SATV, KATHMANDU, Oct. 29 — The National Climate Summit 2026 was held at Kathmandu on Thursday, with Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal, Minister of State for Agriculture, Forests and Environment Gita Chaudhary, Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forests and Environment Rajendra Prasad Mishra, and ambassadors of various countries to Nepal in attendance.
Addressing the summit, Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal said Nepal will prioritize raising the special issues of the Himalayan region, climate-induced loss and damage, climate finance and climate justice at the upcoming 31st Conference of the Parties (COP-31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. He noted that the impact of climate change on the Himalayan ecosystem has become a global challenge, not merely a problem for Nepal alone.
Minister of State for Agriculture, Forests and Environment Gita Chaudhary stressed in her remarks that Nepal should present the demand for climate justice on the international stage as its own right and claim. She said the impacts of climate change have extended from the Himalayas to the Terai plains, and the government will focus on locally tailored adaptation measures, environmental protection and risk mitigation technologies. Chaudhary also pointed out that climate finance should not be treated as aid but as a just obligation, on which the reconstruction of disaster-affected communities, early warning systems and climate-resilient infrastructure should be advanced.
At the summit, Dr. Maheshwar Dhakal, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forests and Environment, said the Nepali government is revising its climate change policy based on experience in the field over the past five years, conclusions from scientific research and the current government's mandate. The revised policy has identified 15 thematic areas covering the main aspects of climate change, and the government is working to get the revised policy approved soon.
Nepal has already submitted its Third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC-3) on climate change to the United Nations, and its implementation plan is being prepared for presentation to the Council of Ministers. Nepal formulated its National Adaptation Plan in 2021, identifying 64 priorities in eight thematic areas, with an estimated budget of approximately 47 billion US dollars, including national and international resources, required for implementation. Although Nepal contributes minimally to climate change, it is significantly affected by its impacts, hence the NDC goals have been divided into two levels: the first level includes unconditional goals to be achieved with its own resources, and the second level includes conditional goals to be achieved with international financial and technical assistance, the latter aiming to create investment opportunities for the private sector and attract cooperation from international investors and development partners.
Noting that the Himalayan region faces high climate change risks, Dhakal said regional cooperation is necessary for the conservation and resilience enhancement of the region. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forests and Environment are preparing to cooperate with neighboring countries such as China and India to transform the concept of Himalayan climate resilience put forward by the Prime Minister into an action plan. Nepal is preparing to include the group of mountain countries in climate negotiations from this year, and as the government has accepted the declaration on children, youth and climate action, the participation of youth and children in climate campaigns will be prioritized.
In addition, the framework agreement on climate cooperation between Nepal and the Korean government has been approved by both governments and is in the process of being signed. The government aims to deliver the benefits from carbon trading to community forest user groups and local communities dependent on forests. Citing the disaster in the Bhote Koshi area on August 26, Dhakal emphasized the need for climate risk reduction and disaster-resilient infrastructure development, noting the incident caused significant damage to structures including hydropower projects, highways, and public and private buildings.
The summit sent a clear signal that Nepal's climate governance is shifting from policy formulation to implementation and from domestic action to international negotiation. With the revised climate policy, the new framework for Local Adaptation Plans and the carbon trading mechanism being advanced in parallel, Nepal is seeking to form a climate action roadmap that balances local needs and international demands ahead of COP-31.
