HCI Climate Impact Tour 2026 – Part 1: Nepal

HCI Climate Impact Tour 2026 – Part 1: Nepal (February 12–15)

SOUMITRA DAS

HCI ( Healthy Climate Initiative)’s visit to Nepal was not merely successful – it was deeply meaningful.

A central highlight of the tour was a meeting with Pema Gyamtsho, Director General of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). The conversation was substantive and forward-looking. ICIMOD has accepted an invitation to lead the plenary session on Himalayan Glaciers, Floods, and Water Security at the upcoming Climate Cooling Summit.

This development is significant.

The Himalayas are not simply a regional landscape – they are the water tower for nearly two billion people across South Asia. Discussions also explored the possibility of joint proposals focused on cryosphere protection, an area growing increasingly urgent as glacial retreat accelerates across the region.

Managing Extreme Climate Risks – ICIMOD Seminar

A seminar on Managing Extreme Climate Risks was warmly received by ICIMOD scientists. What stood out was the depth of engagement – thoughtful questions, sharp critiques, and a shared recognition that managing high-mountain climate risks requires bold thinking grounded in scientific rigor.

Youth & Universities: The Next Generation of Climate Leaders

The climate workshops at Tribhuvan University and Kathmandu University were engaging and energizing.

Students are no longer questioning whether the climate crisis is real. They are asking:

• What can be done?
• Which solutions are scalable?
• How can glacier protection move beyond monitoring toward active safeguarding?
• How can TU and KU become global hubs for dialogue on mountain glacier protection?

These are the right questions.

A constructive meeting was also held with Prof. Bhim Shrestha and the Secretariat of the Himalayan University Consortium, exploring pathways for sustained regional academic collaboration.

Beauty and Vulnerability

Nepal is breathtaking — truly in the lap of the Himalayas. Yet behind this beauty lies fragility.

Nepal ranks among the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world. Glacial melt, flash floods, erratic monsoons, landslides, and growing water insecurity threaten livelihoods that have contributed almost nothing to global emissions. The injustice is stark: communities least responsible for the crisis are often the first and hardest hit.

What This Visit Reinforced

• The Himalayas are central to South Asia’s future stability.
• Cryosphere protection must evolve from discussion to structured research collaboration.
• Universities and young scientists are ready to engage.
• Regional institutions such as ICIMOD are essential partners in shaping responsible climate risk strategies.

The Nepal leg of the HCI Climate Impact Tour underscored a powerful truth: safeguarding the Himalayas is not only an environmental imperative — it is foundational to the region’s long-term stability and resilience.

Dr. Soumitra Das is a visionary leader blending expertise from leadership roles in Fortune 500 companies, the US Government, and global telecommunications standards groups. Trained as a Climate Reality Leader by former US Vice President Al Gore, he spearheads impactful initiatives like glacier preservation, large-scale rewilding, and the Climate Awareness for National Cooling Strategy. Dr. Das drives bold, innovative solutions to mitigate climate impacts and secure a sustainable future. He holds degrees from George Mason University and The Wharton School.

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