PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
Uttarakhand’s young climate delegate, Divya Jyoti Bijalwan has highlighted the climate vulnerability of Himalayan and mountain communities at a United Nations–led global climate forum, calling for climate justice, intergenerational equity and dedicated financial support for disaster-prone regions.
A co-author of the Global Youth Climate Statement, Bijalwan represented India at the international climate dialogue held in Brazil, which was attended by delegates from nearly 190 countries.
Sharing details of her participation alongside Purola MLA, Durgeshwar Lal in Dehradun on Friday, Bijalwan said that climate change has shifted from being a future risk to a present-day emergency for mountain states like Uttarakhand. She cited recurring disasters, including 2013 Kedarnath tragedy and repeated climate-linked incidents in Uttarkashi district, as evidence of rising exposure to extreme weather, glacial instability and landslides in the fragile Himalayan ecosystem.
Durgeshwar Lal described Bijalwan’s presence at the UN platform as a moment of pride for the State. “She powerfully highlighted a key imbalance in global climate policy, noting that although the Himalayan regions conserve nearly 70 per cent of forest cover and act as critical freshwater sources, they receive less than 1 per cent of the global climate finance, as per the international climate assessments,” he added.
At the forum, Bijalwan advocated meaningful youth participation in climate governance and the creation of a strategic global fund focused on vulnerable mountain regions. She also contributed to drafting UN youth statements that called for people-centric climate policies and stronger protection for frontline communities.
Linking local and global concerns, Bijalwan pointed to rising air pollution in cities such as Delhi, arguing that development without environmental safeguards undermines long-term economic and human security. She urged policymakers and the media to treat climate action as an immediate priority to protect future generations in Uttarakhand and beyond.
