Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay led a high-level gathering of leaders from the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region at the 29th Conference of Parties (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan on November 12, calling for a common vision and unified climate action for the protection of the HKH region.
The side event, convened in partnership with the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), focused on advocating for the protection of the region’s unique mountain ecosystems.
The HKH, often referred to as the ‘water tower of Asia’, spans Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan, supporting over 240 million people. The region provides vital water resources to over 1.6 billion people downstream.
However, climate change poses an existential threat to the region’s glaciers and ecosystems. Rising temperatures are accelerating glacier retreat, increasing the risk of glacial lake outburst floods, and threatening communities and livelihoods across the region.
Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay emphasized the region’s vulnerability, warning that even a modest rise of 1.5°C in global temperatures could have devastating consequences for the HKH.
He called for unity among HKH countries, urging them to speak with a common purpose on the global stage. “COP29 presents a crucial opportunity for HKH to unite and address key agendas of negotiations like the New Collective Quantified Goal on climate finance, the Global Goal on Adaptation, and limiting global warming, among others, which is relevant to our region.”
This story was produced as part of the 2024 Climate Change Media Partnership, a journalism fellowship organized by Internews' Earth Journalism Network and the Stanley Center for Peace and Security. It was first published in Kuensel on November 15, 2024. It has been translated to English and lightly edited for length and clarity.
Banner image: The side event with leaders from the Hindu Kush Himalaya region / Credit: Yangyel Lhaden.
Yangyel Lhaden
