Canada, Aug 25: Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat has been elected the Vice Chair of Global Environment Facility (GEF) by a plenary session held under the ongoing Seventh GEF Assembly in Canada.
During the session, the Republic of Panama today proposed his candidacy for the post and it was backed by the Netherlands, according to the Finance Minister’s Secretariat.
The Assembly that kicked off on August 22 will conclude on August 26. Prior to this, the Minister addressed the Assembly, apprising the session that “Nepal has protected 45 percent of forest of its total land and contributed to the emission of clean air (oxygen) for the entire human community.”
In addition to this, he took time to say that such contribution is significant in terms of managing the sources of water for over one billion population in the South Asia. He said Nepal is honestly engaged in efforts to preserve biodiversity. It has protected rare and endangered wildlife and species and as a result, there has been a significant rise in the populations of tigers and rhinos. Such wildlife reserves are not only the treasures of Nepal, but also of the entire world.
According to the Minister despite efforts, Nepal remains highly vulnerable to climate change impacts. It is the 10th most vulnerable nation to such hazards and it continues to witness incidences of landslides, flooding, partial rainfall, dryness, and the increased threat of glacial lake outbursts in recent times.
