For the last few years, Nepal has been raising the issue of the mountainous region on the world stage along with the regional one. Even during high-level visits, the heads of government and heads of states have been drawing the world's attention to the effects of climate change on Nepal's mountains and mountain regions and livelihoods. The issue of mountains is constantly being raised in the World Climate Conference.

Nepal celebrated the International Mountain Day with various programs a week ago. After the United Nations decided to celebrate December 11 as International Mountain Day, since 2003, the purpose of this day is to reduce the impact of climate change on mountain areas and raise awareness about mountain life.

While celebrating this year's International Mountain Day with emphasis on climate adaptation, innovation and youth for a sustainable future, the issue of what progress Nepal has achieved in the issue of mountains came up for discussion. Since Nepal has been talking about the Himalayas since 2009, why didn't the topic of 'Himalayan' become the main agenda in the World Climate Conference COP-29? In order to answer this question that has arisen in the general public, we have to analyze the internal and external initiatives we have taken for the mountains. 

removed  ' mountain action' 

At COP-29, we were proud to have succeeded in raising the Himal issue. The news headlines in the media kept on saying 'Nepal succeeded in raising the issue of Himalayas before the world'. The news was also written that we managed to put 'Mountain Action' in the New Collective Quantified Goal document. But for climate action 

'Mountain action' was removed from the final document of the new climate finance targets set by COP-29. In the final report, "Mountain Action" was removed. The 'Mountain Action', which lasted until November 22, was withdrawn on the morning of the 24th. 

No progress was made on reducing carbon emissions during COP-29. Its direct impact is on the mountains. The whole issue of reducing carbon emissions was pushed to the next corner. It can be taken as an example of a country that is emitting more carbon than agreeing on the issue of Himalayas, and has succeeded in making a favorable decision. Even countries with mountains did not make the issue of mountains a common agenda.

Their interest seems to be focused on increasing oil production time under various pretexts. Due to the trade of mineral fuel, coal, etc., mineral fuel has become the main basis of the development and economy of the country which has made extensive progress in the economic situation.

Those countries are trying to maintain different types of dominance over poor countries under different pretexts. They want to continue the production of oil by supporting least developed countries affected by climate. This is the message given by the COP-29 decision to postpone all discussions on carbon emissions. 

At the high-level political meeting of the World Climate Conference in 2009, the environment minister of our southern neighboring country, looking for evidence of the effects of the explosion of the Himalayas and the increase in temperature in the Himalayan region, must not have forgotten the question posed by those who work in the field of climate rights. Until today, we have not found the answer to the question we faced when we participated in the COP-15 held in Copenhagen, Denmark with the message that the mountains have been affected by holding a cabinet meeting in Kalapathar. 

The Nepalese team that came to raise the issue of Himalayas by saying that they held a meeting in Kalapathar, what did they learn from that conference and how did they prepare? It has not been seen anywhere in practice. A conference was held in the name of Himal in 2012. Since then many works have been done but these efforts have not been sustained.

Last time there was an international dialogue of experts on 'Mountains, Humans and Climate Change' on the issue of the Chandragiri mountain range. The program concluded that ecosystems in the Himalayan and low-lying coastal areas are at high risk. Now it was said that Nepal should take the lead in the issue of the Himalayan region. The result could not be seen in COP-29. Cop-28 could not save the achievement instead of spoiling the excitement. 

When we are only talking about the international level, we are zero in preparation to be done at home. So far we have not been able to create a permanent mechanism with subject experts for negotiations. Expecting progress and achievement from a person who has been tipped over according to the political climate is just an illusion. 

finance operations, capacity and technology 

The harm-loss has been largely ignored in the climate finance decisions of COP-29. When the issue of damages is weakened, it ultimately weakens the issue of Himal. Therefore, it is important to document the loss and damage. 

After 2026, as Nepal rises to the rank of a developing country, it will lose the facilities it has now. It seems that the risk of climate debt will increase on Nepal, which is already in the grip of huge foreign debt. Therefore, it seems inevitable that Nepal will now raise the issue of Himal like the special arrangement that island countries have been demanding despite being rich. It is necessary to cooperate with all levels of government, private sector, social organizations, and communication sector regarding

capacity building. With us, capacity building is still understood as civil society, non-governmental organizations and officials of government agencies. Broadening this understanding to include the three levels of government and the media is inevitable.

