SOLUKHUMBU: A climate conference held in the Khumbu region concluded on Wednesday with the issuance of a nine-point Gokyo Declaration, calling for Nepal to take leadership among Himalayan and mountain nations in advancing climate justice.

Organised on the occasion of World Earth Day in Gokyo, the conference emphasized the need to strengthen climate diplomacy and ensure that mountain issues are prioritized in international forums.

The Gokyo Climate Conference was jointly organised by Khumbu Pasanglhamu Rural Municipality of Solukhumbu and Sath Sathai, an organisation active in climate justice and tourism development.

A team of experts and participants travelled from Kathmandu through Lukla, Namche, Khumjung, and Machhermo to reach Gokyo, where the declaration was issued.

Former Deputy Speaker and lawmaker Indira Rana Magar read out the declaration, expressing appreciation for the organisers’ efforts to mobilise citizens for climate justice.

She said the government alone cannot address the impacts of climate change and stressed the importance of engaging directly with affected communities. She also urged the government and Parliament to take the declaration’s recommendations seriously.

Glacier expert Arun Bhakta Shrestha, who participated in the interaction in Gokyo, highlighted the importance of the conference in addressing the risks of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs).

Participants including youth leader Tashi Lhazom, renewable energy researcher Kushal Gurung, rights activist Sama Shrestha, advocate Saroj Ghimire, and journalist Bijay Paudel voiced their support for the declaration by reading its key points, according to Sath Sathai chairperson Prajita Karki.

The team also conducted community dialogues with women in Khumjung, carried out household surveys, and observed glacial lakes in the Gokyo area to assess climate risks.

The declaration recommends adopting gender-sensitive and environmentally friendly sustainable energy solutions to address the current energy crisis.

It also commits to making climate action just, inclusive, and rights-based, with meaningful participation of women, indigenous peoples, youth, and marginalized communities at all levels.

According to Sath Sathai founding member Bal Krishna Basnet, the study report along with the declaration will be submitted to local governments, provincial and federal authorities, and the Federal Parliament for policy consideration.

The conference was organised in collaboration with the Nepal Mountaineering Association, electric vehicle company BYD, Ncell, and Nepal Airlines.