Climate justice is often discussed in terms of global negotiations, climate finance, and international commitments. However, a roundtable discussion on "The Role of CSOs for Climate Justice in Nepal," organized by Digo Bikas Institute in collaboration with World's Youth for Climate Justice (WYCJ), Power Shift Nepal, and WE-Women from Indigenous Nationalities (WE-WIN), reminded participants that meaningful climate action begins much closer to home, with communities.
The event brought together youth, civil society representatives, lawyers, Indigenous leaders, researchers, and climate advocates to discuss how civil society organizations (CSOs) can contribute to climate justice in Nepal. Throughout the session, the discussion moved from international climate law to Indigenous rights, climate litigation, evidence-based advocacy, and one message remained consistent: civil society organizations (CSOs) have a much larger role than implementing projects. They connect communities with policymakers, support research, advocate for better policies, strengthen local capacity, and, when necessary, use legal avenues to defend environmental rights.
The discussion began with Sagarika Bhatta, who highlighted the importance of youth and women in climate leadership. She stressed that climate justice should not remain limited to international conferences but should begin at the community level. Research, policy, and local experiences need to work together if climate action is to benefit the people most affected. We were reminded that meaningful participation is more important than simply including young people or women for representation.
1. Context & International Developments
The conversation then explored how climate justice is increasingly becoming part of international law. Prajwol Bikram Rana shared the journey of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory opinion process, which began in 2019 when a group of law students sought greater legal clarity on climate responsibility. Their efforts later contributed to the historic UN General Assembly resolution adopted on 29 March 2023, leading to the message, "The Court has spoken; governments must act." He also highlighted Nepal's contribution to this global movement, including the involvement of Nepali law students and the country's advocacy in international forums. Looking ahead, he encouraged CSOs and youth to look beyond the UNFCCC COP process and actively engage in biodiversity conferences, legal forums, and other international platforms where climate decisions are shaped.
2. Indigenous Perspectives & Realities
Speaking from the perspective of Indigenous communities, Pema Wangmo Lama emphasized that there is often a gap between policies and the realities on the ground. While Indigenous rights are recognized in policies and the Constitution, meaningful participation is still limited in practice. She spoke about the importance of protecting Indigenous peoples' rights to land, territory, and self-determination, while respecting traditional governance systems such as Kipat, Guthi, Badhghar, and Beja. She also pointed out that development projects, including hydropower and protected areas, often move forward without Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) from affected communities. Another important point she raised was that traditional Indigenous knowledge is frequently appreciated in discussions but overlooked when decisions are actually made. She called for climate interventions that are designed from the ground up, based on the lived experiences of local communities rather than only policy documents.
3. Environmental Degradation, Data & Legal Precedents
The discussion then moved to litigations and environmental justice with Arnab Chaudhary. He explained that although Nepal contributes very little to global greenhouse gas emissions, it continues to face severe climate impacts. However, without strong scientific evidence and reliable data, Nepal often struggles to demonstrate these impacts in international forums. He shared examples of rapid glacier retreat, the growing number of glacier lakes that increase the risk of GLOFs, prolonged droughts in districts such as Dhanusha and Siraha, and changing agricultural patterns across the Terai.
He also highlighted how climate litigation has strengthened environmental rights in Nepal. Referring to landmark cases such as the Godavari Marble Case and later climate litigation, he discussed how these legal efforts helped establish the right to a clean environment and recognize climate change as a threat to human life. He further spoke about concerns over manipulated Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), particularly in the Bagmati and Kamala river cases, and emphasized the importance of Articles 30 and 35 of Nepal's Constitution, the Polluter Pays Principle, ILO Convention 169, and evidence-based advocacy. His key message was that research, media, policy, and legal action must work together to bring meaningful change.
4. What Came Out of the Roundtable
The final roundtable discussion encouraged participants to openly share their experiences and ideas. A common concern was that climate advocacy in Nepal remains largely Kathmandu-centered, while provinces such as Karnali continue to receive limited attention despite facing significant climate risks. Participants also emphasized the need for stronger collaboration among CSOs, community organizations, Indigenous institutions, and networks such as FECOFUN, along with greater intergenerational learning between experienced practitioners and young climate leaders.
Another important discussion focused on the role of CSOs beyond project implementation. Participants highlighted that CSOs should continue strengthening policy advocacy, research, capacity building, litigation, community mobilization, and monitoring whether climate commitments are actually implemented. They also stressed the need to create safe spaces for environmental defenders and to ensure that climate justice is not treated simply as a funding opportunity or limited to international conferences, but remains rooted in the needs and voices of local communities.
4. Looking Ahead
Although the speakers came from different backgrounds like law, civil society, Indigenous advocacy, and youth leadership, they shared a common message. Climate justice cannot be achieved through policies alone. It requires strong community participation, evidence-based advocacy, legal accountability, and meaningful collaboration among governments, CSOs, researchers, and local communities. As Nepal continues to face increasing climate risks, discussions like this are important in shaping more inclusive and locally driven climate action.
This blog reflects on a roundtable discussion on “The Role of CSOs for Climate Justice in Nepal,” attended by Niharika Bhattarai and Yadav Singh Dhami, highlighting the role of civil society, youth, Indigenous communities, research, and legal advocacy in advancing locally grounded climate justice in Nepal. Special thanks to Yadav Singh Dhami for co-authoring this reflection.