KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 7 Japan will contribute JPY 34.607 million to the SAARC-Japan Special Fund to support the JENESYS 2026 youth exchange programme, with about 40 participants from SAARC countries scheduled to visit Japan to learn about disasters and climate change. The Embassy of Japan in Kathmandu and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) signed an addendum to the memorandum on guidelines for the special fund in Kathmandu on Wednesday. The document was signed by SAARC Secretary-General Md Golam Sarwar and Japanese Ambassador to Nepal Maeda Toru. Under the JENESYS 2026 programme, participants will study issues related to disaster preparedness and climate change in Japan. The organisers expect them to share and apply relevant practices on climate resilience and disaster preparedness after returning to their respective countries. JENESYS, or the Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths, is a youth exchange initiative funded and implemented by the Government of Japan with support from the SAARC Secretariat. The programme provides young people from SAARC member states with opportunities to visit Japan and gain first-hand exposure to its development experience, economic progress, technology, culture and society. The latest agreement builds on the youth exchange programme conducted under the SAARC-Japan Special Fund.