Pokhara, 18 June 2025–A 16-point declaration adopted during the first-ever Himalaya Dialogue has been officially handed over to the Honourable Prime Minister and Chairperson of the Communist Party of Nepal (UML), K.P. Sharma Oli at the Prime Minister’s Residence in Baluwatar, by D.B. Nepali, President of Save Our Himalaya First, Nepal, on Ashar 4, 2082 (June 18, 2025).
The declaration emerged from the landmark program titled “Himalayas Talk: The Voice of Himalaya Parbat,” which brought together a diverse group of stakeholders committed to addressing the escalating climate crisis in the Himalayan region. The event was jointly organized by several national and local institutions including the Ministry of Forest and Environment of Gandaki Province, Policy and Planning Commission of Gandaki Province, National Human Rights Commission, Geography Department of Tribhuvan University’s Prithvi Narayan Campus, Gandaki University, Pokhara Metropolitan City, and rural municipalities such as Machhapuchchhre, Annapurna, Madi, and Rupa. Other supporting organizations included Save Our Himalaya First Nepal, INSEC-Pokhara, LI-BIRD, INF Pokhara, NGO Federation-Gandaki, Gonesa Nepal, Mukta Foundation, 3 Sisters Adventure, and multiple concerned stakeholders.
A Call for Urgent Climate Action
The 16-point declaration identifies rapid climate change as a severe threat to the Himalayan region’s social fabric, biodiversity, and entire ecological system. It underscores Nepal’s heightened vulnerability to the adverse impacts of global warming, and calls for increased international awareness and annual global conferences focused on climate resilience in the Himalayas.
To institutionalize this advocacy, the declaration proposes that the Himalayas Talk: The Voice of Himalaya Parbat be organized annually in Gandaki Province. It further recommends that the provincial government allocate regular budget support for the program beginning from fiscal year 2082/83.
Institutional Reforms Proposed
In a bid to strengthen the national response to climate change, the declaration urges the renaming of both federal and provincial-level Ministries of Forest and Environment to Ministry of Forest, Environment, and Climate. Similarly, it recommends that all local governments—including Metropolitan Cities, Sub-Metropolitan Cities, Municipalities, and Rural Municipalities—rename their Environment Divisions to Environment and Climate Divisions.
A Political Priority
Recognizing the urgency of the climate crisis, the declaration appeals to all political parties to treat climate change and global warming as central political concerns. It advocates for mobilization and capacity-building of party members to engage directly in climate adaptation and mitigation strategies that can protect both human populations and fragile biodiversity.
A Milestone for Climate Advocacy in Nepal
With the formal submission of the declaration to Prime Minister Oli, the Himalaya Dialogue marks a significant milestone in Nepal’s climate advocacy efforts. It reflects the collective voice of academia, civil society, local governments, and environmentalists—all united under a shared vision: To save the Himalayas for future generations.
