Climate Change has emerged out to be one of the major problems of our generation and South Asia is the region in the world that will be severely hit by climate change in different sectors.  Impacts of Climate change in the South Asian region are already being felt. South Asia is home to a fifth of the world's population, and 40 percent of its poor, the region which includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Climate change is already taking place, and the South Asian countries, particularly the poorest people, are most at risk. South Asia is going to face vast problems with climate change and this is related to poverty and the very varied climate and geography in the region.

The impact of climate change on agriculture is an issue of great significance to the lives and livelihoods of millions of poor people in South Asia who depend on agriculture for survival. Agriculture is the mainstay of several economies in South Asia and it is also the largest source of employment. The Himalayan range contains high altitude glaciers that supply water to many rivers in Asia. These rivers provide water to more than half of the world’s population. In South Asia, water encompasses the cultural, social, economic and political fabric in the lives of some 1.5 billion people. Many people in Asia are dependent on glacial melt water during dry season. Accelerated glacial melt questions the very perennial nature of many of the Himalayan flowing rivers. This is likely to have huge implications on those dependent on the resource affecting water availability for agricultural purposes. In Nepal and Bhutan, melting glaciers are filling glacial lakes beyond their capacities contributing to Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) (UNEP, 2007).

The region remains highly vulnerable to droughts and floods that not only devastate lives and livelihoods, but also undermine progress on economic growth and poverty alleviation. Every year, some part of the region is usually in the grip of a devastating drought or in the fury of a flood.

The region’s economy and predominantly rural livelihoods heavily depend on the timely arrival and performance of the monsoons. The monsoon is the most significant climate event: it carries over 70 percent of the region’s annual precipitation in only four months. The impacts of Climate change are being felt at the monsoon pattern of the region.
                                                                                                      
As rising seas, floods and cyclones are increasingly putting millions of people at risk in South Asia. Low-lying coastal cities will be at the forefront of impacts; vulnerable to the risks of sea level rise and storms. These cities include Karachi, Mumbai, and Dhaka all of which have also witnessed significant environmental stresses in recent years. As climate change will adversely impact farm livelihoods, migration to urban areas in search of economic opportunities is likely to increase, putting greater pressure on scarce housing, water, sanitation facilities, and energy services. These concerns are exemplified by the July 2005 floods in Mumbai, India’s commercial capital, caused by a record level of precipitation within 24 hours, which brought life to a standstill and resulted in economic losses of Rs 90 billion.

Young people of South Asia have identified this absence of youth aspirations on climate change as a concern, and have decided to hold the first ever South Asian Youth summit on climate change from September 03-06, 2009.

The aim of the summit is to provide a platform for youth to define climate change from their viewpoint and to engage in dialogue on possible solutions through steadfast and resolute action, in order to fight climate change and to propagate the values and principles of sustainable development.