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development Dr David Molden, USAID Nepal Director Peter Malnak, and Chief of the Central Department of Botany of Tribhuvan University Prof Dr Mohan Shivakoti among others spoke about the impact of climate change on Nepal and need for biodiversity conservation.

The three-day conference, which will conclude on Thursday, is jointly organised by the ministries of science and technology; population and environment;  agricultural development; forest and soil conservation;  and TU Central Department of Botany.

Around 400 scientists, researchers, professors, environmentalists and conservationists from more than 20 countries, including Nepal, India, China, Pakistan, among others, have been participating the conference. Organisers said over 300 international research papers will be presented during the conference.