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Ahead of COP28, which is taking place in the UAE from Nov 30 to Dec 12, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has pledged to draw the attention of the international community about the unfolding climate crisis in the Himalayas.

Nepal’s political leaders and environmentalists say COP28 is the best platform to highlight the issues of climate change in the Himalayas. Gutterres is likely to flag this issue at COP28, which will immensely help to internationalize the mountain agenda.

After a visit to the Everest region, he urged the international community to stop the madness of climate change. “The rooftops of the world are caving in,” he said, noting that Nepal had lost nearly a third of its ice in just over three decades. Nepal’s glaciers melted 65 faster in the last decade than in the previous one, said Guterres.

The UN chief further said, “Today from the base of Mt Everest, I saw for myself the terrible impacts of the climate crisis on the Himalayas. As temperatures rise, glacier melt increases—threatening the lives and livelihoods of entire communities.”

In the Everest region, the UN head held interactions with local communities and learned about the multifaceted impact of climate change in their daily lives and livelihoods.

Glaciers in the wider Himalayan and Hindu Kush ranges are a crucial water source for around 240 million people in the mountainous regions, as well as for another 1.65bn people in the South Asian and Southeast Asian river valleys below, according to AFP.

The glaciers feed 10 of the world’s most important river systems, including the Ganges, Indus, Yellow, Mekong and Irrawaddy, and directly or indirectly supply billions of people with food, energy, clean air and income, AFP reports.  “I am here today to cry out from the rooftop of the world: stop the madness,” Guterres further said.

“The glaciers are retreating, but we cannot. We must end the fossil fuel age,” he said. Hardest hit are the most vulnerable people and the world’s poorest countries, which have done little to contribute to the fossil fuel emissions that drive up temperatures.

“We must act now to protect people on the frontline, and to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees, to avert the worst of climate chaos,” Guterres said. “The world can’t wait.”

“Melting glaciers means swollen lakes and rivers flooding, sweeping away entire communities,” he added. But all too soon, glaciers will dry up if change is not made, he warned. “In the future, major Himalayan rivers like the Indus, the Ganges and Brahmaputra could have massively reduced flows,” he said. “That spells a catastrophe.”

Though the impact of climate change on mountains is devastating, it does not figure prominently in the global summits like COP. For a long time, Nepal has been raising this issue in the international platforms asking all stakeholders to take this matter seriously.

While addressing the 78th UNGA, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal said climate vulnerable mountainous countries like Nepal have been bearing the severe brunt of climate change. 

The Himalayas are the source of freshwater for over two billion people, PM said: Global warming has induced rapid receding of ice in our Himalayas. It has not only eroded the health of our mountains but also endangered the lives and livelihoods of millions of people living downstream. 

The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has said that Nepal’s transitional justice process should meet the international standards, the Supreme Court’s ruling and the needs of the conflict victims.

Speaking with media persons after meeting with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, the head of the global body stated that Nepal has embarked on the final stages of the peace process with progress on transitional justice process. Government is making preparations to present an amendment bill in the federal Parliament for endorsement but conflict victims and the international community are expressing dissatisfaction over some of the provisions. They are of the view that there still is room for blanket amnesty in the proposed bill.

Transitional justice must help bring peace to victims, families and communities, the secretary-general said, The United Nations stands ready to support Nepal to develop a process that meets international standards, the Supreme Court’s rulings, and the needs of victims—and put it into practice.

The UN Chief, who arrived in Kathmandu on Sunday, said he is in Kathmandu to strengthen the deep friendship and cooperation between Nepal and the UN.  Nepal has a long and proud tradition of championing peace and multilateralism, he said, and the United Nations is hugely grateful to Nepal for “your support for multilateral solutions—backed up by the enormous contribution you make to peacekeeping missions around the world.”

“Nepal’s progress over the past 20 years has been astonishing: You have become a republic, established peace and thrown yourselves behind the Sustainable Development Goals and climate action.” The next few years will be decisive, as Nepal prepares to graduate from Least Developed Country status, he said. Nepal is also caught in a blizzard of global crises not of its making: The aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, inflation caused by the international economic situation and the enormous threat posed by climate chaos, the UN Chief said. “Much more international action is needed. Developed countries must step up to support sustainable development, and help developing economies including Nepal to tackle the climate crisis.”

