KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 20

Environmental activists have said that the United Nations must incorporate concerns about high-mountain plastic pollution in the upcoming International Legally Binding Instrument on Plastic Pollution, including in the Marine Environment.

"Unfortunately, the marine word has been mentioned 47 times in the treaty, and mountain zero," said Environmental Scientist and executive director of Center for Public Health and Environmental Development (CEPHED).

"The upcoming treaty focuses solely on marine pollution, completely ignoring mountain concerns, despite our government raising this issue in writing at all four Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) meetings. However, it is not mentioned at all in the treaty."

Satating that the UN treaty basically implements whatever the member states decide, he added, "Therefore it is up to all nations to address the mountain plastic issue so that it is properly reflected in the treaty text, which has not yet happened and is critical."

According to him, snow samples collected from Mt. Everest's balcony at 8,440 metres plastic presence test, it was found that snows were contaminated with fibrous microplastic. "Thus, although we believe that Mt. Everest's pristine environment is pure, it's not after testing snow samples, and it is clear that downstream marine pollution cannot be cleaned unless we clean upstream," he told THT.

Because pure snow has a high ability to reflect light (around 80 p[er cent), contaminated snow absorbs light, exacerbates the albedo effect, and contributes to glacial retreat, according to Sah.

Sah stressed that Nepal must take the lead on plastic-related issues in the upcoming INC-5, which is set to adopt the treaty that is in its final stages now.

"Our delegation to INC-5 and concerned government agencies should raise their strong voice to the UN Secretariat to include High Mountain Plastic Pollution in the upcoming UN Plastic Pollution Treaty and address the issues and voices," he said.

The UN Plastic Treaty should be defined as 'the international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine to mountain environment'," he said, adding that he had even sent a letter regarding the same.

"My argument is that if we do not clean upstream, downstream marine pollution cannot be cleaned because a number of rivers, along with plastic from the mountains, are entering the marine," Sah said.

"There is a need for collaboration or allies from mountainous countries to ensure that our voice is heard."

According to Sah, plastic pollution on the mountains has a tremendous impact on Nepal. For instance, if there is plastic, as in climate change, there is a rapid retreat, and if there are microplastic particles in the snow sample, the rate of retreat is even faster.

"Plastic pollution on the mountain and climate change are very much connected, not only in terms of accelerating the impact of climate change in Nepal, which is already well documented, but also in terms of accelerating plastic pollution in downstream water bodies," he added.

So the Nepali government must robustly express its concern in treaties and conventions, and our concerns must be supported unconditionally.

The convention will take place in Busan, Korea, from November 25 to December 1. Delegates from the Ministry of Environment and Forest are joining to present Nepal's concerns.

"Since the inception of the INC-the meeting of all nations where a national delegation, private sector industry, scientific community, civil society, and indigenous groups come together to discuss it-our government has participated every time, but there is not much progress, and they have raised our concerns robustly. This is costing us very dearly. Nepal must advocate for inclusion of high-mountain plastic pollution in the preamble as well as the convention texts."