Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Minister, Saber Hossain Chowdhury delivered a compelling speech at the inaugural ceremony of the International Expert Dialogue on Mountain, People, and Climate held at Chandragiri Hill Resort, Kathmandu, Nepal on 22 May. He underscored the critical role of the Hindu Kush Himalayas in the global climate landscape, emphasizing the region as “ground zero for climate change.”
Minister Chowdhury stressed the paramount importance of de-carbonization, pointing out the inherent limitations of current adaptation and mitigation measures. “Unless we de-carbonize, whatever we try to do in terms of adaptation and mitigation measures, that is not going to be enough. There are limits to adaptation and resilience,” he stated.

He criticized the paradoxical approach of increasing carbon emissions while formulating National Adaptation Plans, arguing that such contradictions exacerbate the problem.
Prime Minister of Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, delivered the inaugural address under the chairmanship of Nawal Kishor Sah Sudi, Minister for Forests and Environment, Government of Nepal. Minister of Bhutan, Chair of UNFCCC Subsidiary Body ; UN Resident Coordinator, Nepal; Special Representative of the President of Kyrgyzstan and representatives of international organizations also spoke in the occasion. Keynote was presented by Dr. Baikuntha Aryal, Chief Secretary, Government of Nepal.