Submit your Article

Nepal has set four main agendas to present at the COP27 that takes place in Egypt later this week.  Climate change adaptation and reduction, climate finance, specific issues of mountain region, and financing for climate losses and damages will be the priorities, according to the Oct 23 media briefing by the Ministry of Forest and Environment.

The government has also released a press note on its intent to call for a global pledge on dedicated financial facilities for loss and damage caused by climate change and locally led adaptation principles. In last year’s climate conference, Nepal had submitted a research report on loss and damage attributed to climate change. 

“Relying on that document, we have framed our issues and will prioritize them,” says Megh Nath Kafle, spokesperson at the ministry. Nepal has been demanding $50bn annually as climate finance. To date, there is no exact figure as to how much funds Nepal has been getting as climate finance. Kafle says climate finance is a cross-cutting issue, where many areas overlap and interlink.  “There are no clear stats on how much we are getting in climate finance. The ministry is planning to maintain real data so that we can claim our share of climate finance.”

During the COP26 held in Scotland, Nepal announced to remain cumulatively ‘net zero carbon’ from 2022-2045 and become carbon negative after that, halt deforestation and increase forest cover to 45 percent by 2030, and ensure all vulnerable people are protected from climate change by 2030. 

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba also urged world leaders to recognize specific climate vulnerability of the high mountains and prioritize the mountain agenda in all climate-related negotiations. He said that keeping global temperature rise to below 1.5° Celsius was vital for the mountain people.

Madhukar Upadhya, an environmentalist and climate change expert, says Nepal’s commitments and appeals for climate action on international platforms are irrelevant.  “The likes of Pakistan and Bangladesh have been much more effective in highlighting their plight in international climate forums than Nepal,” he adds. “Those countries too have internal political conflict, yet they lead the international platforms like COP.”

According to the reports presented by the Nepal government, melting glaciers, erratic and unpredictable weather conditions, changing rainfall patterns, and increasing temperatures are impacting Nepalis.  But the government has failed to draw the attention of global communities on these issues.  Nepal has been raising its climate-related issue through the group of Least Developed Countries (LDC) on climate change. The group comprises 46 countries that are especially vulnerable to climate change but have contributed the least to the phenomena.

Nepal is also a member of the G-77 group on climate change issues. Climate experts like Upadhya are of the view that Nepal’s climate diplomacy through the LDC group and G-77 is not yielding results. Instead of only relying on these platforms, they recommend that Nepal take the initiative to lead the mountain agenda by bringing all mountainous countries.

Nepal’s climate agenda COP22 (Morocco, 2016)

• Informed that Nepal ratified Paris Agreement 
• Associated with the statements made by Thailand on behalf of G77 and China and Congo on behalf of the Least Developed Countries
• Informed that the government prioritizes accessing and managing climate finance, upscaling of renewable energy, building adaptive capacity and resilience and implementing mitigation actions to achieve sustainable development goals
• Over 80 percent of the climate finance to local level with a dedicated climate change budget code

COP23 (Germany, 2017)

• Urged the global leaders to implement key areas of Paris Agreement
• Sought funding support from the global community while also urged to raise relevant funding and support for calamity-vulnerable countries
• Sought developed countries’ contribution of $100bn per year by 2020 as agreed upon during the Paris COP21
• Raised questions on adaptation, mitigation measures, means of implementation and cross-cutting agendas like climate and gender

COP24 (Poland, 2018)

• Reported the good practices that has been carrying out to support the economic status of the local people affected by climate change as well as in the areas directly related to their livelihoods such as protection of forests, soil conservation, water management, agriculture, fruit cultivation, and livestock farming
• Raised the issues that will contribute to the concept of ‘Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali’ that the government had brought
• Highlighted the adverse impact of climate change on the economy of the Himalayan region as well as relating this to the marine economy
• Pursued issues related to agriculture, biodiversity, development infrastructure, and technology transfer among other topics

COP25 (Spain, 2019)

• Prioritized three areas considering the unique needs and circumstances of the fragile mountainous region: climate finance, technology transfer, and sharing of best practices
• Encouraged the parties to come up with ambitious NDCs by 2020 in both adaptation and mitigation measures so that the objectives of the Paris Agreement can be achieved by the stipulated time
• Engaged in discussions of loss and damage, technology development and transfer, transparency, capacity building, climate finance, as well as formal and informal networks
• Requested to implement Article 6 of Paris Agreement with the assurance that financing will be provided and technology transfers will occur to benefit the least developing countries (LDCs), to make them more climate-resilient

