The population of the SAARC region out of the global population is about 23.7% of which many are poor and vulnerable and mostly living in rural area, directly depending on agricultural. With 23.7% share in global population, the region has only share 2.62% share in global income. Adding to this, 60% of the South Asian population are food producers but 34% of the world’s most-hungered too comes from the region. Due to the poverty and lack of technology and coping capacity, South Asian people are more vulnerable because of severe impacts of Climate Change, Disaster and Food insecurity.

This year the 18th SAARC summit will be held in Kathmandu on 26-27 November. Nepal is hosting SAARC summit for the third time. Being one of the most vulnerable regions to the impacts of climate change and disaster, SAARC has made several decisions on these issues in past. However, the implementation status of these past decisions are not satisfactory.

To ensure the implementation of the declarations, ahead of the upcoming meeting of the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC), Nepalese Youth for Climate Action (NYCA) organised a vibrant demonstration action to pressurise SAARC leaders to revisit the past decisions on climate change, food security and disaster and to ensure its effective implementation in Basantapur Durbar Square. NYCA urged the SAARC leaders to revisit SAARC’s past decisions on climate change – SAARC Action Plan on Climate Change, Dhaka Declaration on Climate Change and Thimphu Statement on Climate Change; Disasters – Agreement on Rapid Response to Natural Disaster and Comprehensive Framework on Disaster Management and Food insecurity– Agreement on Establishing the SAARC Food Bank and Agreement on Establishing the SAARC Seed Bank and take actions to implement these decisions to the benefit of the people living in this region.

Around 50 youths in Basantapur Durbar Square organised a flash mob that was followed by a very informative drama. The programme ended with a vigil organised. The 25-minute drama was centralised on the problems faced by South Asian countries and portrayed a (hypothetically) happier South Asia after the implementation of the declarations that SAARC leaders have agreed upon. While the drama was being performed, a vigil designed in the shape of the SAARC regional map was conducted. The candle lightning was done in memory of all those who lost their life due to the impacts of climate change, natural disaster and food insecurity.

Nepalese Youth for Climate Action (NYCA) is a youth lead coalition of the Nepalese youth and youth groups tackling climate change, the biggest challenge of our generation. NYCA was established in August 10, 2008 with the motto “Caring for Climate, Caring for Ourselves”. The coalition envisions an economically prosperous and sustainable Nepal where youth play an active role in leading the society towards cleaner future.

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