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In the mountains of Nepal, climate change does not arrive as a distant warning. It arrives as melting glaciers, erratic rainfall, floods and landslides that directly affect people every year.
For Prakriti Koirala, growing up in Nepal meant an early understanding of the profound impact of climate change. She chose to study environmental science because she wanted solutions. Like many young people witnessing climate change firsthand, she believed understanding the ecosystems around her could help protect them.
But very early on, she realized that science alone is not enough. "Decisions are made in negotiation rooms, and if people like us from vulnerable countries are not present there, our realities may not be reflected properly," she explains.
That moment became a turning point. Instead of stopping at classroom knowledge, she began following the global climate negotiation processes under the UNFCCC.
In 2021, Prakriti stepped into that world by supporting Nepal’s national delegation. She assisted with coordination. She attended Subsidiary Body sessions and COP meetings. She listened and learned. "I learned how complex climate diplomacy is,"she says, "but also how much space there is for youth voices to be strengthened."
From participation to leadership
Nepal is one of 44 Least Developed Countries (LDC) and part of the LDC Group on Climate Change. Through continued involvement, Prakriti became part of coordination efforts within the LDC Group, the coalition representing countries most vulnerable to climate impacts. She was eventually entrusted with the role of Youth Coordinator for the LDC Group.
"It was not something I planned from the beginning," she says. "But it grew organically." For Prakriti, youth advocacy is not about representation for its own sake. "Youth advocacy is not symbolic," she explains. "It is about ensuring that the people who will live longest with these decisions are part of shaping them."
Her vision for meaningful youth engagement in global climate processes was shaped by lived realities back home. Nepal is one of the most climate-vulnerable LDCs. "In mountainous regions, communities are often isolated, and climate impacts are amplified," she explains. "When a glacier lake outburst flood happens or when rainfall patterns shift, it affects livelihoods immediately, especially those of women, farmers, young people and indigenous communities."
Prakriti has seen how climate stress reshapes entire futures. "In many rural communities, young people migrate because climate stress reduces opportunities at home."
"So when we talk about youth engagement, it cannot just mean inviting young people to conferences," she says. "It has to mean listening to those realities: migration, loss of livelihoods, food insecurity and integrating them into policy and then implementing those."
For her, meaningful youth engagement rests on three pillars:
"Youth must be in negotiation spaces, not just as observers but as contributors."
"Youth from LDCs need financial and institutional support to participate."
"And engagement must connect global decisions back to local communities."
Strengthening prosperity, security and stability in LDCs
Prakriti highlights that many LDCs have a large potential for renewable energy and would have much to gain from their use, as it reduces dependence on imported fossil fuels, improves energy security and creates local jobs. Green industrialization would allow LDCs to leapfrog old, polluting development models.
"Economic stress and climate shocks often contribute to migration and insecurity,” she notes. “By investing in resilient, green and inclusive economies, LDCs can build stability from the ground up."
Gender, social inclusion and climate action
Youth and gender perspectives together can be a powerful instrument to strengthen national and global climate policies.
"Young women, especially in LDCs, often sit at the intersection of climate vulnerability and structural inequality," she explains. "They understand energy poverty, unpaid care burdens, water scarcity, food insecurity, not from reports, but from their daily life."
When those experiences shape climate policy, solutions become more practical and grounded. "Adding structured youth and women’s engagement strengthens our moral authority and makes our proposals more holistic and inclusive," she notes.
Prakriti believes young women leaders bring something uniquely powerful to sustainable energy, green industrialization and climate action. "Young women leaders bring resilience and community connection," she says. "We are deeply rooted in local contexts while also navigating global platforms. That dual perspective is powerful."
We focus on inclusion, on ensuring benefits reach communities, not just industries, she explains. "In sustainable energy and green industrialization, young women leaders are pushing for solutions that are decentralized, community-owned, and socially just, not just technically efficient," she underlines.
"Gender equality is not a side issue," she stresses. "It determines whether climate policies succeed or fail." In many Least Developed Countries, women manage the daily realities of energy, food and water systems. "If they are excluded from energy planning or climate finance mechanisms, solutions will not work on the ground."
Sustainable energy access improves women’s health, saves time and increases economic opportunities. Green industrialization can create jobs for youth and women if designed intentionally. "Without gender equality, transitions risk deepening existing inequalities," she notes.
Recognizing this direct link between inclusion and impact, Prakriti had a leading role in developing the LDC Group's Gender, Youth and Social Inclusion Framework, which was supported by a Global Environment Facility (GEF) funded project implemented by UNIDO.
Connecting science, policy and lived experience
Through her work connected with regional institutions like the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and the regional Centre of excellence for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Capability for the Hindu Kush Himalaya (REEECH)1, she has seen how science and community voices must inform one another. "Organizations must go beyond consultation," she says.
They need structured platforms where young women from affected communities directly inform research, policy briefs and negotiation positions, she explains. "It is essential to institutionalize youth engagement mechanisms and ensure that inputs from young women are not just one-off interventions."
Ultimately, Prakriti’s vision of a climate-just transition is rooted in fairness, opportunity and identity:
"First, historical responsibility must be acknowledged."
"Second, the transition must create opportunities for youth and women."
"And third, it must protect culture and identity."
Prakriti highlights: "A climate-just transition for LDCs means moving toward a green future without leaving behind rural communities, young people or women," and adds that development needs to be "resilient, inclusive and dignified."
And from the melting glaciers of Nepal to the global climate change negotiation rooms of the world, this is the vision she carries forward and the future she is working for.
1 REEECH is one of eight regional centresunder the Global Network of Regional Sustainable Energy Centres (GN-SEC)programme managed by UNIDO. For more information: https://www.gn-sec.net/.
