Local levels bearing brunt of climate change impact: CM Lama

HETAUDA: Chief Minister of Bagmati Province, Bahadur Singh Lama, has said the local levels are impacted more due to the climate change.

Addressing the Bagmati Province Dialogue on ‘Localization of Climate Action, Conservation of Public Heritages and Gender Perspective in Justice’ here today, Chief Minister Lama insisted on making the issue of climate justice more stronger now, as the traditional skills, knowledge, indigenous crops and even the local lifestyle has been impacted due to the climate change.

He said that all are affected due to the environmental pollution, stressing the need to pay special attention while carrying out the Environmental Impact Assessment of big infrastructure projects.

Chief Minister Lama also pointed out the need for spreading awareness on climate change adaptation and minimization more at the local level as it at this level that climate change consequences are high.

Bagmati Province Government’s Minister for Social Development, Hari Prabha Khadgi, expressed concern over the growing adverse effects from climate change and said her ministry would provide policy-level support in mitigating the impact. She also stressed on protecting the public heritages to preserve our identity.

Bagmati Province Government’s Minister for Forests and Environment, Krishna Prasad Silwal, opined that humankind has been destroying the Earth in the name of fulfilling the burgeoning needs and comfort of humans.

Stating that the snow cover in the Himalayas is depleting due to the effect of climate change, he said this has increased the risk to the communities in the coastal areas.

Bagmati Province Assembly member and member of the Forests and Environment Committee, Bharati Pathak stressed on the need of the three tiers of government to work for minimizing the climate change impacts moving in tandem in accordance with the principle of coordination, collaboration and co-existence. She said there is problem in this area for lack of coordination among the three tiers of the government.

Extensive discussions were held in the province-level dialogue regarding the problems in the localization of the policies and Acts on climate change formulated by the federal government, and on ways of addressing these problems, among other issues.