Support sought to combat impacts of climate change

Kathmandu, November 2 

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Population Upendra Yadav has called for enhanced support and collaboration from the industrialised countries through finance, technology and knowhow to resolve problems faced by LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS due to adverse impacts of climate change its health consequences on human health.

He said this while addressing the high-level action day session of the First WHO Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health in Geneva today, which is being convened by WHO from 30 October to November 1 focusing on the theme of ‘improving air quality, combating climate change – saving lives’.

The deputy prime minister noted that as a mountainous and least developed country, Nepal’s greenhouse gas emission was only around 0.027 per cent of total global emissions, but it had been disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change.

He said the life of humans and glaciers that feed the water for ecosystem services are adversely affected due to black carbon and warming and melting of ice.

He further added that solving the problem of air pollution required joint efforts and took different ways from one region to another, establishing a mix of technological solutions, regulations and policies and encouraging behavioural changes.

He stated that the Constitution of Nepal stipulated that every citizen had the right to live in clean and healthy environment. He informed that some important initiatives include moving towards self-sufficiency in the generation and supply of hydropower, introducing electric buses, reducing the use of diesel generators, making brick kilns cleaner and efficient, making the vehicle emission test mandatory, and encouraging local level efforts to mitigate air pollution and to enhance proper waste management.

DPM Yadav also emphasised the importance of multi-stakeholder participation and inter-agency coordination for ensuring that policies and efforts are implemented effectively.