Leaders of the Glacier Region emphasized the importance of women, youth and indigenous peoples at COP26
November 9th, Cryosphere Hall An event was held at COP26 in Glasgow”Improve mountain adaptation actions. “Ministers from Peru, Nepal, Austria and Poland, as well as from International Mountain Comprehensive Development Center Advocate the development of mitigation and adaptation strategies in mountainous areas.
The meeting was kicked off by the Secretary-General of the United Nations Alenka Smerkolj. Mountain convention, An international treaty between the eight countries that share the Alps. She focuses on the ecological impact of climate change on high mountain regions. She supports the importance of healthy soil and commented on the importance of restoring various ecosystems in the Alps.
Radha Wagle, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Forests and Environment of Nepal, took this opportunity to point out that this is the “Gender Day” of COP26. “I hope we can look at the climate crisis from a gender-just perspective,” she said.
Wagle went on to point out that although women, children, and marginalized communities are most affected by climate change in developing countries, they should also be considered a resource. “It’s better to treat women and marginalized people as agents of change,” Wagle said, “not just as vulnerable groups.” She went on to explain that Nepal includes cross-cutting issues in all climate policies.
Other ministers talked about the challenges posed by climate-driven migration, local communities as drivers of adaptation actions, and how to support local communities through regional initiatives.
As part of the event, the Hindu Kush Himalaya region launched a new theme song aimed at raising awareness of the region. The song is called “HKH Calling” and is sung by Trishala Gurung, composed by Chandresha Pandey and Ranzen Jha.
The event also invited youth representatives from Nepal, Austria and Peru.Bindu Bandari Outreach and engagement managers from the organization Climate interaction, To encourage youth to participate meaningfully in climate negotiations. She urged organizers not to tokenize young participants. Some people present said that education and effective communication on climate change should be carried out.
Representative Karen Huere ONAMIAP—An indigenous women’s organization from Peru——A member of the Asaninka indigenous people, whose land is located in the Amazon, urges people to consider the downstream impact of climate change on the mountains. “We can’t talk about mountains without talking about forests,” she said. “They are highly interrelated.”
Huere also talked about the role of indigenous women. “Indigenous views are intergenerational. Their knowledge comes from their ancestors, and young people need to share in these spaces. Indigenous women are adapting to climate change, and they have been doing this for some time,” Huere said. “The international community should listen to their opinions.” The range of speakers and the views they represent indicate that mountain climate change is an issue of global significance.
