Nepali NGOs asks UN for a Decade of Climate Emergency Action
The NGO Federation of Nepal (NFN), representing more than 6,700 NGOs across Nepal, has formally appealed to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres to initiate a UN Decade of Climate Emergency Action.
NFN President Arjun Bhattarai handed the appeal to Ms. Lila Pieters Yahla, UN Resident Coordinator in Nepal, following a series of civil society consultations involving organizations and communities working on climate justice, disaster risk reduction, humanitarian action, and sustainable development.
The appeal highlights the devastating Bhotekoshi River flash flood in Rasuwa on 26 August 2026 and calls for a shift from repeated emergency relief toward resilient recovery, adaptation, preparedness, disaster risk reduction, and long-term climate action.
Nepali civil society has called for stronger climate finance, meaningful participation of affected communities and civil society, locally led climate action, and greater international support for vulnerable countries such as Nepal. It also emphasizes a stronger Mountain Agenda, including Living Sagarmatha, and effective early warning systems.
Living Sagarmatha: Nepal Mountain Resilience Strategy is a comprehensive ten-year national plan launched in January 2026 to protect fragile Himalayan ecosystems and support mountain communities facing climate change.
Mr. Bhattarai also handed over an appeal from global civil society organizations supporting Nepal’s call for stronger climate action.
Ms. Yahla appreciated the initiative and acknowledged the urgency of climate challenges facing Nepal. She emphasized the importance of evidence-based documentation and advocacy on the Mountain Agenda and early warning systems, and expressed commitment to supporting civil society efforts to advance climate justice.
The handover marks an important step in Nepal’s civil society advocacy for stronger and more equitable global action on the climate emergency.
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