JANAKPUR, September 26, 2025 – In a powerful demonstration of grassroots advocacy, an event titled “Intersection of Youth and Climate Justice: Interacting with Ground Realities through Art and Policy Dialogue” brought together youth, indigenous peoples, women, and persons with disabilities to confront the devastating impacts of climate change in Nepal’s Madhesh Province.

Organized by the National Indigenous Disabled Women Association Nepal (NIDWAN) and co-organized by local bodies including MIDWAN, NYCA – Janakpurdham, Climate Change Pioneers Madhesh, and Yuwaah, the event aimed to amplify marginalized voices and drive inclusive policy solutions. The initiative comes at a crucial time, as Madhesh Province—the nation’s ‘Grain Basket’—grapples with extreme weather events like prolonged droughts and recurring floods, which have been declared a disaster-affected zone by the government.

Art Translates Lived Realities into Action

The program began with a stirring Art & Creative Expression session where young participants used paintings, drawings, and slogans to visualize the crisis. Their artwork highlighted stark issues: the displacement caused by floods and riverbank erosion, the threat to livelihoods from drought and food insecurity, and the local pollution from plastic waste. This creative expression served to humanize the complex policy issues, bridging emotional understanding with the need for systemic change.

Youth Discussions Chart a Path to Resilience

Participants were divided into five discussion groups to identify problems and propose concrete solutions. The resulting proposals emphasized a dual approach of immediate community action and long-term systemic change:

• Group I focused on agricultural resilience, proposing climate-smart agriculture and the use of wastewater treatment systems.
• Group II pushed for increased awareness through cleanup campaigns and the revitalization of indigenous farming skills.
• Group IV tackled urban issues, advocating for robust waste segregation systems, promotion of plastic alternatives, and local enforcement of environmental laws.
• Group V stressed the need for systemic change through the integration of climate education into school curricula and increased budget allocation for adaptation projects.

Panel Demands Intersectional Policymaking

The high-level panel discussion underscored the need for policies that acknowledge the layered vulnerabilities within the community. Pratima Gurung (Founding President, NIDWAN) stressed the necessity of intersectional approaches, ensuring policies reflect the “triple discrimination” faced by indigenous women with disabilities based on gender, disability, and indigeneity.

Bikash Sah (Network Coordinator, NYCA – Janakpurdham) pointed out a critical gap in implementation, noting the lack of policy coherence between the local, provincial, and federal government levels. Meanwhile, Dipika Lama (President, MIDWAN) insisted on the meaningful participation and recognition of marginalized groups in climate decision-making.

Adding a strong advocacy perspective, Sachin Kumar Singh (Environmental Advocate) cited large-scale case studies like the Nijgadh Airport project and unsustainable Chure degradation to argue for stronger environmental safeguards and evidence-based policy.

A Precedent for Inclusive Climate Action

The event concluded with a clear commitment to Inclusivity in Climate Policy, Youth Empowerment, and the promotion of Community-Driven Solutions. The collaborative nature of the organizers—including NIDWAN’s focus on disability, MIDWAN’s local-level gender and disability focus, and NYCA’s youth mobilization—sets a vital precedent for an inclusive, intersectional, and community-driven journey toward climate justice in Nepal.

The dialogue made it unequivocally clear that achieving climate justice in Madhesh requires not only reducing climate risks but also addressing profound issues of equity, inclusion, and governance.