न्यूज अभियान
हरेक खबर विशेष खबर

Kathmandu, Aug 25: Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forests and Environment, Dr Rajendra Prasad Mishra, has said that international partnerships, technical cooperation, and innovative financial mechanisms are needed to reduce risks caused by land degradation, desertification, drought, and climate change.
Speaking on behalf of Nepal at COP-17 under the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) held in Mongolia, Secretary Mishra mentioned that increasing land degradation in the Himalayan and mountain regions can have serious impacts on ecosystems, biodiversity, and the livelihoods of local communities, and that international cooperation is essential.
Stating that Nepal has set a goal to achieve land degradation neutrality (LDN) by 2030, he said that land conservation, restoration, and sustainable management have been gradually included in national development plans. Secretary Mishra informed that programmes for land conservation, restoration, and sustainable development are being carried out with the cooperation of all three levels of the government.
He mentioned that Nepal has been prioritizing restoration practices based on community participation, and through community forests, significant achievements have been made in conserving biodiversity, restoring degraded land, mitigating climate change, and improving the livelihoods of local communities.
"But due to climate change, new factors causing land degradation are increasing in Nepal's fragile and steep mountainous landscapes. Changing rainfall patterns, sudden floods, soil erosion, landslides, droughts, and forest fires are weakening the gains achieved through land restoration," said Dr Mishra.
He mentioned that Nepal does not have enough technical and financial resources to manage such risks of land degradation, pointing out the need for more support and cooperation from the international community.
"Land degradation in hilly and mountainous areas can seriously affect the ecosystem, biodiversity, and livelihoods. For this, we need deeper and wider partnerships, technical cooperation, innovative financial mechanisms, and private sector involvement," Secretary Mishra added.
He mentioned that the benefits of ecological services from Nepal's mountains and hilly areas are not limited to Nepal alone, and emphasized the need for international cooperation to prevent land degradation.
Secretary Mishra emphasized the need to ensure easy access to financial resources, technology transfer, and effective access of finance and technology to local communities for land degradation reduction.
"We need knowledge based on stronger evidence, appropriate and affordable technology, and effective partnerships that connect the government, communities, indigenous nationalities, youth, women, scientists, development partners, and the private sector," he said.
Secretary Mishra emphasized that land conservation and restoration programmes should be linked to the needs of local communities and the realities of the geography, and stressed that the funds and technology received from international sources should actually reach the communities involved in landscape restoration and livelihood improvement.
On this occasion, Secretary Mishra expressed gratitude to the government and people of Mongolia for hosting COP-17 and providing hospitality. He also thanked the UNCCD Secretariat for its continuous leadership in areas such as land degradation, desertification, drought, and sustainable land management.