Prime Minister, as Nepal prepares to present its position internationally on the present Himalayan climate crisis, I believe we must approach the matter with calmness, scientific evidence and diplomatic confidence-not anger, provocation or political theatre. Nepal has every right to speak firmly about what is happening in the Himalayas, but our strongest position will come from what we can measure, document and independently demonstrate.
I am sharing this video because it reminds us that Nepal has done this before. During the mid-2010s, Nepal supported a remarkable Himalayan climate and glacier-monitoring mission involving the world-record-holding German glider pilot and dentist Klaus Ohlmann, who had established more than sixty world records. The mission was not conducted to establish a record. It was undertaken to help Nepal understand and monitor its Himalayan environment. A highly sophisticated motor-glider aircraft, valued at approximately €3 million, was brought to Nepal at a substantially reduced cost, with support from an oil-and-gas entrepreneur, while the wider scientific mission was supported by KONE Corporation and German scientific partners. The equipment and associated assets were ultimately handed over to the Government of Nepal and institutions including ICIMOD.
The significance of that mission was much greater than the flight itself. From the air, the Himalayas could be observed, measured and documented in ways that were extremely difficult from the ground. The aircraft could operate at extraordinary altitude, and the mission demonstrated that Nepal could bring together aviation, meteorology, hydrology, the Nepal Army, scientific institutions and international expertise to study its own mountains. The permission process itself required coordination with approximately eleven government agencies, with the Nepal Army playing a critical role. We had to work hard simply to obtain permission to access and measure parts of our own Himalayan territory-areas that, in practical terms, are among the most difficult places on Earth to reach.
The tragedy is that such an initiative was not developed into a permanent national monitoring system. If the information, equipment and scientific capability generated through that mission had been systematically maintained and expanded, Nepal might today have a much stronger independent baseline for understanding glacier change, glacial lakes, river systems and climate-related hazards. We should not look backward merely to assign responsibility. We should look backward to recover what worked and build upon it.
Nepal can do this again.
We do not necessarily need to begin with an expensive new programme. Modern technology gives us extraordinary possibilities. We can establish a Himalayan monitoring programme using drones, fixed cameras, satellite imagery, sensors, automated weather stations and, where regulations or terrain make drones impractical, appropriately equipped aircraft. GoPro-type high-resolution systems, scientific instruments and modern geospatial technology can create continuous visual and scientific records of glaciers, glacial lakes, rivers, landslides, tunnels, hydropower structures and other vulnerable infrastructure. Nepal can invite international universities, technology companies, climate institutions and friendly governments to cooperate, while ensuring that the data and scientific capability ultimately strengthen Nepal's own institutions.
The recent destruction in the Langtang–Bhote Koshi region makes this particularly urgent. I recall raising in Parliament concerns surrounding discussions and possible proposals between Nepal and China relating to dams and other infrastructure in Himalayan and glacial regions. In light of what has now happened, those discussions and proposals deserve to be revisited carefully, transparently and scientifically. This should not be presented as an accusation against China or any other country. It should be presented as a demand for responsible Himalayan risk management. Nepal and China, together with relevant international scientific institutions, should establish a permanent mechanism for monitoring glaciers, glacial lakes, rivers and major infrastructure across the Himalayan region. Where necessary, information-sharing and joint scientific assessment should become routine rather than something that happens only after a catastrophe.
Nepal also needs to understand its own territory with precision. Our mountains are not simply scenery; they are our water towers, energy resources, ecosystems and strategic geography. Every glacier, river, lake and watershed is connected. We therefore need a permanent national Himalayan observation system that produces evidence that can be independently verified and presented internationally.
This is where Nepal's diplomatic approach becomes extremely important. I see many voices inside and outside Nepal calling for confrontation, demanding that high-emitting countries be condemned, or suggesting that Nepal should adopt an increasingly provocative tone. We should resist that temptation. Nepal is one of the countries most exposed to climate change, while contributing comparatively little to global emissions. That gives us a powerful moral and scientific position-but only if we present it intelligently.
We should be humble, polite, firm and convincing.
At the United Nations and other international forums, Nepal should not arrive simply with speeches and political slogans. We should arrive with evidence: historical glacier measurements, satellite imagery, aerial surveys, hydrological data, photographs, scientific assessments, records of disasters and independently verified observations. If you are carrying evidence collected by Chinese institutions, ICIMOD or other scientific organizations to the United Nations, I would strongly recommend ensuring that the appropriate permissions and provenance are secured beforehand. Evidence is most powerful when its chain of custody, methodology and scientific credibility are beyond question.
Nepal has also demonstrated that it can mobilize its people internationally. I remember the effort surrounding COP15, when hundreds of Nepalis in Europe came together with hundreds of Nepali national flags to make Nepal's climate concerns visible. I never sought credit for that effort. The lesson, however, is important: Nepal's diaspora, scientists, students, professionals and institutions can become an enormous diplomatic asset if they are coordinated around evidence and national interest.
This time, we should aim for something fundamentally different from the traditional model of international climate conferences becoming an annual journey where officials and delegations attend, speak, network and return home. Nepal needs to go to the international community with a Himalayan evidence mission-a credible national programme backed by scientists, young researchers, the Nepal Army, meteorological and hydrological institutions, universities, international partners and modern technology companies.
There are many experienced scientists and technical experts who would be willing to help. There is also a new generation of exceptionally capable Nepali scientists who should be given the opportunity to lead. Let us bring the best of them together, establish our own monitoring capability, cooperate internationally and continuously publish credible findings.
Prime Minister, the present crisis may create enormous pressure and may tempt us into provocative statements. We should resist that. Nepal does not need to shout louder than everyone else. Nepal needs to know more, measure better and speak with evidence.
Our message to the world should therefore be simple: Nepal is not looking for confrontation. Nepal is asking for cooperation, transparency, scientific monitoring and Himalayan safety. We are prepared to do our part. We expect others to do theirs.
The Himalayas belong to a shared ecological system, but Nepal has a sovereign responsibility to understand, protect and monitor the part entrusted to us. Let us turn this crisis into the beginning of a permanent Himalayan scientific monitoring architecture-one that protects our people, our rivers, our glaciers, our ecosystems and future generations.
This time, let Nepal go to the world not merely with a speech, but with evidence.