The first edition of the Sagarmatha Sambaad concluded today by issuing a 25-point Sagarmatha Call for Action.
The three-day event held in Kathmandu from May 16 to 18 May, was themed “Climate Change, Mountains and the Future of Humanity”.
The full text of the Sagarmatha Call for Action is given here.
This Sagarmatha Call for Action is issued as an outcome document:
Recognising that climate change is an unprecedented challenge and that the well-being of present and future generations of humankind depends on immediate and urgent response;
Reaffirming the commitments to implement the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
Recalling the United Nations General Assembly resolution 77/158 of December 14, which declared 2025 as the “International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation” and proclaimed 21 March as the “World Day for Glaciers” to be observed annually;
Recalling also the United Nations General Assembly resolution 77/172 of December 14, 2022, which proclaimed 2023–2027 as the Five Years of Action for the Development of Mountain Regions, reaffirming the international community’s commitment to sustainable mountain development as part of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda;
Recognising the role of mountain glaciers in regulating hydrological cycles and providing essential environmental services to mountain communities and the billions who live downstream in glacier-fed river basins;
Acknowledging the urgency to maintain environmental integrity as mountain glaciers and cryosphere are receding, putting pressure on snow-fed river systems that constitute the lifeline to species, ecosystems and genetic resources;
Recognising that loss of glaciers, snow and ice sheets due to climate change will have severe negative impacts on both natural and human systems, if allowed to continue, ultimately threatening the well-being of humanity;
Realising the essential role of mountain ecosystems to safeguard civilisational heritages, species, biodiversity and genetic resources, while also ensuring reliable supplies of freshwater, clean air and the sustainable livelihoods;
Recognising that loss of mountain glaciers, besides also contributing to sea-level rise, lead to cascading effects such as landslides, floods, droughts and extreme weather events, adversely impacting mountainous to low-lying countries; and that, while mountain communities contribute negligibly to global greenhouse gases emissions, they continue to bear a disproportionate level of such climate impacts;
Recognising further the critical role of mountains in ensuring water security and maintaining climate-resilient agriculture and food security, clean energy, nature-based tourism, and of effective governance in driving transformation towards a sustainable mountain economy;
Do hereby:
- Reaffirm the urgency to hold the increase in the global average temperature to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels by accelerating mitigation actions, building adaptive capacity and resilience, addressing loss and damage, and strengthening partnerships to ensure a sustainable future for all.
2. Encourage countries to set ambitious emissions reduction targets in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) 3.0 to keep 1.5°C alive, aligned with the latest science that calls for urgent and transformative global action.
3. Further encourage countries to develop and implement National Adaptation Plans to respond to country – specific adaptation needs.
4. Call for enhanced provision and mobilization of international financial support, particularly through grants and concessional financing for implementation of climate actions in developing countries, including countries in special situations.
5. Encourage collective efforts to ensure equitable and simplified access for the developing countries, particularly those vulnerable to climate change, to the international climate finance from bilateral, multilateral and alternative sources, including the operating entities of the Financial Mechanisms and the Funds under the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement.
6. Support the call for the establishment of a dedicated fund for the development of mountain countries to mobilise targeted financial resources for climate action and sustainable development in mountainous regions.
7. Priorities the recognition, respect, and rewarding of mountain ecosystem services through leveraging existing and innovative financing sources.
8. Emphasise the role of private sector finance and carbon markets in scaling up sustainable climate actions.
9. Strengthen global and regional partnerships to facilitate access to climate-friendly technologies and enhance capacity building.
10. Reaffirm the need for collaboration among the policymakers, scientific institutions, private sector and other relevant stakeholders to drive innovation and mutual learning to formulate appropriate policies and programs that address the inherent vulnerabilities to climate change.
11. Acknowledge the importance of promoting green, resilient and inclusive development, ranging from small to large-scale infrastructures, in both rural and urban communities, as appropriate.
12. Stress the significance of clean energy, energy efficiency and just energy transitions, recognising the importance of powering the future through clean energy as well as green, circular and bio-economies.
13. Promote science, technology and innovation-based solutions for addressing climate-induced disasters, and conserving glaciers, water resources, forests and agricultural system.
14. Encourage dialogues on mountains and climate change agenda with special focus on triple planetary crisis and short-lived climate forcers, given their profound impact on regional climate, monsoons, cryosphere and public health.
15. Recognise the urgency of strengthening data systems, ensuring data sharing and interoperability, and developing climate attribution and early warning mechanisms tailored to the needs of developing countries.
16. Underscore the need to establish a robust linkage between mountain and ocean-specific risk assessment, monitoring, and early warning systems using advanced science, technology, and innovation.
17. Promote climate justice across all climate actions by ensuring fair, inclusive and evidence-based solutions to the developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change.
18. Foster inclusive climate actions through active participation of children, youth, women, persons with disabilities, senior citizens, and maintain gender balance while upholding intra- and inter-generational equity.
19. Call to initiate the creation of a multi-stakeholder international platform on mountain and climate change for dialogue, innovation and empowerment, with the aim of amplifying the voices of mountain communities in global climate processes.
20. Recognise the role of local and indigenous communities in climate policies, programmes and actions, including adaptation and conservation initiatives.
21. Emphasize the need to develop mechanisms for payment of environmental services, enabling them to adopt innovative climate financing.
22. Emphasize the need for developing knowledge centres, sharing best practices, and enhancing the roles of local communities in climate policies, programmes and actions.
23. Resolve to forge a common voice for urgent climate action that resonates from the Sagarmatha to the seas, and from highlands to islands.
24. Acknowledge the relevance of the theme of the first edition of the Sagarmatha Sambaad in highlighting the adverse impacts of climate change from mountains to lowlands; forging common understanding and actions to uplift communities in vulnerable situations; and reaffirming commitment to continue working for a just, resilient and sustainable future for all.
25. Express appreciation to all the dignitaries and delegates for attending the Sagarmatha Sambaad, a permanent forum to foster global dialogue on key issues of national, regional and global significance and look forward to its continuity ahead.
