Statement by Right Honourable K P Sharma Oli, Prime Minister of Nepal, at the High-Level Thematic Roundtable 3: Enhancing adaptive capacity, strengthening resilience and addressing vulnerability to climate change and disasters in landlocked developing countries 6 August 2025; 1500-1800 hrs. Awaza, Turkmenistan

Distinguished Co-Chairs,

Excellencies, Dear Friends.

Thank you for inviting me to speak in this important roundtable.

Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) stand at the front line of crises they did not create.

The reckless development models pursued by a few have inflicted immense suffering on all of humanity and gravely endangered the health of our planet.

This is not just a paradox but a profound injustice.

Our economic losses are stark: - suffering four percent of GDP.

Our transport routes, critical infrastructure, and water resources are increasingly disrupted.

Our capacity to sustain development progress is threatened.

Frequent disasters, extreme weather, and erratic rainfall have shaken our farming systems.

Excellencies,

Against such a colossal threat, we must exert maximum efforts in building resilience.

It is urgent, and it is costly.

It requires significant resources, coordinated action, and strong solidarity.

LLDCs are committed to tackling the climate challenge.

They remain steadfast in their resolve to be part of the solution despite their limited means.

We urge our development partners to support our efforts.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Nepal is one of the most affected countries by the adverse impact of climate change.

Our contribution to carbon emission is negligible, but we are one of the biggest victims of this.

On one hand our Glacial Lakes are bursting, causing devastating floods. On the other hand, our plain land is drying up in the disruption of the natural recharge system.

Climate change-induced disasters are increasing day by day and from Mountains to Terai and villages to cities.

With a view of contributing to forging common actions from mountains to oceans, The Government of Nepal hosted the first ‘Sagarmatha Sambaad’ in Kathmandu from 16 to 18 May 2025 on the theme of ‘Climate Change, Mountains and the Future of Humanity.’

Excellencies,

Nepal is committed to fight climate change, to mitigate the risk and to cope with its adverse impact.

Nepal has also pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by 2045 five years ahead of global target.

But we have limited resources, limited capacity and limited technology.

We need international support to complement our efforts.

We welcome the establishment of the Loss and Damage Fund and the Santiago Network. But we want it to be functional as soon as possible.

We are happy to see the efforts to establish a negotiating group for LLDCs in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to consolidate our voice.

Excellencies,

In this context, I believe the Awaza Program of Action offers a blueprint for:

• Early warning systems that save lives.
• Disaster risk reduction that protects futures.
• Climate-resilient infrastructure that endures.
• Clean, affordable energy that empowers.

We LLDCs are committed to implementing it as effectively as possible. And we urge our development partners to enhance their support.

Together, we can save our planet and ensure sustained prosperity for present and future generations.  

Thank you.