Dear Global Leaders and Negotiators,
You have been negotiating with my present and future from 1992. You may not be alive till 2050 but I, my family, my children and my colleagues will be. But, will the earth be same as it is today? According to science, if the GHGs emission continues to increase at this rate we might touch temperature rise of 3 degree Celsius by 2050 and up to 6 degree Celsius by 2100. The raise of 3 degree is termed as catastrophe to the country like Nepal. So, you have no right to negotiate with my life. You can’t let anyone demolish carrying capacity of earth. This is as an assault to us, polluters are unceasingly polluting and we are being a scapegoat. We are facing the disaster because of other’s deeds. Where is Justice, where is equity? I can’t guzzle your negation anymore. What if, my Grandchild asks me, Grandpa, how do the mountains look like, how were the glaciers? What if, they ask me to see plankton, whale, tiger, red panda and all that. Do you have any answer? Have you any solution?
There have been ample negotiations with very few actions; I won’t let you negotiate anymore. I will Act for the Justice. I will knock you every now and then for the Action. As agreed in Durban Climate talk in 2011, major Climate agreement will come in Conference of parties (CoP) 2015. So, before the CoP 21, 2015 more than 1500 cities from about 130 countries are marching on their streets to pressurize and push the global leaders for bold climate action. Nepal is ranked 4th most vulnerable country due to impacts of Climate Change So, how can Nepalese oversight this platform to raise their voices. We in solidarity with global campaigners are organizing climate march on 20th September in Nepal. At that very day, thousands of Nepali of different age group will march on the streets of Kathmandu demanding our Right, demanding our future. I with my team will hue and cry, “We Demand Action, Not Wordsâ€. We will clamor at you to consider; “Climate Justice Right Nowâ€.
UN Secretary General has called more than 200 head of the state to join the Climate Summit on September 23 in UN Headquarter, New York. We, team of People’s Climate March- Kathmandu will grab this moment and take this as a scintillating opportunity to send our voices to Prime Minister himself. Declaration comprising our demands will be prepared and it will be presented to PM so as to urge him to address the voice of Nepalese Youth as well. We will pressurize our PM to raise our voice in UN Summit in New York. We will urge for Climate Justice.
We share only 0.027 % of global emission but we are ranked 4th in the vulnerable list of Climate Change impacts. Because of other’s deeds we have been smashed by some kind of disaster every now and then. How on earth this can be considered justice! Flood, drought, landslide, mass wasting is like our regular clients. Our mountains are melting; we are not getting rain in time hence very low agricultural productivity, bio-diversity status is declining at alarming rate. Life is becoming more miserable as the day pass by, and you are still negotiating with our lives. Climate change plays an influencing role in development of the country like Nepal. According to World Bank (2011), agriculture contributes 38.14% of overall National GDP which is mammoth number. But, due to the impacts of Climate, we are not getting as much productivity from agricultural lands as it have to. Moreover, Asian Development Bank report says that Nepal may loss almost 10% of its GDP by 2100 due to Climate- driven events like melting glaciers.
Unless and until we March on the streets of the country, there has not been any movement which has been successful. To Change everything we need everyone. Mass mobilization is one of the best ways to shock the entire system into action. There have been anti-war marches, anti-nuclear marches, marches for civil rights, and more. Globally On September 20 and 21st we are marching for climate justice. So, thousands of people will March in Kathmandu on Sept 20 to urge for positive change. I am Marching with the world because I care for my future, will you March with us?
About the Author:
Regan Sapkota, He is the student of Environmental Science also affiliated with Nepalese Youth Climate Action and People’s Climate March- Kathmandu. He can be contacted at  regan.sapkota2@gmail.com
