Nepal has not sent climate proposal to India and China — Kathmandu Post
In Nepal, a month after Prime Minister Balendra Shah proposed creating a joint Himalayan climate resilience mechanism with India and China, the authorities have yet to submit an official document to their neighbors. The ministries of foreign affairs and agriculture, forests and environment are preparing a concept note and consulting relevant institutions, Kathmandu Post reports.
Initiative at the UN General Assembly
Shah presented the idea of the Himalayan Climate Resilience Mechanism on September 24 during his speech at the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York. He proposed that Nepal, India and China exchange satellite data and expertise, monitor dangerous glacial lakes and strengthen joint early-warning systems.
The initiative was announced after flooding in the Bhotekoshi area on the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26. According to the Nepalese government, 1,550 people died in the disaster, while the fate of more than 5,500 others remained unknown. Material losses were estimated at $4.7 billion.
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India’s and China’s positions
New Delhi has not officially commented on the initiative. At the same time, two former Indian diplomats familiar with the country’s authorities’ approach told the publication that India views an information-sharing mechanism positively, particularly for early-warning systems.
China has expressed general readiness to cooperate in climate issues and disaster risk management, but has not directly supported the trilateral mechanism. On September 2, China’s Foreign Ministry said it had provided Nepal with satellite imagery, hydrological data and early-warning information after the August disaster.
Former Nepalese chief secretary and foreign affairs chief Shanker Das Bairagi noted that Kathmandu should define the structure, goals and practical parameters of the mechanism before approaching India and China. He also warned that the issue could trigger geopolitical disputes because of its coverage of Tibet and the exchange of information on shared rivers and glaciers.
