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By Ram Humagai

Journalists and experts working on environment and climate change issues have expressed their concerns about the possible impact of climate change in the coastal and mountain regions of South Asia.

Nearly one hundred participants from South Asian nations gathered in Delhi for a two-day long media briefing workshop this past Thursday and Friday. Their discussion focused on the effects of climate change in South Asia and how to draw attention to the concerns of developing countries at the upcoming United Nations Conference on climate change to be held in Copenhagen, December, 2009.

Journalists and experts agreed that South Asia and other developing countries, which have low per capita emission of carbon dioxide and other gasses, need to pressure developed countries to stick to international agreements and reduce emission levels.

Speaking at the concluding ceremony, Indian State Minister for Environment and Forest, Jairam Ramesh, explained that climate change is directly related to the maximum emission of Carbon dioxide and other gasses, and that emissions cause greenhouse warming in the ozone layer. He also stated that developed countries are fully responsible for emitting the gasses.

According to Ramesh, "The issue of emissions is an issue of survival for the people of India and other South Asian Nations but it is an issue of luxury for the people of the developed world including the United States." The statistics of per capita emissions in South Asian countries remains low while the level of vulnerability is high.

According to the statistics, Nepal's per capita emission ranks lowest among SAARC nations at 0.11 metric tones per year. Maldives ranks highest, India follows with second most per capita emissions, and Pakistan and Sri Lanka lie third and fourth.

Even though Nepal contributes very low emissions it is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Increase in mountain snow melt and an outburst from glacial lakes could lead to flooding with a devastating impact on the life of poor people living in both mountain and plains areas.

Climate Change has become a priority issue in South Asia. Bhutan will lead the next SAARC summit with climate change as a major agenda. Special Envoy (Climate Change) to Indian Prime Minister Manamohan Singh, Shyam Sharan, expressed India's willingness to assume leadership of developing countries on the issue of climate change.

Director of the Center for Science and Environment in India, Sunita Narain, emphasized the growing threat of climate change and urged for drastic cuts in greenhouse gases particularly in the industrialized world. Despite the political differences between India and Pakistan, the two countries showed similar stands on the issues, specifically about the responsibility of the developed countries.

Director, UN (II), Ministry of Foreign Affairs Government of Pakistan, Farrukh Iqbal Khan, said that India and Pakistan are in agreement on what needs to be done about climate change.

Khan also stressed the relationship between economic development and climate change. "We have to increase the economy and we have to cut down emissions but no such model has been developed that can both increase the economy and reduce emissions."

Journalists also discussed the problem of simplifying scientific terminology and data to make it easily understood in local communities. nepalnews.com

Readers are kindly requested to avoid using offensive language and also refrain from issuing threats to others.

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Anuj Bhattachan  - Good to hear about climate change and its effect   |58.8.84.xxx |2009-10-22 09:37:39 It is nice to read about climate change issues and its mulit-facet effects in day to day life of people around the globe. However, the issue of climate change in Nepal is just for shake of "afternoon chat". Why do i have to say that? It is becasue "We have been hearing about the Bagmati river issue since we were children and politicians and beurocrats are not tired repeating again and again the false hope to Nepali people". We will believe on what they say about issue like climate change only if "Bagmati problem" is solved in the first place. It is shame to say here, we feel ashamed to represent Nepal and talk about Bagmati (visitors tend to have good memory about it!!!!!)..uffssss Joti - Scotland  - All the Experts and Journalists go to hell...   |193.39.157.xxx |2009-10-16 12:32:54 Since when our so called experts began to think about climate change issue? They should think of our own domestic issues then international issues! they should think about how we can stop people building houses in the fertile field of Kathmandu. how can we decentralize our bulk population who are landed on only in Kathmandu valley. how can we reserve water (of Koshi/Karnali - which has always been a huge problem for both Nepal and India) or divert so that we can use for our land when we needed for growing rice and other food??? Let Developed country think about climate change who poluted the planet frist!!! surbir sthapit  - social activist   |202.70.77.xxx |2009-10-04 07:27:44 Now it is a hot cake and every concern people well known about the impact of climate change. we the poor citizen of developing countries are suffering the most eventhough our contribution of emissions is very low. This is universally recognised very simple law or policy that people must pay the cost what they did. so my concern is that what we to take very strong steps to make all the concern stakeholder accountable towards the issues as per the level of contributing emissions of gas. Furthermore developing countries should have their own policy and programme to be developed to overcome the problem and developed country should support them rathen than convence them to implement the policy and program they have developed. JInsin  - South Asian journalists, environmentalists vow uni   |165.228.232.xxx |2009-10-02 03:02:52 What is the core issue that every fg creature talking about climate change. The climate change is all about natural process that goes on as it happens, no one can do nothing about, if someone is trying to mess withit then its a wastage of time and money. And if so called thay are raising the issue od liberation of CO2 carbon di oxide then they need not worry about it. coz carbon di oxide is as essential as oxygen to living organism. Mor the co2 the better. so why worry about climate change ...would be better to concentrate in other issues rather than climate change. Ram Prasad Humagai  - good reaction   |202.79.40.xxx |2009-09-23 14:05:27 dear Stephen Mikesell thanks for you valuable thought provocking comments. if you have further information please do write me. email:huma@mos.com.np thanks ram humagai Stephen Mikesell  - And the bicycle of course!   |76.201.155.xxx |2009-09-22 21:18:29 Per my examples of models, of course I must add the bicycle, which the astronomer Karl Sagan described as the most efficient form of transport ever invented. Invented in the 19th century it is still ahead of its time. If a considerable number of people in Kathmandu valley would free themselves from the tyranny of advertising and obsession with social status of driving motor bikes and cars, a considerable number of problems could be solved by rediscovering the bicycle: health, air quality, noise pollution, dependence on petroleum, hypertension, traffic jams, reduction of export of wealth and unequal trade, and of course reduction of CO2 output. In the United States the best quality, most elegant, most comfortable and most expensive bicycles are made of bamboo, by Calfee Designs, but they could just as easily be made in Nepal for very low cost as the high price in the United States is due to the high price of labor here. In N... Stephen Mikesell  - Not true that no alternative model developed   |76.204.103.xxx |2009-09-20 22:07:21 It is not true that "no model has been developed that can both increase the economy and reduce emissions." In agriculture there is biointensive agriculture and permaculture, both of which aim for long-term cultural development and sustenance of local communities, fertility of the land, and the environment, as opposed to market development. Houses that are much more comfortable, cheaper and earthquake-proof than cement can be built from clay-straw, cob and rammed earth, utilizing local labor, skills and materials rather than imported energy. There are many ways to capture solar energy and collect rain water which have either been abandoned or ignored in favor of foreign-financed, heavily energy intensive, socially and environmentally destructive and non-sustainable models. Finally, the tremendous knowledge and capabilities of village society, particularly of women, have been devalued and dismantled rather than drawn ... Pang  - Forester   |202.144.144.xxx |2009-09-16 05:45:42 It is a great news for many of us to hear that India and Pakistan are in agreement on climate change and its impacts. We should draw strength form the common saying “United we stand and divided we fall”. Political divide if any should be left behind at this critical juncture. South Asian Nations should not miss this golden opportunity of putting our common sense of unity together and fighting as a strong team of nations in our endeavor to bargain with developed nations as the people of our regions are at the greatest risks of climate change. The impacts of climate change will not recognize political divide/political boundaries. The very survival of humanity on this planet will be dictated by climate change. Every one should be aware of this. Every one of us must now speak as one voice at the UN Conference on Climate Change in Copenhegan. All teh best. Powered by !JoomlaComment 3.26

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