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A national workshop developed a common understanding on how best to advance the NAP process, with a view to integrating adaptation into socioeconomic and environmental policies.
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80+ national stakeholders took stock of the collective efforts of all seven provinces of Nepal on adaptation planning priorities.
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Participants shared their views on specific adaptation measures and activities that should be reflected in Nepal's NAP.
27 August 2019, Kathmandu - The government of Nepal has held a national level consultation workshop to share the outcomes of its recent seven provincial level workshops on its NAP. The objective is to lay the groundwork for integrating adaptation into development planning, with support from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Key outcomes from the provincial workshops include the need for a stronger integration of local governments into the NAP process, a better coordinated mechanism for multilevel policy alignment at all levels of government, an increased understanding of progress on adaptation at the national, subnational and local levels, and the need for developing innovative funding mechanisms and revising existing funding strategies for financing adaptation activities.
Held within the framework of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) readiness and preparatory support project, titled Building Capacity to Advance National Adaptation Plan Process in Nepal (hereinafter referred to as the GCF NAP project), this three-year project aims to make a significant contribution towards enhancing the institutional coordination mechanism in Nepal.
‘Nepal as a mountainous and land-locked least developed country is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change. The NAP document to be formulated from this project would have to address the needs and priorities of government at all levels, all the way down to the local level,’ said His Excellency Minister Shaktibahadur Basnet of the Nepalese Ministry of Forests and Environment.
Nepal, through the GCF NAP project, will put in place the capacity for establishing funding strategies for the implementation of its NAP process with a periodic monitoring and review, drawing upon methodologies for understanding baselines and progression of vulnerability and risks in Nepal.
More than 80 representatives from federal government, civil society, private sector and international partners attended the NAP national workshop in Kathmandu on 27 August 2019.
‘Nepal’s efforts on the adaptation process should go hand in hand with the efforts to achieve sustainable development goals," said Dr Krishna P Oli, Member of the National Planning Commission. "The stakeholders consulted today would be key allies for the Government of Nepal in advancing its NAP process as they provide necessary input and ideas from their respective sectors and regions."
Following the high-level segment, a technical session took place, focusing on NAP concepts and national perspectives. Participants engaged in discussing the latest information on the newly established National Climate Change Policy 2076 and its linkages with the NAP to synthesise learning and outcomes of the seven provincial workshops.
Dr. Bishwa Nath Oli, Secretary at the Ministry of Forests and Environment said: “The experience gained with the first phase of the NAP process in Nepal would serve as a guidance for this second phase we are in. The eight thematic areas and four cross-cutting sectors identified in the new national climate policy will provide a framework to advance technical work led by working groups.”
He continued: “The Pokhara provincial workshop I personally attended underscored the readiness of the subnational level stakeholders whose relevant knowledge and willingness to work towards achieving a country-driven NAP process.”
In a break-out group session in the afternoon, participants shared their views on specific adaptation measures and activities that should be reflected in Nepal's NAP.
“The lessons learned from the seven provincial workshops underscore the importance of fostering dialogue, coordination, collaboration and coherence among relevant processes at all levels of government with a clear roadmap,” said Dr Maheshwar Dhakal, Joint Secretary and Chief, Climate Change Management Division, Ministry of Forests and Environment
For more information on the Nepal NAP project, contact jisun.hwang@un.org
