Nepali climate activists appeal for urgent action at COP31 - NHKニュース

An environmental group from Nepal has appealed for cross-border cooperation on disasters at COP31, the UN climate change conference, in Turkey. An area along the Nepal-China border was devastated by mudslides in August.

The group of mostly young climate activists hosted an event at the COP31 venue on Wednesday.

The group's leader, Dikshya Subedi, spoke about the mudslide disaster. Her relatives are among the survivors. Subedi said the disaster highlighted problems with climate justice. She said this discussion is very important because countries and communities that have contributed the very least to climate change are facing similar disasters every year.

People from Nepal's neighbors, such as India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, attended the event. They discussed ways to procure funds to cover losses from climate-linked disasters and compensation, and to establish a system for data-sharing and early warnings. The participants confirmed the need for countries affected by climate change to step up cooperation.

A woman from Bhutan said it's good that the people of Nepal want to take action. She expressed hope they can unite, put up a stronger front and demand climate justice and climate finance in a fair form.

Subedi also said regional cooperation is necessary because climate change has no borders. She said this time it was Nepal, but the next time it could be another country. She called for urgent preparations, saying the climate crisis is already here and there is no time left.