Bhutan hosts Climate Summit for a Living Himalayas 2011
Representatives from Bangladesh, India and Nepal will convene in Bhutan in November to establish a strategy for adapting to climate change, especially its impact on the Himalayas, and to create networks enabling information and experience sharing.
Bangladesh, India, and Nepal have agreed to Bhutan’s proposal to host a Climate Change Summit scheduled for November.
The Summit will look into developing and agreeing on a road map for adapting to climate change, especially across the southern face of the eastern Himalayas; highlight the issues of climate change and its impact on the Himalayas and foster partnerships and networking to share information and experience to deal with the impacts.
Four key thematic concerns will be addressed during the summit: ensuring food, water and energy security and ensuring the persistence of biodiversity.
Meanwhile, the Agriculture and Forest Minister, Dr (PHD) Pema Gyamtsho, and the new Environment Minister of Nepal, Sunil Kumar Manandhar, met on August 4 in Thimphu to discuss the upcoming regional Climate Summit for Living Himalayas, which will convene on November 19 in Thimphu. The four countries are expected to sign a Summit declaration and discuss mechanisms to conserve glaciers, grasslands and forest.
Dr Pema Gyamtsho said the four eastern Himalayan countries ‘’have no time to wait for global action on climate change. The cost of not doing anything will be much higher than the cost of doing something now."
The Environment Minister of Nepal, Sunil Kumar Manandhar expressed his appreciation for Bhutan's initiative to organize the climate summit.
"Nepal will do everything possible to support the summit and to make it a grand success," said the minister.
The summit is an opportunity for the four countries – Bhutan, Nepal, India and Bangladesh - to work together to protect the Himalayas, on which more than 1.3 million people depend on for their livelihood, he added.
