Submitted by ncckmc on
Ilam District, Nepal's Tea Growing Hub, Observed Climate Change Forum 2025
The Nepal Climate Change Knowledge Management Centre (NCCKMC) at the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) organized the Climate Change Forum 2025 in Ilam district, Koshi Province, Nepal, on 23 May 2025. The event was held at Mahendra Ratna Multiple Campus (MRMC), Ilam, which served as the local host of the program. The forum is an initiative by NAST to gather and engage local researchers, practitioners, and policymakers on a common platform to share knowledge and experiences regarding climate change impacts, local adaptation and mitigation practices, as well as existing policies and programs aimed at addressing climate change issues at the local level.
Prof. Dr. Dilip Subba, Vice Chancellor of NAST, and Mr. Jaya Prakash Rai, Chief of the District Coordination Committee, Ilam, jointly inaugurated the program, amid a gathering of around 90 participants representing various academic institutions, government and non-governmental organizations, local policymakers, and researchers. In his opening remarks, Mr. Rai expressed his gratitude to NAST for organizing the Climate Change Forum 2025 for the first time in Ilam District. He noted that efforts by local governments in developing Local Adaptation Plans of Action (LAPA) are supporting the implementation of adaptation measures in Ilam Municipality and other local levels within the district. Prof. Dr. Subba urged participants to engage actively in achieving local adaptation and mitigation goals. He also highlighted the effects of climate change on agronomy and tea farming in the mid-hill region of Nepal.
Mr. Bhola Prasad Guragai, Acting Chief District Officer, and Mr. Ganga Ram Poudel, Campus Chief of MRMC, attended as guests. Dr. Bimala Devi Devkota, Chief Scientific Officer at NAST, formally welcomed all dignitaries and participants, emphasizing the importance of the Climate Change Forum 2025. Dr. Madan Lall Shrestha, the keynote speaker, underscored the urgency of addressing glacial retreat and its impacts on the Hindu Kush Himalayas. The technical session emphasized Ilam District’s vulnerability due to its unique mountain ecosystems and agrobiodiversity. Six presentations were delivered during the session, covering topics such as the impact of climate change on medicinal plants, gender perspectives, local climate impacts, policy responses, and the role of media in raising climate change awareness. Presenters stressed the need for more localized adaptation planning and enhanced efforts by local governments to implement such plans effectively.
The forum concluded with a panel discussion on community-level initiatives and future strategies for climate resilience. Panelists included Dr. Madan Lal Shrestha, Academician, NAST; Mr. Kedar Thapa, Mayor, Ilam Municipality, technical session speakers such as Mr. Dambar Karki, Plant Research Center, Ilam, Mr. Gajendra Kumar Shrestha, Division Forest Office, Ilam, Ms. Sabita Pandey, Sahayatra Nepal, Ilam, and journalist Mr. Biplab Bhattarai. The panel discussion was moderated by Mr. Yogendra Man Shrestha, Campus Chief of Ilam Community Agricultural Campus.