NEFEJ has welcomed the directive from Supreme Court to formulate a proper Act to deal with climate change. In response to the petition filed by advocate Padam Bahadur Shrestha on October 31 2017, the joint bench of Chief Justice Om Prakash Mishra and Justice Tej Bahadur KC directed the government to formulate laws to address the issues of climate change.

Nepal is more vulnerable to climate change compared to other countries. Climate change has directly and indirectly impacted natural resources, physical infrastructures, agriculture, and heath sector of Nepal, NEFEJ has said in a press release. The effect of climate change is being seen in the nation’s economy as well, for which we are not being able to uncover its exact estimation. Therefore, NEFEJ requests all to pay heed to the Supreme Court directive in the name of the Government of Nepal to take necessary steps to deal with climate change. Supreme Court has asked the government to formulate laws as mentioned in Climate Change Policy 2067 until the enforcement of Climate Change Act.

There is a lack of detailed study on the destruction caused by climate change. Natural calamities occurring in recent years are in some way linked to climate change that has directly hindered human settlements, wildlife, aquatic biodiversity, and ecosystem. Due to excessive deforestation in the hills and Chure region, Tarai region of Nepal are in the process of desertification, NEFEJ has said. “Thus, it has become a necessity to incorporate climate adaptive plans in all the developmental projects. Failure to bring climate adaptive development plan might result havoc in future.” It further said that the development activities done without considering environmental aspects, excessive and haphazard use of dozers and excavators, excessive river mining, deforestation, and increased use of fossil fuel have further escalated the issues of climate change.

Therefore, it is utmost necessary to formulate an Act that would address the issues of climate change. In Nepal, Supreme Court has been playing a pivotal role in environmental conservation. Recently, Environment Protection Act was formulated following the decree of Supreme Court. Climate change which has become one of the major issues of the 21^st century, the concern shown by judiciary on mitigating its adverse effect should be considered by all the concerned stakeholders.

Since the formulation of Climate Change Act serves as a guidance to fulfil basic human rights to live in a clean environment as declared by the Constitution of Nepal, NEFEJ requests all the concerned stakeholders to adhere to the decision of the Supreme Court to draft and formulate the Climate Change Act.