Nepal-India coordination vital for climate action: Prof Mohapatra

KATHMANDU: Indian Professor Anil Kumar Mohapatra has stressed the need for coordination among Nepal, India and China to mitigate and prevent the impacts of climate change.

Speaking at a lecture series titled ‘From Neighbourhood to Neighbourhood First: Evolution of India’s Foreign Policy and its Regional Implications’ in Kathmandu on Monday, Mohapatra called for a joint mechanism to address shared climate concerns.

The Indian Council for Cultural Relations and the Centre for Nepal and Asian Studies at Tribhuvan University organised the event.

Mohapatra welcomed Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s recent proposal at the United Nations General Assembly that Nepal, India and China establish a joint mechanism to tackle climate-related impacts. He said the mechanism should operate effectively at the trilateral level.

“As Prime Minister Shah rightly mentioned, disasters have no walls or borders, so these three Himalayan countries need to form the mechanism to work effectively to address climate crises,” he said.

Referring to the recent Bhotekoshi flood, Mohapatra said natural disasters caused similar harm to communities across the Himalayan region, with Nepalis, Indians and Chinese losing their lives in the tragedy.

Highlighting Nepal-India relations, he cautioned against viewing the ties solely from a political perspective. He said Nepal was a priority under India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.

“India should give Nepal the top priority through its Neighbourhood First policy, and this policy should be based on respect, dialogue, peace, and prosperity,” Mohapatra said.

Centre for Nepal and Asian Studies Chairperson Dr Mrigendra Bahadur Karki spoke about various aspects of bilateral relations. He said the foreign policies and guidance of Nepal’s Shah kings, from Ram Shah to Prithvi Narayan Shah, had played a significant role in shaping Nepal-India ties.

Professor Anand Aditya said Nepal-India relations extended beyond politics and rested on economic, cultural, people-to-people and harmonious connections.

By RSS