Shakti Bahadur Basnet, Minister of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation of Nepal, said that COP28 would yield positive results in addressing environmental challenges.
He told the Emirates News Agency (WAM) on the sidelines of the ongoing COP28 in Dubai that “COP28 discussions and what it reached regarding the Loss and Damage Fund was very important, as loss and damage is considered the most significant issue at this time to combat exposure to climate change.”
He stated that Nepal’s contribution to the emission of greenhouse gases is very small and is around 0.0027%, but it is severely affected by climate change. He pointed out that Nepal is a mountainous country with a lot of snow and ice, but due to climate change and global warming, the country has lost approximately 25% of the ice. This affected the entire water system, whether related to irrigation, energy, or the drinking water system.
He expressed his hope that COP28 would contribute to addressing these environmental problems and challenges.
Spe
aking about Nepal’s efforts in addressing climate change, the minister explained, “We have 45% of forests within our lands, and we contribute to carbon storage as well, and we have the potential to produce 83,000 megawatts of hydroelectric energy, but now we only have 3,000 megawatts.”
He continued, “We have specific goals within the next 12 years to generate 28,000 megawatts of hydroelectric energy by 2035.”
He pointed out that Nepal is exporting renewable energy to India and Bangladesh.
He said that Nepal agreed with India to export 10,000 megawatts of hydroelectric energy over the next ten years.
Source: Emirates News Agency