Despite hug number of youth among the population in South Asia, SAARC summit have been like a talking pot till now. This year 18^th SAARC summit is going to be held in Kathmandu on 26-27 November. Nepal is hosting SAARC summit for the third time. Being one of the most vulnerable region to the impacts of climate change and disaster, SAARC has made several decisions on these issues in past. However, the implementation status of these past decisions are not satisfactory.

To ensure the implementation of the declarations, ahead of the upcoming meeting of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), Nepalese Youth for Climate Action (NYCA) organized a demonstration action to pressurize SAARC leaders to revisit the past decisions on climate change, food

security and disaster and to ensure its effective implementation in Basantapur Durbar Square today.

Around 50 youths in Basantapur Durbar Square performed a flash mob which was followed by a very informative drama and then the program ended with a candle lightning. About 25 minutes drama theme was centralized on the problems faced by people of South Asian countries and climax of the story showed the happier South Asia after the implementation of all those declaration that the SAARC leaders have made. In the midst of the drama, Candle lightning ceremony was done which was designed in the shape of SAARC’s map.

The candle lightning program was done in the memory of the people of SAARC Asian people who lost their life due to the impacts of Climate Change, Disaster and food insecurity.

The population of SAARC region out of global population is about 23.7% of which many are poor and vulnerable and mostly living in rural area, directly depending on agricultural. With 23.7% share in global population, the region has only share 2.62% share in global income. Adding to this, 60 % of the South Asian

population are food producers but still 34 % of the world’s hungry people lives in the region. Because of poverty and lack of technology and coping capacity, South Asian people are more vulnerable because of severe impacts of Climate Change, Disaster and Food insecurity.

"Through which we tried to urge the SAARC leaders to revisit SAARC’s past decisions on Climate change - SAARC Action Plan on Climate Change, Dhaka Declaration on Climate Change and Thimphu Statement on Climate Change; Disasters – Agreement on Rapid Response to Natural Disaster and Comprehensive Framework on Disaster Management and Food insecurity– Agreement on Establishing the SAARC Food Bank and Agreement on Establishing the SAARC Seed Bank and take actions to implement these decisions to the benefit of the people living in this region," said a press release.  

Nepalese Youth for Climate Action (NYCA) is a youth lead coalition of the Nepalese youth and youth groups tackling climate change, the biggest challenge of our generation. NYCA was established in August 10, 2008 with the motto “Caring for Climate, Caring for Ourselves”.

"We envision an economically prosperous and sustainable Nepal where youth play an active role in leading the society towards cleaner future," said a press release.