KATHMANDU, JUNE 5 World Environment Day 2026 is being observed across the country today with the theme 'Foundation for a Prosperous Future: Climate and Nature-Friendly Development,' highlighting urgent action on climate change and environmental protection. The Department of Environment is holding a main programme in Lalitpur, attended by Minister for Agriculture, Forests and Environment Gita Chaudhary, along with government officials, development partners, environmental experts and stakeholders. Marking the occasion, President Ramchandra Paudel called for adopting a nature-friendly lifestyle, stressing that development and environment must go hand in hand. He said clean energy use, tree plantation and climate adaptation efforts are essential to build a safe future amid rising climate risks. Vice President Ramsahay Prasad Yadav also urged collective responsibility for environmental conservation, warning that climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss are disproportionately affecting farmers, rural communities and vulnerable groups. At the main event, Minister Chaudhary said Nepal is advancing climate action alongside economic growth, noting that the impacts of climate change are visible from the Himalayas to the Tarai despite the country's low emissions contribution. She said the government is prioritising a green economy through expanded climate finance, forest conservation, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy and biodiversity protection. She emphasised the need to shift from disaster response to disaster preparedness, calling for climate-resilient infrastructure and stronger environmental planning. Chaudhary also highlighted Nepal's community-based conservation model and stressed value addition in medicinal herbs and non-timber forest products as a pathway to green prosperity. She informed that air quality monitoring stations operating in 30 locations are supporting evidence-based policy-making, while the government is preparing national and Kathmandu Valley air quality management action plans. The Environment Department, she added, will play a key role in implementing Nepal's third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and strengthening environmental data systems. The United Nations has described this year's observance as a 'global call for climate action,' warning of rising seas, heatwaves, wildfires and glacier loss as clear signals of accelerating climate change, and urging immediate global response. Officials said this year's Environment Day aims to mobilise government, private sector, academia, civil society and citizens towards building a green, resilient and sustainable development pathway.