Climate Impact Tour 2026 Part 1 - Nepal
Dr. Soumitra Das
โฃ
Thanks to Dr. Farooq Azam, my recent visit to Nepal was not just successful โ it was deeply meaningful. I had the privilege of meeting with ๐๐ซ. ๐๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ฆ๐ญ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ, Director General of ๐๐๐๐๐๐. Our conversation was substantive. ICIMOD has graciously accepted my invitation to lead the plenary session on Himalayan Glaciers, Floods, and Water Security at the upcoming Climate Cooling Summit.โฃ
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This is significant.โฃ The Himalayas are not just a regional concern โ they are the water tower for nearly two billion people across South Asia. We also explored the possibility of joint proposals focused on cryosphere protection, an area that is becoming increasingly urgent as glacial retreat accelerates.โฃ
๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฑ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ค๐ฌ โ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐๐ซโฃ
My seminar on Managing Extreme Climate Risks was warmly received by ICIMOD scientists. What stood out most was the depth of engagement โ thoughtful questions, sharp critiques, and a shared recognition that:
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๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก & ๐๐ง๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ: ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฑ๐ญ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฌโฃ
The climate workshops at Tribhuvan University and Kathmandu University were engaging and energizing. Students are not asking whether the climate crisis is real. They are asking:โฃ
* What can we do?โฃ
* What solutions are scalable?โฃ
* How can we go beyond monitoring glaciers โ and actively protect them?โฃ
* How can TU and KU become global hubs for dialogue on mountain glacier protection?โฃ These are the right questions.โฃ
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I also had a constructive meeting with Prof. Bhim Shrestha and the Secretariat of the ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฒ๐๐ง ๐๐ง๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ, exploring pathways for sustained collaboration.โฃ
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๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒโฃ
Nepal is breathtaking โ truly in the lap of the Himalayas. But behind the beauty lies fragility. Nepal is one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world. Glacial melt, flash floods, erratic monsoons, landslides, and water insecurity threaten livelihoods that have contributed almost nothing to global emissions. While enjoying the warmth and hospitality of the people, I could not help but reflect on the stark injustice:โฃ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐จ๐๐ญ๐๐ง ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ก๐ข๐ญ.โฃ
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๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐๐โฃ
* The Himalayas are central to South Asiaโs future stability.โฃ
* Cryosphere protection must move from discussion to structured research collaboration.โฃ
* Universities and young scientists are ready to engage.โฃ
* Regional institutions like ICIMOD are essential partners in shaping responsible climate risk strategies.
Dr. Soumitra Das
Dear Soumitra
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I was very encouraged to read the highlights of your visit to Nepal. Indeed the Himalayas are a critical water tower affecting a billion or more people directly, and indirectly affecting many more as well as the economies of 6 or 7 countries. Great that ICIMOD can lead the water security, glaciers and floods session of the Conference. Hopefully they will draw out some of the climate, hydrology cycle and food interactions and seasonal variabilities โ and speak to droughts and inadequate aquifer recharge as well as floods.
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The subject matter referred to Nepal โ Part 1.ย Was Part 2 another South Asian country, e.g., Bangladesh?
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Many thanks
John
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John Dixon
Dear Soumitra
ย
I was very encouraged to read the highlights of your visit to Nepal. Indeed the Himalayas are a critical water tower affecting a billion or more people directly, and indirectly affecting many more as well as the economies of 6 or 7 countries. Great that ICIMOD can lead the water security, glaciers and floods session of the Conference. Hopefully they will draw out some of the climate, hydrology cycle and food interactions and seasonal variabilities โ and speak to droughts and inadequate aquifer recharge as well as floods.
ย
The subject matter referred to Nepal โ Part 1.ย Was Part 2 another South Asian country, e.g., Bangladesh?
ย
Many thanks
John
ย
From: healthy-planet-...@googlegroups.com <healthy-planet-...@googlegroups.com>
On Behalf Of Dr. Soumitra Das
Sent: Monday, 16 February 2026 1:33 PM
To: Healthy Climate Initiative <healthy-clima...@googlegroups.com>; Healthy Planet Action Coalition <healthy-planet-...@googlegroups.com>; Planetary Restoration <planetary-...@googlegroups.com>; geoengineering <geoengi...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [HPAC] Climate Impact Tour 2026 Part 1 - Nepal
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๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ฅ: ๐๐๐ข๐๐ง๐๐, ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฒ๐๐ฌโฃ
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