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By Muhammad Ilyas Khan & Mudassar Iqbal
KATHMANDU NEPAL, Aug 19 (APP):Parliamentarians from Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region on Tuesday emphasized the need to work together for climate resilience, clean air and thriving diversity that secure the future of the region.
Parliamentarians and experts from Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Myanmar met here at a two- day meet here to foster collaboration and cooperation on urgent climate, environmental and development issues.
They called for action emphasizing the need for collaboration among countries in the HKH region to share knowledge, experiences, and best practices to tackle these shared challenges.
A joint deceleration issued on second day of the meet said the meet recognizing the shared ecological, social and economic importance of the HKH, and recognized that climate crisis, air pollution and biodiversity loss are shared challenges that directly impact communities and eco system in the region.
The meeting recognizing the legislative role of Parliamentarians in ensuring the wellbeing of both people and nature, realized the need to deepen regional solidarity and cooperation to build together an inclusive, resilient and sustainable Hindu Kush Himalaya.
According to the joint deceleration, the meeting called for strengthening global solidarity, from mountains to oceans, for ambitious climate action, biodiversity conservation and clean air for all.
They called for regular exchange of experience and best practices, among the parliamentarians of regional countries.
The joint deceleration called for advocating for increased regional cooperation to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss, and other shared challenges, particularly in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region.
It emphasizes the importance of parliamentarians in developing climate-friendly policies, strengthening legal frameworks, and ensuring transparency in government programs. The call for action highlights the need for collaboration to address issues like climate-induced disasters, water scarcity, and the socio-economic impacts on mountain communities.
The roundtable discussions included calls for maintaining the 1.5-degree Celsius target of the Paris Agreement, ensuring access to climate finance, expanding adaptation support, and addressing loss and damage through international and regional cooperation.
Chairperson National Assembly Standing Committee on Climate Change Munaza Hassan told the HKH Parliamentary Roundtable said this Parliamentarians’ Meet is more than dialogue—it is the call to arms of our generation.
“We must forge a regional pact of climate solidarity: to legislate together, to innovate together, to speak with one voice in global negotiations. The world must know—the mountains that unite us are not only our shared heritage, they are our shared line of defence, ” she added.
Deputy Speaker Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Surriya Bibi told the roundtable that , at a time when at least 357 people have lost their lives in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa due to heavy rains and flash floods.
The dead include 41 women and 29 children, while 178 others were injured in various rain-related accidents.
The flash floods have damaged millions of dollars infrastructure and a state of emergency has been declared in the calamity hit areas.
She said climate change is indeed a global issue with disproportionate impacts on the world’s poor. Addressing climate change requires global cooperation, with wealthier nations providing support to help vulnerable populations adapt and mitigate its effects, she added.