COP26 (Scotland, 2021)

• Called for recognizing the mountains’ climate vulnerability highlighting that around 80 percent of Nepal’s population is at risk from natural and climate-induced hazards and in the last 40 years, natural disasters have caused close to $6bn in physical and economic damage in Nepal alone
• Announced that emit ‘no net’ carbon between 2022 and 2045 and become carbon negative after
• Committed to halt deforestation and increase forest cover to 45 percent by 2030
• Urged the parties to agree on a clear roadmap for a new collective, quantified and ambitious goal on climate finance before 2025

Bhagwati Khadka is the first international female wrestler of Nepal. Born and raised in the Ramechhap district before moving to Kathmandu in 2007, Khadka always wanted to make a name for herself. In 2007, she participated in the Bharat Tolan where she lifted 145 kg and finished third. Unfortunately, she had to give up weightlifting soon after that due to arm injuries. But her family and friends suggested she take up wrestling as she had a good physique. “I was a shy girl but I knew I wanted to be a known figure,” she says. Khadka contacted Nepal’s first wrestler known as the ‘Himalayan Tiger’ in September 2012 and began training under him. When she went on to defeat an American wrestler called ‘The Great Chinne’ in a match conducted at Sandhikharka in the Arghakhanchi region of Nepal in December 2012, she made history by becoming Nepal’s first female wrestler. “It was a proud moment for me. The media wrote and talked about me and I became well-known. I enjoyed a celebrity-like status,” says Khadka. Until now, she has participated in and won various competitions in Nepal but her ultimate dream is to compete in the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment). As someone who wanted to be famous since the day she listened to Kunti Moktan on the radio, while working in the fields with her father, she has left no stone unturned to turn her dreams into reality. She confesses she still has to work hard to be the absolute best but there isn’t anything she won’t do to get there. She has already become a household name in many parts of Nepal, having done around 63 films and 11 television shows apart from releasing a few music albums. Her journey till now, however, hasn’t been easy. She received accolades as the first female wrestler while simultaneously dealing with her mother’s cancer. In fact, during her first-ever match when she required utmost focus, all she could think about was her ailing mother. She was ready to do everything it took to save her but was unable to do so. That almost killed her zeal to do anything further in life. But she picked up the pieces and established the Mahila Wrestling Foundation in honor of her mother. “I was in a complete state of shock and grief. But I knew I had to keep going. She wouldn’t have wanted me to falter,” says Khadka, adding the foundation has trained over a hundred female students and around 45 men till date. Khadka wants to make wrestling accessible to every woman who wants to take it up in all parts of Nepal. She aspires to ‘smash the patriarchy’ by showing society women can do everything that is traditionally considered men’s domain. She has also had some other bitter experiences in her journey. Around 2014, she was offered a month-long training course by Ohio Valley Wrestling, an American professional wrestling promotion and former developmental promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. She had always wanted to visit the United States of America and this felt like a golden opportunity. “I had to wait around a month for a visa recommendation from Purushottam Paudel, the then-Minister of Youth and Sports. The visa was later denied as he was concerned that I might not return to Nepal. I wept a lot that day,” she says. It still bothers her that she was denied the opportunity for career growth and to represent Nepal. She wishes to someday be able to go see America and experience it. It’s one of the many dreams tucked away in the corner of her heart. Khadka has been on the receiving end of much verbal abuse and threats. She is a woman in a man’s world, doing a ‘man’s job’. It doesn’t sit well with many. Yet, she is determined to not let that dampen her spirits. She recalls the difficulties she faced while training with men. It was an uncomfortable experience, one she had to put up with to get to where she is today. With her eyes on the prize, she ignored the harassment and carried on. How the tables turn, the ones who would insult her now want to learn from her. “I make sure the ones who train under me are comfortable. I want them to enjoy the process and that won’t happen unless they feel at ease,” she says. Khadka feels there’s still a long way to go before wrestling, women’s wrestling, in particular, becomes as popular as other sports. There’s a niche crowd at the moment, she says, who enjoy wrestling. She wishes to contribute to changing that scenario by organizing big-scale competitions and offering free training to those who are interested in the sport. “I wish our national television would broadcast women’s wrestling matches. It would be a great motivational boost to women like me who want to pursue it as a career,” she says. Khadka dreams of a time when women are strong and independent and are able to take better control of their lives. For that, she says some form of self-defense training is necessary. “In order to teach young women self-defense, I want to provide wrestling training in all schools and colleges,” she says. “Wrestling can help you develop physical strength, which will make it possible for you to defend yourself from abusers and harassers. You don’t have to depend on anyone else to take care of you.”

