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The Sagarmatha Sambaad, the international dialogue on climate action, sustainability, and global partnerships, themed "Climate Change, Mountains and the Future of Humanity" has kicked off in Kathmandu today. 

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli inaugurated the Sagarmatha Sambaad amid a special function a while ago.

More than 350 national and international distinguished personalities are present at the event.   

Earlier, Foreign Affairs Minister and Coordinator of Sambaad Management Committee Arzu Rana Deuba welcomed the distinguished guests attending the event. 

Currently, the distinguished guests are addressing the event. 

There will be parallel thematic sessions after the closing of the inaugural session.

The first edition of Sagarmatha Sambaad, Nepal’s initiative to draw global attention to the impact of climate change on the mountains and humanity, begins tomorrow. Themed Climate Change, Mountains and the Future of Humanity, one of the promotional materials for the summit features a nugget of wisdom in Sanskrit, in a smaller print: Vaade vaade jaayate tatwabodha. 

A rough translation of the line would be: Only through relentless deliberations can one get to the essence. It’s just like extracting butter by churning milk, though the process of getting to the essence can be a very long and excruciating, especially in this day and age of global warming, climate change and climate deniers. 

Despite a very small carbon footprint, Nepal has been bearing disproportionate effects of climate change and these effects are most severe on the Himalayas, one of the very few priceless sources of freshwater and a lifeline for billions of people living downstream.  

Notable absences from the neighborhood and beyond aside, diplomats, politicians, climate scientists and experts from around the world are gathering on the lap (literally) of the Sagarmatha, the world’s highest mountain, for the summit. Apart from possible shortcomings on the part of the host, these absences perhaps point out at an alarming level of indifference on the part of the political top brass of respective countries toward a smorgasbord of issues that have a most profound impact on the future of humanity. They seem to forget that while humanity can now explore the vastness of Space in fancy vessels, it cannot bring water from there to quench the thirst of parched living beings.  

Indeed, the summit has become all the more important as it is taking place at the time of a major withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and a fresh round of hostilities between two nuclear-powered countries in the immediate neighborhood and major wars in other parts of the world, activities that take a massive on the environment.
It comes barely a month after the host country nearly choked as air pollution worsened due to drought and raging wildfires, resulting mainly from climate change and global warming.     

As for preparations vis-a-vis the summit, some critics as well as skeptics argue that the government should have adopted a bottom-up approach, by initiating discussions at local, provincial and central levels, identifying issues and presenting them at the forum. Such a grounded approach, they say, would have prevented the conclave from becoming a purely academic exercise and a mere talk shop, taking it further away from the lived experiences of local communities. They are perhaps right, also in their stance that much more could have been done to rally the whole nation behind this common cause.
Criticism and a bit of skepticism aside, the dialogue is a good beginning and here’s hoping that those at the helm of affairs around the world get to the essence soon enough—and act—before this Living Planet ceases to be as a result of our climate-unfriendly ways of life. 

The Nepal Government has approved the Biennial Transparency Report (BTR) on climate change impacts and adaptation and other related areas.  

Minister for Forest and Environment Ain Bahadur Shahi Thakuri approved BTR on Thursday.

The Ministry of Forest and Environment stated that BTR will be announced in the Sagarmatha Sambaad taking place from today.  

Minister Shahi hoped that approval of BTR and announcement in Sagarmatha Sambaad would spread a positive message about Nepal's commitments to the climate change impacts.   

Parties to the Paris Agreement are required to submit BTR every two years. According to the modalities, procedures and guidelines (MPGs) for the Enhanced Transparency Framework, BTR include information on national inventory reports (NIR), progress towards NDCs, policies and measures, climate change impacts and adaptation, levels of financial, technology development and transfer and capacity-building support, capacity-building needs and areas of improvement, according to the UN agencies. 

Likewise, the government has approved the third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC-3) climate action plan and decided to send its report to the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Similarly, the government has decided to approve the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Government of Nepal and the Government of India on Biodiversity Conservation and to authorize the Ministry of Forests and Environment to sign the MoU by coordinating with the counterparts.

At least 15 persons  were injured after a commuter bus hit a road divider at Ratnanagar Municipality-10 in Chitwan district along the East-West Highway this morning.   

The bus (Province 1-02-001 9162) was heading towards Kathmandu from Lahan, Siraha when the incident occurred, said Rabindra Khanal, the Deputy Superintendent of Police of District Police Office, Chitwan. 

The bus was carrying 39 passengers. 

The injured passengers are receiving treatment in two hospitals in Chitwan.

In its bid to inform the world community about climate change and its impacts, and to explore measures for climate resilience, the government is organizing the Sagarmath Sambaad in Kathmandu.

Beginning today, the Sagarmatha Sambaad -- the first of its kind from the Government of Nepal -- will conclude on May 18. 

The theme of the Sagarmath Sambaad is "Climate Change, Mountains and the Future of Humanity". 

The program includes various sessions, seminars, and keynote speeches on topics such as climate action, sustainability, and global partnerships.

According to Foreign Affairs Minister and Coordinator of Sambaad Management Committee Arzu Rana Deuba, a total of 175 foreign guests and almost equal number of Nepalis will join the event.

There will be the participation of high-level delegations from 12 countries. 

The dignitaries from China, India and some other countries have already arrived in Kathmandu and the participants from some other countries are arriving. 

The leaders of Indian and Chinese delegations are scheduled to address the event. 

Likewise, COP29 President and Special Representative the President of Azerbaijan for Climate Issues is also scheduled to address the event. 

Similarly, a video message addressed to the Sagarmatha Sambaad by UN Secretary General António Guterres will be presented today.  

There will be a series of plenary sessions after the inaugural session. 

The program includes various sessions, seminars, and keynote speeches on topics such as climate action, sustainability, and global partnerships.

A fire broke out at a garment shop in Satungal of Chandragiri Municipality-11, Kathmandu on Thursday.

Joint Spokesperson of the Armed Police Force, Nepal Shailendra Thapa said that Nepal Army, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police personnel with help of locals and fire engines are trying to extinguish the fire that broke at at 5:30 am today.

Fire engines of Nepal Army, Nepal Oil Corporation, Chandragiri Municipality, Lalitpur Metropolitan City and others are being used to take the fire under control.

China's Deputy Speaker and Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) Xiao Jie arrived in Kathmandu last night.  

Vice Chairman Xiao Jie is leading the Chinese delegation in the Sagarmatha Sambaad to be held in Kathmandu from May 16-18.  

Minister for Forest and Environment Ain Bahadur Shahi Thakuri welcomed Vice Chairman Xia Jie at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA).

The sixth session of the Lumbini Province Assembly is beginning today.   

A meeting of the Council of Ministers of Lumbini Province Government held on May 8 had recommended the Province Assembly Chief, Krishna Bahadur Gharti, to summon the province assembly meeting from today as per the Article 183 (1) of the Constitution of Nepal.  

Province Assembly Secretary Durlav Kumar Pun informed that today's businesses of the Province Assembly include sharing the letters received from the Office of the Province Chief and deliberations on the contemporary issues.   

The Lumbini Province Government is preparing to table its policy and programs in the Province Assembly  next week.