South Asian experts call for regional action on Himalayan disasters

A Hyderabad webinar brought together South Asian experts and youth leaders to discuss Himalayan disasters, the recent Nepal floods and climate risks. Speakers stressed community-centred early warning systems, regional cooperation and greater responsibility among South Asian nations

Hyderabad: South Asian experts and youth leaders, speaking at a webinar titled ‘Himalayan Glacial Disaster: Wake-up Call for South Asia’, stressed that while mountain hazards cannot be entirely prevented, their catastrophic consequences can be effectively mitigated through community-centred early warning systems and sustained regional collaboration.

Organised by the Doyens of Peace of South Asia in collaboration with Hyderabad-based COVA Peace Network, the webinar featured discussions on the complexity of mountain hazards against the backdrop of the recent floods in Nepal.

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The core feature of the webinar was the insights shared by three youth panellists, including Dr Sher Muhammad of ICIMOD (Nepal-Pakistan), who addressed recurring calamities in the Himalayas and their underlying causes; Samir Thapa, General Secretary of the Nepal Environment Society, who analysed the Rasuwa floods; and Anmol Ohri, Founder-Director of Climate Front India, who discussed the broader responsibilities of South Asian nations facing climate disasters, COVA’s Mazhar Hussain said.

Eminent individuals from various walks of life, including Dr B. V. Subba Rao (India), Kanak Mani Dixit (Nepal), Lutfa Pathan (Bangladesh), Shahrbanoo Rezayee (Afghanistan), Dr Mazher Hussain of COVA, Ahmad Raza (Pakistan), Lalita Ramdas and Dema Lhamo (Bhutan), also spoke on the occasion.