1. Background:

Climate change is a global issue that has directly affected the lives of people in various aspects such as environmental, social, economic, and health. Nepal is also affected by the climate change and its effects.  The impacts of climate change in Nepal have been observed in different forms, such as droughts and floods, changes in the weather period, and soaring temperature, which have devastating effects on agriculture, infrastructure, and livelihoods, leading to food and water scarcity, property damage, and loss of lives.

Among others, women, Dalits, indigenous, and marginalized communities are mostly affected by the climate changes in Nepal as they reside in geographically disaster-prone areas with limited financial resources and institutional capacity to adapt to climate change. This has exacerbated their existing vulnerabilities having inadequate opportunity to recover from the loss and damages. Also, youth and the LGBTIQ community face similar challenges due to climate change, including reduced access to resources and job opportunities, forced relocation/migration, economic disparities, and health concerns.

The increasing effect of climate change has raised the issues of climate justice and social justice to address the unequal distribution of the burdens and benefits of climate change. However, climate justice and social justice have been a less discussed topic in Nepal as well.

The government of Nepal has a National Climate Change Policy 2076 to contribute to the socio-economic prosperity of the nation by building a climate-resilient society, and other like-minded stakeholders are also working to increase awareness and support mechanisms.

As part of the World Social Forum (WSF), the Collective Campaign for Peace (COCAP) in coordination with Environment and Rural Development Center (ENRUDEC) plan to organize a 2 hours plenary discussion program on addressing the disparities and inequalities arising from the impact of climate change in Nepal at the national level. The aim is to enhance awareness regarding climate justice and social justice issues in Nepal highlighting success stories and best practices of climate and social from a human rights perspective.

2. The objectives of the programs are as follows:

• To be aware and have a uniform understanding of climate justice and social justice in Nepal among organizational members.
• To understand the impact of climate change on women, Dalits, Youths, and marginalized groups and identify ways to address the disparities and inequalities of climate change.
• To inspire and encourage individuals advocating for climate justice, both rightsholders and duty bearers, by sharing success stories and exemplary approaches for the replication of such practices.

Short Bio of Panelists

Raju Pandit Chhetri

He lives in Kathmandu, Nepal. He is the director of Prakriti Resources Centre, a policy and research NGO promoting environment-friendly policies and development practices.

Raju passionately advocates on climate change issues and sustainable development, particularly on the issues related to climate finance. He has over 10 years of professional experience in the field of climate change policy and sustainable envelopment. He has attended international climate negotiations under the UNFCCC for several years and continues to do so. Currently, he is also actively following the progress of the Green Climate Fund (GCF). In the past, Raju has worked for the United Mission to Nepal (UMN) and Climate Action Network International (CANI).

Krishna Karkee, Coordinator (Chairperson), Women Humanitarian and Disaster Risk Reduction Platform (WHDRRP), Nepal

Ms. Krishna is a professional in the field of disaster risk reduction, humanitarian response (response, recovery, and reconstruction in disaster and conflict situations), climate change adaptation, women empowerment, community development, and local governance in Nepal including Bangladesh and the Republic of Yemen worked with civil society organizations, international NGOs, and UNDP. She served as General Secretary of the Disaster Preparedness Network (DPNet) in Nepal which is a secretariat of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Platform (NPDRR) led by the Government of Nepal. Similarly, she served as co-coordinator of the International NGOs Task Group of Disaster and Climate Change (AINTGDMCC). Ms. Krishna is a Coordinator (Chairperson) and founder of WHDRRP in Nepal established in 2019, which is a loose platform of women professionals working in DRR, climate change, and humanitarian sectors to empower women in DRM and climate resilience for fostering their leadership. She was actively engaged and contributed while formulating of new DRR Act 2017, policy, and DRR Strategic Plan of Action in Nepal. She is one of the finalists of the Women in DRR (WIN DRR) Excellent Award for the Asian and Pacific Region. She has the ambition to make more women campaign in DRR and climate action.

Moderator

Ms. Shristi Kafle

Shristi Kafle is a freelance journalist based in Kathmandu. She mostly writes on environment and climate change, disasters, and foreign affairs. She is also a Secretary at the Nepal Forum of Environmental Journalists (NEFEJ). She mostly contributes to Chinese media platforms like Xinhua News Agency and China News Service along with The Third Pole.