Nima Rinji Sherpa and Purnima Shrestha Become UNDP Nepal’s First Climate Influencers

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Nepal has announced its partnership with two internationally celebrated climate influencers– Nima Rinji Sherpa and Purnima Shrestha, on Earth Day 2025—as part of its expanding efforts to raise awareness about climate justice in Nepal.

The collaboration comes in the lead-up to UNDP’s social media campaign, #GenClima (in short #GENC), which showcases the rising generation of young people working on the realm of gender responsive climate action, mainly to spotlight the disproportionate impacts of climate change on vulnerable communities, especially women and indigenous populations.

Despite Nepal's negligible impact on global greenhouse gas emissions, people in the high mountainous and Himalayan regions are facing severe effects of climate change. As this trend continues, it leads to shrinking glaciers and melting permafrost, resulting in a decline in biodiversity. 

Climate change affects agriculture, health, drinking water, infrastructure, education, and livelihoods.

In 2020, a three-year study of UNDP and ICIMOD revealed that Nepal has 2,323 glacial lakes, with 47 of them being at very high risk. As a crucial part of the world's glacial system, these mountains require urgent collective efforts to be preserved for future generations. This campaign will not just be a hashtag—it will be a rallying cry for youth who refuse to be sidelined as the planet warms and inequality deepens.  

Kyoko Yokosuka, UNDP resident representative in Nepal, remarked, “Climate change transcends environmental parameters—it is fundamentally an issue of social justice. By collaborating with influencers like Purnima and Nima, we aim to bring greater visibility to climate-affected communities, while engaging the next generation in actionable climate discourse.” She added, “We want to make our voice louder for global attention and actions in the Sagarmatha Sambad for collective actions to save our mountains and the humanity”.

“The impacts of climate change are clearly visible in the Himalayas, where the rapid retreat of glaciers and shifting snowlines highlight the urgent need for comprehensive climate actions to protect vulnerable ecosystems and communities,” said Purnima Shrestha. "Climbing has become so much more dangerous now—our tools are meant for ice and snow, but all we're finding is bare rock."

Nima Rinji Sherpa shared his concerns, stating: “I can clearly see that snow in many mountain ranges is melting faster than expected. Glaciers are also melting and advancing at an alarming rate. While the initial melting provides freshwater to nearby villages, many communities may later face the disaster caused by the glacial lake outburst floods.”

This partnership marks a key moment in UNDP Nepal’s ongoing climate action efforts, including its work on adaptation, resilience, and inclusive policymaking. As part of the social media campaign, the influencers will engage in immersive storytelling at both national and international levels community visits, and interactive online content aimed at widening the public discourse on climate equity.