KATHMANDU: Minister for Foreign Affairs Shishir Khanal has said that climate adaptation is not limited to technical or environmental response but is also related to climate justice.

Addressing the ‘High Level Dialogue on Adaptation’ organized by the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) as part of the ongoing United Nations Climate Change Conference on Climate Change (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye today, Minister Khanal said that the least developed countries (LDCs) were being affected the most by its increasing and severe impact.

“For the least developed countries, adaptation is not just a technical or environmental response, it is also a matter of climate justice. Although our contribution to climate change is the smallest, we are the ones who are most affected by its growing and severe impacts,” he said.

In his address, Minister Khanal highlighted the human and economic losses caused by the recent disasters caused by climate change in Nepal and made it clear that the countries in the climate risk could not wait any longer for climate action.

Stating that the least developed countries (LDCs) were continually advancing efforts towards local-level, human-centred adaptation through the National Adaptation Plan, he stressed the need for international climate finance and cooperation.

He stressed the need for international cooperation to meet the changing national needs, especially those in the climate vulnerable countries and those lagging behind in the race for development.

He pointed out the need to translate the commitment of the least developed countries to increase their financial support for climate adaptation into a clear, credible and implementable process. He also stressed the need to simplify and facilitate access to climate finance.

Similarly, national and international adaptation actions should be intensified in line with the UAE Framework for Global Climate Resilience and Belém adaptation indicators.

Stressing the need to prioritize community-led adaptation measures, Khanal stressed the need to strengthen capacity of local organizations and enable communities on the frontline of climate risk to set their own adaptation priorities and investment areas.