Will the government declare a climate emergency?

In August last year, the then Minister for Forest and Environment Pradeep Yadav had said that preparations were underway to declare a climate emergency. Since then, there has been a debate about its relevance. Concerned stakeholders have been expressing their concern. Dr Buddhi Paudel, Chief at Climate Change Management Division at the Ministry, said that concerned authorities have been analyzing the facts.

He was of the opinion that work is being done in such a way that a climate emergency has been declared in the country.

Paudel said that 18 countries have declared a climate emergency in the world. “Thirty-nine countries have declared a climate emergency at the district level. How are they working? How easy is it to bring climate finance with such work? These kinds of issues will be discussed,” he said. He was of the opinion that the government has no exact details about how many areas have been affected. Paudel said that that is the main problem. Climate change expert Ajay Dixit opined that the government should be clear on what basis and how long a climate emergency will be declared in which area. Expert Madhukar Upadhyay said that a crisis or emergency means that the problem is serious. He said that the seriousness has increased. “The government will declare a climate emergency anytime. The country needs help if the situation goes out of control,” he said. He said that a climate emergency can be declared immediately by formulating the policy. Upadhyay said that it will be easy to address the problems of climate change once the emergency is declared in the country. He, however, said that the government has no proper knowledge about the time to impose the emergency. He said that the time has still not come to declare a climate emergency in the country. “But, the emergency can be declared in the affected areas. The monsoon rain has been changing its pattern for the past few years. Some areas have been receiving light rainfall while some have been witnessing heavy rainfall,” he said. “Recently, the floods in Pakistan killed thousands of people and destroyed properties worth millions which was unbearable to the country. In that case, an emergency can be declared,” he said. He said that there is no point to impose an emergency only to get climate finance from the donors at the climate conference to be held in Egypt in November. Upadhyay said that Pakistan can declare an emergency for not less than 10 years as per the recent incident. “Because the lives of people should be saved. Source should be protected. It will take time to carry out reconstruction. Emergency can be declared by observing the situation,” he said. He further said that the process to claim climate finance is difficult. Dr Bimal Regmi, member of Environment and Climate Council, said that all the resources of the country should be focused once the emergency is declared. “We need evidence to make our decision strong. World politics should be in our hands. We need a strong basis,” he said. The then Minister Yadav had entrusted the Council with the work. He had said, “The incident of Pakistan has taught us a lesson. We have the same geography. We may face incidents like that of Pakistan.  Now, the emergency should be declared. There is no alternative.” “The government will work seriously and the world’s attention will also be drawn once the emergency is declared.” Minister Yadav was preparing to declare the emergency prior to COP 27. The government has recently removed Minister Yadav from his post. Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has kept the ministry with himself.