Kathmandu: With its glaciers vanishing at an alarming rate, Nepal has taken center stage in climate diplomacy by launching the second edition of Sagarmatha Sambaad, or Mount Everest Dialogue (global dialogue forum named after Mount Everest).
The three-day event, which opened in Kathmandu seeks to spotlight the environmental threats facing the Himalayas, which are warming at twice the global average.
Bringing together over 300 delegates from more than a dozen countries including India, China, Bhutan, Azerbaijan, and the Maldives, the forum focuses on climate change, mountain ecosystems, and the future of humanity. It is Nepal’s flagship initiative to foster global cooperation on mountain issues, ahead of COP30 in Brazil.
Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, the architect of the summit, highlighted that, “Climate crisis is the number one threat now. Our bare mountains, receding glaciers, loss of biodiversity, and rising sea levels – these signs are unmistakable. Climate change is real and happening now, affecting us all.”
A historic event unfolds.
The First Edition of Sagarmatha Sambaad has started.
Please follow: https://t.co/TcAEcfzJLr for the live stream.
A media breifing will also start after a while.@PM_nepal_ @Arzuranadeuba @MofaNepal @amritrai555 pic.twitter.com/hmcaqCY76J
— Sagarmatha Sambaad (@S_Sambaad) May 16, 2025
Despite contributing only 0.027 percent of global emissions, Nepal is already suffering severe consequences, thinning glaciers, glacial lake outburst floods, and erratic weather.
Scientists warn that iconic glaciers such as Yala in Langtang Valley, which has lost 66 percent of its surface in 50 years may vanish unless warming is capped in line with the Paris Agreement.
According to ICIMOD, the Hindu Kush Himalayas host around 54,000 glaciers across 60,000 sq km, serving as water towers for much of South Asia. Their retreat threatens water security for billions.
India’s Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav noted that “the Himalayas bear a significant burden of the environmental crisis,” while Nepal’s Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba called the summit a pivotal moment for climate discourse.
Although key leaders like Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi could not attend, notable figures including COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev, China’s Xiao Jie, and Bhutan’s Gem Tshering joined the forum.
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