On this trip, I will visit the Himalayas to see for myself the terrible impact of the climate crisis on the glaciers, he further said, describing the situation as “dire and accelerating”. 

He said: Nepal has lost close to a third of its ice in just over 30 years. And glaciers are melting at record rates. The impact on communities is devastating and I will meet local people in the Himalayas to hear directly from them about how they are affected. 

The UN head also spoke about the ongoing crisis in the Middle East. 

We are living in difficult and tense times, he said. “I know that even though the conflict in the Middle East is thousands of miles away, it has hit very close to home for the people of Nepal.”

The UN head extended his deepest condolences to the families of the 10 Nepali students killed in the terror attacks by Hamas in Israel on Oct 7, and extended his best wishes for the safe return of Bipin Joshi, who is missing.

“And I repeat my utter condemnation of the appalling attacks perpetrated by Hamas. There is no justification, ever, for the killing, injuring and abduction of civilians,” he said. 

“The situation in Gaza is growing more desperate by the hours. I regret that instead of a critically needed humanitarian pause supported by the international community, Israel has intensified its military operations.”

Guterres said he would also visit Lumbini, Gautam Buddha’s birthplace in southern Nepal “to reflect on Lord Buddha’s teachings of peace and non-violence, which are more relevant than ever in our deeply troubled world.”

After the restoration of multiparty democracy in 1990, Nepal has been taking steps toward hydropower generation. The 1990s saw efforts aimed at developing the Arun III hydropower project for domestic consumption with the World Bank pledging a loan for the same.

However, certain quarters, in favor of developing small hydropower projects over ‘big ones’, stood in opposition, in a pointer that the environment was not conducive for the same. Eventually, the World Bank withdrew its financing program for the project. 

Fast forward 2023. Per reports, India is on the verge of completing the export-oriented Arun III project. Most of the green energy generated from this project will be transmitted to India while Nepal will get a tiny fraction.  

China has also shown interest in hydropower generation in Nepal, but not with much success. 

In the 2010s, construction of the Upper Trishuli hydropower project was set to begin with investment from China’s Exim Bank and in cooperation with Nepal Electricity Authority. The Chinese company, which had completed one-fourth of the project works, abandoned this project altogether after facing obstructions in the name of capacity expansion. The capital invested in developing project components has gone waste. Currently, South Korea is showing interest in developing the project under the build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) model. If geopolitical interests do not prevail, this project can still materialize. 

In cooperation with the Asian Development Bank, Snowy Mountain Engineering Corporation was to develop a 750-MW West Seti hydropower project. As the project remained stuck for long, the government canceled the license awarded to SMEC and picked China Three Gorges Corporation for project development, but to no avail. Now, an Indian developer has bagged this project without bidding. 

In 2017, the then government granted the China Gejuwa Group Corporation the license for developing the Budhigandaki hydropower project without opting for competitive bidding. But the new government that came to power the same year canceled the license. Now, the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government is trying to develop this 1200-MW project by mobilizing internal and external technical and financial resources. 

Despite its failure to bag big hydropower projects, China has two hydropower projects with a combined capacity of 75 MW—Modi and Upper Marsyangdi—in its hands. The BOOT-modeled 50-MW Upper Marsyangdi has materialized, whereas the 25-MW Modi hydel is under construction. A Chinese company has already developed the 456-MW Upper Tamakoshi hydel, while India is developing the 900-MW Arun III hydel.

Recently, India has expressed its ‘commitment’ to importing 10000 MW from Nepal in a period of 10 years while making it clear that it will not import electricity from projects developed with Chinese involvement.

It should be noted that India bagged the lucrative West Seti project after China opted out. West Seti is not an isolated case. The southern neighbor has gotten hold of a number of other attractive hydropower projects like SR-6, Arun IV and Lower Arun. It seems India wants to bag all lucrative hydropower projects by imposing direct or indirect restrictions on Chinese involvement in hydropower generation in Nepal. In this context, it may be worthwhile to recall Chinese ambassador Chen Song’s observations about trade imbalance between Nepal and India.  

Chen,  while commenting on a working paper presented at a program in Kathmandu last month, had noted that Nepal had exported electricity worth Rs 10bn to India in the last fiscal, while importing electricity worth Rs 19bn from India during the same period.

