Stakeholders have emphasised the need for collective awareness and active youth participation in mitigating the effects of climate change.

Speaking at the ‘Climate Dialogue’ organised by The Kathmandu Post in Bhairahawa of Rupandehi district on Thursday, Yagyamurti Khanal, climate change focal person under the Ministry of Forests and Environment of Lumbini Province, highlighted the severe impacts of climate change in the region. He pointed out the inadequacy of policies, budgets and programmes to mitigate the impacts.

Khanal asserted that while the global impact of climate change is evident, the challenges in Lumbini Province are becoming more pressing. But the absence of specific climate change-related laws at the provincial and local levels, according to him, has forced authorities to operate under federal government policies and guidelines. “There are no separate climate change mitigation and adaptation policies at the provincial and local levels. As a result, we are compelled to follow federal policies and make efforts within that framework,” he said.

Khanal further underscored that community awareness and youth involvement are crucial for climate change adaptation. Lack of young human resources is exacerbating the problem, he said. “While the forest ministry receives substantial funding for forestry-related programmes, budget allocations for climate change initiatives remain insufficient,” he added.

Despite a policy framework that mandates the formation of a climate change council under the leadership of the prime minister at the federal level and the chief minister at the provincial level, the council meeting was held just once in the past five years in the Lumbini province.

“Due to budgetary and human resource constraints, it has become a challenge even to hold meetings to discuss climate change issues,” he said. He stated that climate change issues are not prioritised mainly due to the absence of dedicated personnel and structures at the local level.

Muna Sharma, forest officer at the Division Forest Office in Palpa, stressed the need for an integrated policy encompassing forestry, agriculture, tourism and climate change to effectively combat the growing global climate change crisis. “There is no comprehensive policy in place yet. A unified policy from the local to the federal level is essential. Only then can effective programmes be launched in an integrated manner and ensure impact,” she said.

Stating that most forests in Lumbini Province are community-based and community-managed, Sharma emphasised integrating forestry, agriculture and private forest initiatives for carbon collection and climate adaptation. She further said depopulated rural areas with few young people and predominance of elderly individuals, women and children are becoming more vulnerable to climate change impacts. According to her, women’s clothing materials, which are often fire-sensitive, further expose them to climate-related hazards.

“Rising global temperatures due to climate change have increased wildfire incidents, directly affecting rural women and children. Lack of young human resources in villages has made it difficult to implement climate mitigation programmes,” said Sharma. While Nepal’s National REDD+ Strategy [Reducing Emission from Deforestation and forest Degradation] aims to reduce emission of greenhouse gases, she said Lumbini Province has not been able to fully reap its benefits.

Similarly, Hemanta Acharya, an anti-poaching campaigner from Bardiya, highlighted the increasing human-wildlife conflict due to climate change. According to him, as rivers and streams dry up, wild animals are increasingly straying into human settlements in search of water, leading to more frequent encounters and conflicts.

“The drying up of rivers and streams has turned their beds into barren lands, forcing wild animals to venture into villages in search of water. This has resulted in increased attacks on humans. The impact of climate change extends from ecotourism to the livelihoods of impoverished communities,” said Acharya.

He informed that Bardiya, Nepal’s largest national park in lowland Tarai, is a major destination for nature tourism, but the number of eco-tourists has been declining in recent years due to environmental degradation.

Speaking at the same programme, environmental researcher Yubaraj Kandel claimed that the lack of coordination between agriculture and forestry sectors has worsened climate change impacts in the country. “Forest fires are becoming common even in high-altitude districts lately. It is crucial to integrate agriculture, forestry and tourism policies to address these challenges effectively,” said Kandel, stressing the importance of policy-level discussions to mitigate the effects of climate change.

The ‘Climate Dialogue’ was moderated by Biswas Baral, Editor of The Kathmandu Post. He facilitated discussions on policy gaps, the role of stakeholders, responsibilities of the local communities and youths to mitigate climate change impacts. The event saw active participation of local youths, environmental activists and students of environmental science.