■ By Uzmi Athar
DUBAI
WARNING of a potential
catastrophe in the
Himalayas where the glaciers are melting at an
alarming rate, UN chief
Antonio Guterres on
Saturday said, the ongoing annual climate talks
here must respond to the
needs of the developing
nations, especially the
vulnerable mountain
countries that need
urgent help.
Almost 240 million people depend on the glaciers and 10 major
rivers, such as Indus,
Ganga, and Brahmaputra,
originating in the
Himalayas. Another billion people living downstream of these rivers
across eight countries,
including India, are also
dependent on the glacier-fed rivers.
Addressing a meeting
with mountain countries
at this year’s Conference
of Parties (COP28), UN
Secretary-General
Guterres emphasised
that nearly a third of
Nepal’s ice had vanished
in just over 30 years, and
it was directly linked to
greenhouse gas pollution
that heats up the planet.
Guterres, who visited
Nepal, including the
Everest region, in
October last week, called
for developed countries
to clarify the delivery of
USD 100 billion and produce a plan to double
adaptation finance to
USD 40 billion a year by
2025.
“But those sums are
dwarfed by the scale of
what’s needed,” he said
and advocated for reform
in International Financial
Institutions (IFIs) and
Multilateral Development
Banks (MDBs) to better
cater to the needs of
developing countries like
Nepal.
“So, we need the outcome of this COP to call
for reform of the IFIs so
that they reflect today’s
world and are far more
responsive to the needs
of developing countries
and for reform of the
business models of the
MDBs so that they can
leverage far more private
finance at reasonable cost to
the developing countries,” he
told the gathering. He said
unless there isachange in
course, “a catastrophe can be
unleashed.” “The glaciers
could disappear altogether.
That means massively reduced
flows for major Himalayan
rivers such as the Indus, the
GangesandtheBrahmaputra.
Deltas decimated by saltwater,” Guterres said.
The Secretary-General highlighted the alarming pace at
whichthe glaciers were disappearing, causing devastating
impacts on local communities.
“The mountains are crying out
for help and COP28 must
respond.” Guterres attended
the high-levelroundtable with
Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa
Kamal Dahal‘Prachanda’, and
other heads of state and delegations. The roundtable followed the recognit in givento
the mountains in the COP28
President’s Opening Plenary,
which mandated the issue be
taken up under the Nairobi
work programme