Opening remarks by Woochong Um, ADB Managing Director General, at the launch of the Building Adaptation and Resilience in the Hindu Kush Himalayas Initiative at COP 28, 3 December 2023, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Honorable Minister of Forests and Environment of the Government of Nepal, representatives of the Government of Bhutan, dignitaries, and guests: good afternoon, and welcome to the ADB Pavilion.
The Hindu Kush Himalaya region has the largest ice reserves outside of the earth’s polar regions. It feeds 10 major river systems and sustains almost 2 billion people. Climate change is melting this ice at unprecedented rates.
My friends, the earth is our home, and our roof is melting. Communities are now at great risk. And the development projects meant to support them are, literally, being washed away. The region needs to adapt and build resilience to climate change. To meet this challenge, I am pleased to launch today’s initiative with you.
The Building Adaptation and Resilience in the Hindu Kush Himalayas Initiative is the result of shared commitment and strong collaboration between ADB, Nepal, and Bhutan. This new initiative will combine cutting edge risk assessment and risk management tools, such as insurance and risk transfer, to help guide investment decisions for large scale infrastructure.
As our ADB President has said many times before, supporting development and addressing climate change are not mutually exclusive. The Hindu Kush Himalaya region provides clear evidence of this. Our initiative responds to the new reality facing the region, and our world: that we can no longer have development without effective climate action.
We should be proud of our collaboration, which has made it possible to launch this initiative in Nepal and Bhutan. We hope to see it expanded to other countries. I am confident that our work together will show the world a path to a more resilient and sustainable future.
Thank you very much for your support.
Speaker