Emphasis on international diplomacy

The word 'mountain action' could not be preserved in COP-29. We are debating that Nepal should take the lead in the mountain issue. Speaking at a high-level political conference and taking the lead on a specific issue are two different things. It is enough to have a forum to talk.

leadership is essential with a group of like-minded people. Climate change is a global political issue. Since the World Climate Conference is multilateral, Nepal alone cannot carry the agenda of the Himalayas. Himal issue is dear to Nepal. It is not necessary that an issue that is dear to Nepal is also dear to other countries. In COP-29, it was seen that even the countries that have mountains did not give importance to the problem of mountains.

We need to expand cooperation and coordination between countries with similar interests internationally, not just with words on the mountain issue. Diplomacy is needed to win the trust of interest groups. If Nepal wants to make the mountain issue an international diplomatic issue, we should broaden the scope of our internal strategy and approach.

The goal to be achieved in the issue of Himal should be determined along with the time limit. Leadership must have the ability and knowledge of the subject as well as an image that can exert pressure on world politics. To become a successful player in world politics, one must be freed from the shadow of domestic politics. Every step we take has a political stamp.

Its impact is seen in all discussions including negotiations, negotiations, bilateral and multilateral discussions on the world stage. Rather than unity on the main issue, we are entangled in trivia. It is necessary for the government to be guided by the vision of including the issue of Himalayas in the document itself, so that the Paris Agreement and the Convention will guide it. You should be able to rise above internal politics and factionalism.

Lack of research

Glacier Lake has also been considered one of the criteria for damage in the Warsaw International Mechanism. 'Mountain Region' is listed in the Adaptation Indicator. Cope-28 covers the topic and term of the mountain in Global Stock Tech's document. In the conference, the issue of climate change risk in mountain countries including Nepal gained a strong position.

COP-28 established that 20 countries that emit 80 percent of carbon and underdeveloped countries including Nepal that emit only 20 percent of carbon should mobilize finance in terms of climate justice. In the background of GST, the identification of mountain areas and mountains, ecological system, forests and biological diversity have also been mentioned, so Nepal has been helped to raise the issue of climate in the Himalayan region. 

Nepal's efforts to make the problems and issues of the Himalayas internationally recognized are commendable. Not only at the World Climate Conference, but also at other international forums, heads of state and heads of government are raising the issue of mountains in one way or another. Last year, the visit of the Secretary General of the United Nations to Nepal, the world's attention drawn to Nepal's Himalayan region at COP-28, and the high-level discussions held by Nepal have attracted the world's attention. 

Within one year, we had to implement the policy set for mountain protection. Even now we do not have any factual material other than 'the mountains are black', 'there is no snow on the mountains'. Internally, it is necessary to conduct a study and research on the multi-faceted effects of climate science data by installing a forecast system that provides information on temperature and rainfall in mountainous areas. "Localization" in speech and centralized mentality in work cannot reach the goal.  It is clear that playing with the word

mountain alone will not achieve relatively good results. Along with the Himalayan region, the impact on the economic, social and cultural heritage of that region should be integrated and raised on the world stage. We have not been able to put such things factually. This is why our cases are getting weaker. Facts make us stronger for climate justice.

Therefore, it is necessary to do Himal-centered work guided by the existing policies including the National Adaptation Plan to establish the issue of Himal, which is limited to words and speech. As the temperature increases, there are many forms of risk and damage caused by various disasters in the Himalayan region. But it is necessary to invest heavily in research and monitoring to develop strategies for collecting and reducing facts and evidence. 

It is too late to find out about the financial and non-economic damage caused in the Himalayan region. To take the issue of Himalayas to the diplomatic level, Nepal should first study the entirety of its Himalayan region. What is the problem? Why is it important? What is its economy? Problems related to people's life, culture and tourism should be exposed.