KATHMANDU: Lawmakers from across the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region have gathered in Kathmandu for the HKH Parliamentarians’ Meet 2025 – Sustaining Nature, Empowering People, a two-day event focused on regional cooperation in addressing climate change, biodiversity loss, disaster risks, and pollution.

The meet, being held at The Soaltee Hotel from August 18–19, is organized with support from the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). It aims to provide a platform for parliamentarians from HKH countries to access the latest knowledge on regional challenges, share best practices, and discuss collective policy actions.

The HKH region faces mounting socio-economic and ecological pressures with far-reaching impacts on livelihoods, ecosystems, and human well-being. Despite common challenges, parliamentarians across the eight HKH countries have lacked a dedicated regional platform to deliberate on shared priorities and solutions.

“Parliamentarians play a critical role in shaping legislation, policies, and public opinion. This meet is an opportunity to strengthen their capacity to advocate for pro-planet, pro-mountain, and pro-climate actions at national, regional, and global levels,” the organizers said in a statement.

Key Goals

The knowledge-sharing event is designed to:

• Sensitize parliamentarians to the HKH’s socio-economic and ecological fragility and international commitments under global environmental agreements.
• Enhance understanding of climate change, biodiversity loss, and air pollution trends across the HKH.
• Familiarize lawmakers with the impacts on women, youth, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities.
• Facilitate exchange of ideas, experiences, and best parliamentary practices to co-identify solutions through regional cooperation.

The meet is expected to equip parliamentarians with knowledge and tools to advocate more effectively for mountain issues, encourage enabling policies and legislation aligned with regional and global agreements, and explore the establishment of an HKH parliamentarians’ platform to sustain dialogue and collaboration on common challenges.

The event is part of the HI-REAP (Regional Action and Global Advocacy) action area, strategically geared toward advancing climate resilience and sustainable mountain development in one of the world’s most fragile ecosystems.