Three decades have passed since the signing of the Mahakali Treaty along with a plan for the development of the Pancheshwar project, with precious little done on the ground. 

This pretty much sums up the status of hydropower development in the country.

The official visit of the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, to Nepal from Oct 29 to Nov 1 is a testimony of the excellent bonds between Nepal and the United Nations that have grown from strength to strength since Nepal joined the world body  in 1955. It may be recalled that since the last visit by then Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in 2008 at the peak period of the country’s transition from conflict to peace, a political settlement of burning issues has already been achieved following the promulgation of the Constitution in 2015.

Subsequently, socio-economic transformation and shared prosperity upheld by sustainable development are the prime agendas of the nation. 

The United Nations decision to graduate Nepal into a developing country in 2021 with a grace period of five years and the World Bank’s elevation of Nepal into a lower-middle income country (in June 2020) are indicative of advancements the country is making. At the same time, emerging global challenges and the domestic challenges that have cropped up due to continuing vulnerability, structural impediments and capacity constraints pose a threat to developmental gains. 

The purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and the idealism of peaceful, cooperative relations of all nations of the world, connecting all humanity, has inspired the fundamental tenets of the constitution of Nepal.

In fact, Nepal has initiated and continued to set all major universally-acclaimed values and ideals through its Constitution, laws and policy initiatives, which largely go in line with the ultimate goals and principles of the global body.  

The challenges of implementation in a way bear similitude, albeit to a smaller extent within our national context. Looking at some of the opportunities that we can tap in the global and national contexts by working closely together with the United Nations system, it is relevant to touch upon some crucial ones in the context of the Secretary-General’s visit. Three functional pillars maintaining peace and security in a geopolitically transforming world through the semblance of equity and justice have always been most formidable.

The UN as a member-driven organization is always effortful in this priority agenda. In recent times, it has not been able to contain and peacefully resolve the Russia-Ukraine war. We have to see how far the UN General Assembly resolution passed on the ceasefire of the Israel-Hamas war goes in restoring mutually-acceptable peace and security in the Middle East. 

Any conflicts, hostilities or confrontations have repercussions in a globalized and connected world, the most vulnerable economies having to bear the brunt of these eventualities. It is satisfying to note that Nepal has been at the forefront of the UN peacekeeping operations, currently occupying the position of the second highest troops-contributing country. It has almost been a sole area in which Nepal is willing and able to make contributions to the global community. Aspirations to be a number one troops contributor in relation to the South Asian neighbors, who are also among the highest contributors in this regard, will add to the national honor and prestige. 

A South Asian Peacekeeping Training Centre to be located in Nepal and managed and operated with collective efforts is a cherished goal to be achieved. As Nepal has significantly enlarged the magnitude of participation in the peacekeeping operations, seeking enhanced roles for the security personnel in higher leadership and management positions, both at the headquarters and the fields, is but natural. On the development front, the UN’s continued endeavor to forge a common global agenda and actions through campaigns like MDGs and SDGs are innovative and welcome steps. 

This has raised hopes among billions of people in the Global South for integration of their countries and societies in the development mainstream, thereby making a positive movement toward equitable and just world order as a foundation of peace. If the UN had the power to marshal resources needed for these noble endeavors in an equitable manner, the world would have been a better place to live for everybody. As a country in need of more development assistance and technical support, ensuring smooth flows of these scarce and valuable resources through UN and other donor countries in a coordinated form during transition to graduation and beyond is essential for our nation. 

An important area in which we can take pride is the big transformation in the human rights regime of the country over the last two decades. In relation to what has already been achieved in human rights regime in comparable developing countries and, to some extent, even in certain specific areas in some developed countries, the commitments made through the Constitution of Nepal, 2015 and relevant laws, and subsequent progress made in crucial areas of human rights in a relatively shorter period of time is phenomenal. Nepal needs further human, physical and institutional development and a support of international rule of law and rule-based international order to sustain this momentum to a satisfactory end.

At this juncture, however, a mention of the transitional justice (TJ) mechanism that Nepal has made commitments to the Nepali people and the global community at large through the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and all relevant actions of the peace process that followed the CPA is relevant. It should not remain as a blemish in a very successful peace process that concluded, in a way, following the constitution writing, sans this important component.

