Sambaad2025

Parallel Session 12: Sustaining mountain economy Climate Change is seen and felt acutely in the mountains as it dramatically accelerates altitude-dependent temperatures. These changes threaten food and water insecurity, biodiversity, hazards, ecosystems, and cultural heritage. Further, migration, conflicts and economic losses are becoming rampant in these regions. Limiting warming to 1.5°C instead of 2°C is

Parallel Session 11: Bridging science and technology for mountain resilience Local communities, from the high Himalayan region to coastal areas, are increasingly experiencing the impacts of Climate Change, including rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, glacier melt, air pollution, environmental degradation and biodiversity loss. These adverse impacts are threatening livelihoods, food security and cultural heritage. For generations,

Parallel Session 10: Building an inclusive future: gender and intergenerational equity The climate crisis disproportionately affects women, girls, children, youth, the elderly, people with disabilities, and indigenous peoples in marginalized communities – particularly in the Global South – despite their minimal contribution to emissions. Indigenous communities endure land loss, displacement, and cultural erosion due to

Parallel Session 9: Sustainable cities and communities The climate crisis and urbanization are two of the most prominent drivers of change in the natural and human worlds, respectively. Both are human-induced, long-term and disproportionately affecting developing countries. These two challenges are converging, and each drives the other. Cities occupy only three per cent of the

Parallel Session 8: Addressing loss and damage in the mountains Rising global temperatures are driving severe climate impacts, including record-breaking floods, wildfires, droughts and thawing permafrost. These events have caused significant Loss and Damage (L&D) in vulnerable economies which are struggling to cope. Conservative projections estimate that climate-induced economic losses in developing countries will reach

Parallel Session 7: Mountain risk assessment and monitoring Mountains are among the most dynamic and fragile systems on the planet. These regions are increasingly vulnerable to cascading hazards like landslides, floods, glacial lake outbursts, and avalanches. Climate change amplifies these risks, endangering infrastructure, ecosystems, and the lives and livelihoods of mountain communities, and the billions

Parallel Session 6: Exploring nature, culture and adventure in the mountains The IPCC AR6 (2023) report clearly states that terrestrial, freshwater, cryospheric, coastal, and open ocean ecosystems have faced significant and, in some cases, irreversible harm due to climate change. At the same time, these regions serve as hubs for nature-based tourism across the globe. Mountain

Parallel Session 5: Powering the future: harnessing clean energy “Harnessing clean energy” is a global endeavour to utilize renewable energy sources like solar, wind, hydro, geothermal and biomass to power societies, aiming to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, mitigate climate change and achieve sustainable development. This has significant implications for environmental protection, energy security, and

Parallel Session 4: Community-led climate initiatives in the mountains Mountains are critical ecosystems that provide essential services and serve as home to approximately 15% of the global population (FAO, 2022). These communities are the most vulnerable to climate change, as rising temperatures accelerate glacier retreat, biodiversity loss, and disruptions to water cycles (IPCC, 2023). This