By Karuna Thapa
Kathmandu, March 23
The year 2022 has been selected by the government as the year of sustainable mountain development.
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba will kick off the Sustainable Mountain Development Year by launching a policy regional discussion program for long-term solutions to mountain issues, which will be held in connection with the International Sustainable Mountain Development Year in 2022.
The Government of Nepal, Ministry of Forests and Environment, will organize a debating program in Kathmandu today and tomorrow in honor of the United Nations’ decision to declare 2022 the International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development (Thursday).
The United Nations has encouraged all stakeholders, including governments, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations, to organize events throughout the year to raise awareness about the importance of mountain ecosystems.
Chure, Mahabharata, highland, and mountainous areas cover around 86 percent of Nepal’s land area. Climate change impacts are more pronounced in hilly and mountainous places, according to scientific studies.
Two working papers will be given by national and international specialists in each technical session, and two experts will comment on each working paper. Following the end of the technical workshops, a detailed presentation of the concerns that Nepal needs to highlight in national policy and international forums will be given.
The Ministry of Forests has announced that it plans to hold interactions with policymakers by 2022, a mountain conference in Mustang, a suggestion gathering seminar for the 27th Conference on Climate Change, and an International Mountain Day program to commemorate the Sustainable Mountain Year.
The United Nations missions in Nepal, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Integrated Mountain Development Center, the World Wildlife Fund, the International Conservation Union, development partners, NGOs, and others will collaborate and coordinate the celebration of International Mountain Year.