Gulmi: Locals are flocking to play ‘Charkhe Ping’, which has started to disappear. Malika Rural Municipality-6, Khadak Chhatra Temple has seen the attraction of locals in the ‘Charkhe Ping’ installed in the Mahanawami fare. Lately the ‘pings’ made of wood have started disappearing. Iron ‘pings’ are often used in fairs and festivals. Tika Khatri, a local youth of Malika, said that wooden ‘Charke Ping’ has been kept at this place continuously for 6 years. Khatri said that 50 rupees per person will be charged for ‘ping’.

Bishal KC, executive director, Career Point Education Services Pvt Ltd, believes youngsters need to be nurtured to live up to their potential. Nepal Teen Leaders (NTL), an exclusive student-centric year-long program designed for teenage students, aims to hone them into smart, talented, and creative individuals. The goal of the program is to ensure the students have bright futures. KC says fostering young people’s development helps build future leaders and the nation, which is why he is so keen on it. Career Point Education Services Pvt Ltd is basically an educational consultancy for higher studies. NTL, an initiation of the consultancy, was started in 2018 and is currently in its fourth year. From choosing the right career to developing their personalities and improving their social skills, NTL focuses on many different aspects of career-building. KC believes good communication skills help people make better decisions and develop an analytical viewpoint. Thus, working on public speaking and communication skills is an important part of the program. Additionally, the program brings in experts from different fields under whose mentorship or guidance the students get to learn. To be eligible for the program, the candidates must have cleared grade 11 or equivalent level and should show an avid interest in working on pressing social issues. [caption id="attachment_32179" align="alignnone" width="300"] Bishal KC[/caption] The program, which is KC’s brainchild, came out of his desire to work towards a better tomorrow. This, he says, can only happen if the new generation is exposed to new things and opportunities and are able to compete in this fast-paced world. For that, one needs to be focused and confident and that’s where NTL comes in. “I did my schooling in Nuwakot and I didn’t have a lot of opportunities and facilities. I realize the importance of them now, of how it can shape one’s life,” he says. He moved to Kathmandu to pursue higher education and later on got involved in politics. He became a member of the US Embassy Youth Council and that’s when he felt driven by the need to start his own project that could help other students like him. “I thought even if I could impact the lives of say 10 students, I would have done something good,” he says. But nothing of consequence can be done overnight. KC’s goal was to establish a platform that would help shape students' futures but a lot of things needed to be worked out for that. KC faced a lot of challenges. From sponsorship to branding issues, it was a struggle to give form to NTL. The initial budget, of Rs 500,000, was a meager amount but KC persevered and NTL is where it is today. Educative director of Career Point Shiva Danai says they are committed to contributing to the society by preparing teenagers to be the best versions of themselves. Danai feels there’s a gap between what we are taught in classrooms and its practical application in daily life. NTL aspires to bridge that gap. Besides training students, NTL also holds various awareness programs. They did the ‘No Tax on Pad’ and ‘No, Not Again’ (a campaign asking not to repeat old faces in politics). [caption id="attachment_32180" align="alignnone" width="300"] Shiva Danai[/caption] The good thing is that it’s the students who organize these campaigns. They also do career fests, set up libraries in schools that need them, and plan other similar events. This, KC says, allows them to learn through practice as well as work on their networking skills. Sahil Das Kushwaha, a member of NTL’s first batch, says NTL gave him the opportunity to do things he wouldn’t normally get to do. It also made him confident and gave him a chance to meet people from different walks of life. Similarly, Chetana Shrestha, who was a part of the second batch, says it was a great experience, one that helped her enhance her skills and discover some hidden talents as well. Shishir Marasaini, NTL third batch member, agrees with her. He says he has realized being creative fuels confidence. It also makes you curious and thus knowledgeable, he adds. Students today generally follow trends. They are largely driven by peer-pressure. This makes them unable to form solid opinions and ideas. Their minds are always changing. KC believes the right guidance can help them be true to who they are and thus able to make better decisions. “Parents and teachers only focus on academics. Good scores are all that matters for them. But along with academic success, creativity and skills are equally important in life. The sooner we all realize this the better,” says KC.