November 30, 2021 – A new USD 6-million-project is building the resilience of urban residents of Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, against the impacts of climate change, such as flooding, landslides and drought.
The project, funded by the Global Environment Facility’s Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) and executed by the Kathmandu Valley Development Authority (KVDA), is establishing and restoring urban green spaces and installing rainwater harvesting systems to improve water availability for communities.
The project officially launched on the 30th November at an event in the Everest Hotel, Kathmandu, attended by government officials, municipality representatives, and other key stakeholders.
The approach of using nature-based solutions to reduce the negative impacts of climate change, be it floods, droughts or sea-level rise, is known as ‘ecosystem-based adaptation’.
A growing body of scientific research, including the Adaptation Gap Report 2021, highlight that nature-based solutions play a key role in adapting to climate change. The Glasgow Climate Pact from the COP26 negotiations also recognised the critical role of “restoring nature and ecosystems in delivering benefits for climate adaptation”.
In the Kathmandu Valley, the largest urban area in Nepal, climate change is leading to an increased frequency of flooding, landslides and droughts, which together with urban expansion and inadequate urban planning are negatively affecting the urban communities.
“Cities are becoming increasingly vulnerable from adverse effects of climate change and with rapid urbanization, more and more people living in urban cities are experiencing adverse effects of climate change,” said Jessica Troni, Head of the Climate Change Adaptation Unit at UNEP. “This project aims to build the resilience of local communities in the Kathmandu Valley against these impacts.”
The project is implementing ecosystem-based adaptation by establishing urban green spaces, rehabilitating an existing wetland, and restoring urban community forests to improve groundwater recharge, which defends cities against the impacts of both floods and droughts. The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration was launched this year with the recognition of the multiple benefits that nature and ecosystems have for countries’ development agendas.
In addition, by constructing rainwater harvesting systems and installing infiltration pits the project is increasing water supplies for vulnerable urban communities.
“This project will help in climate adaptation by minimizing the impact of climate change through capacity building of development partners in the Kathmandu Valley,” said Minister Ram Kumari Jhakri from the Ministry of Urban Development, Nepal.
“The project is also establishing a research programme and a knowledge-sharing platform to raise awareness on the benefits of urban ecosystem-based adaptation amongst local communities and decision-makers”, said Moon Shrestha, UNEP’s Task Manager for the new project.
As part of the broader global efforts to promote ecosystem-based adaptation, the 30 million euro Global EbA Fund, co-managed by UNEP and IUCN, is providing seed capital to innovative ecosystem-based adaptation projects. Furthermore, last week on the 25th November, UNEP launched a brand-new e-course to help countries integrate ecosystem-based adaptation into their National Adaptation Plans.
To learn more about the project, titled ‘Urban Ecosystem-based Adaptation for Climate-resilient Development in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal’, visit here or contact Jessica.troni@un.org
For more information about UNEP’s work in ecosystem-based adaptation, visit here.