The amendment to the relevant legislation, under consideration in the Parliament, to bring it to an all-acceptable level in the best interest of the conflict victims and for the sake of lasting peace and reconciliation of the Nepali society, is being completed soon. Bringing the TJ process to its logical conclusion to meet the expectations of the national and international communities would set examples for countries trying to exit from conflict situations. 

The Prime Minister as well as the Minister for Foreign Affairs made various interventions in the 78th UN General Assembly in Nepal’s capacity as coordinator of the Global LDC Bureau. It is a very positive gesture on the part of the Secretary-General that he accepted our Prime Minister’s invitation when Nepal is in a position to work together with the global community to champion the cause of the global LDCs. 

The UN mechanisms—through ECOSOC, CDC, UNOHRLLS and various specialized agencies, funds and programs—have put up all-out efforts within their capacities to ameliorate the situation of the LDCs. More is necessary from able and willing member-states to contribute to overcome the structural constraints and vulnerabilities suffered by the LDCs on various fronts of sustainable development. 

Nepal now finds a suitable forum to collate the genuine socio-economic, human, environmental and trade concerns of the LDCs and work toward global consensus for enhanced and accelerated support for the 46 least developed countries, constituting a sizable 13 percent of the global population. Though having met the graduation criteria for two consecutive terms of the UN Committee on Development Policy, Nepal’s graduation by 2026 suffers a high degree of vulnerability because of the recent global economic slowdown, rising inflation, resurgent trade barriers and increased geopolitical tensions. 

Notably, Nepal has never met the UN criteria set for GNI per capita index, unlike other graduating countries. It means there is much more to do in the promotion of economic diplomacy at the multilateral, regional and bilateral levels. The national players must have a clear and coherent picture of our scope and limitations and push hard toward realizing the proven potentials the mountainous country harbors.

Importantly, Nepal’s Graduation Strategy should be brought out sooner than later in order to dovetail all available support and cooperation from the world community for a sustainable and irreversible graduation. Nepal may not remain an LDC after graduation, but it will still carry on the tag of LLDC and the handicaps it causes on overall development and enhancement of export trade.

Enhancing and enlarging connectivity of efficient and effective transport networks, policies, institutions, technological advancements, ideas and innovation within the region and beyond, therefore, needs to be guided by our political vision and commitment. 

The UN Framework for sustainable development of LLDCs has remained a useful guideline for global cooperation, the potentials of which must be maximized. 

Climate change and other crises 

The UN system and its evolving mechanisms are most suitable to fight the catastrophic effects of climate change and avert or manage the impacts of pandemics like Covid-19 collectively. 

Also, a strengthened, rule-based and fair global system alone will be capable of curbing the menace of drugs, illegal arms, smuggling and other transnational crimes. The LDCs require climate justice as they collectively emit less than four percent of the global greenhouse gas emissions, but bear the brunt of climate change. Support for adaptation and mitigation as well as compensation for ‘loss and damage’ already suffered by these countries in unequivocal terms is what is necessary.

Nepal alone has projected requirements in excess of $46bn equivalent of resources for implementation of long-term adaptation plan, which is believed to be far more important climate action. The uniqueness of the mountain terrains, and the heightened urgency to tackle disproportionate rise in temperatures, which is detrimental to billions of people living in the downstream areas for dependency of life-supporting water resources, have been less talked about. 

Hopefully, the Secretary-General would be able to see with his own eyes how devastating and quick transformations climate change has been making in the higher Himalayan region of Nepal when he visits Syangboche in Solukhumbu and Annapurna Sanctuary in the Annapurna massif in the course of his scheduled visits to these important touristic sites. 

Many seemingly internal issues, which are causing a lot of suffering, but which are not of our own making, must be highlighted and brought to global attention during propitious occasions like this. Our geopolitically sensitive location, highly mountainous terrains, less developed economy, meager export base and trade, and a socio-economic transformation process that still suffers from transitional policy gaps and institutional weaknesses seek enlightened pragmatism and inspirational guidance from our liberal, human rights-oriented and ideally-construed Constitution. 

All other downstream developments get positively transformed thereof. The UN can function well in a friendly, cooperative and ideal global milieu for which the values and principles emanating from conventional wisdom, idealism and idealistic realities are beacons to govern the complex and complicated world in the interests of the entire humanity. 

The author is a former PR/Ambassador of Nepal to the UN