The issue of climate change in Nepal
Amcons aute dunt aliqu
SNAKE SKIN: Natur's a geniour designer
Gray and orange!
14
in Nepal
The geographical diversity in Nepal explains the wide variety of climates found in the small country. Even though the country is responsible for a small share of greenhouse gas emissions, of 0.025%, it is bearing an unbalanced share of climate change effects. With increasing temperatures, especially in the mountain region, retreating glaciers and extremer rainfalls and droughts, the government of Nepal has been making significant efforts to address the issue of climate change.
The Environment Protection Act, 2053 (1997) is the norm that addresses the protection of natural resources. It includes rules about how to carry out environmental impact assessments, prevent pollution, protect the national heritage and determine that certain areas are environmentally protected. Besides, the government, pursuant to this law, may create committees that will work towards environmental protection, and fines may be imposed on those acting against the provisions of the text. The Act is further developed by the Environment Protection Rules, 2054 (1997), which elaborate on the provisions of the law in the named fields. In addition, Nepal is a party to numerous multilateral treaties on environmental protection, and several policies have been enacted to deal with climate change. The named policies include the Climate Change Policy, 2011, the National Adaptation Program of Action to Climate Change, 2010, the Climate Change Vulnerability Mapping in Nepal, 2010, the National Framework on Local Adaptation Plans for Action, 2011 and the Status of Climate Change in Nepal, 2011.
The National Adaptation Programme of Action to Climate Change was formulated in 2010 and presented to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It distinguishes nine top priorities and focuses on an approach were several stakeholders play a role. The projected cost of the plans included in this program was 350 million dollars.
Another key document is the Climate Change Policy, 2011. It explicitly refers to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment report and draws on the findings of that document. The document recognizes the quandary that climate change supposes, as scientific evidence shows. The goals outlined include, among others, the need to reduce noisome gas emissions, raising consciousness and the establishment of a scheme to accurately forecast the impact of climate change by 2021. This text focuses on the role of communities to address the issue of climate change.
At the institutional level, the competence in matters of climate change lies with the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment. The Climate Change Council, chaired by the prime minister, was created in 2009 to coordinate and guide in climate change policies and projects.
Within the ministry, there is a division dedicated to climate change management, created as per the advice of the Climate Change Council. These organisms have been channeling the government’s efforts through several mechanisms. Given the particularly delicate situation of climate change impact in the mountains, the council also established the Mountain Alliance Initiatives (MAI). In addition, awareness platforms have been organized, committees set up and specialized action plans undertaken to fulfill international commitments stemming from treaties such as the Rio Convention and the Kyoto Protocol.
However, the scarcity of resources is hampering the government’s determination, and has impeded the modeling and evaluation of climate change effects. The government has nevertheless negotiated with international donors to attract funding in international forums. In fact, the Climate Change Policy, 2011 explicitly provides for the creation of a Climate Change Fund to deal with the matter of securing financial assets at the national and international levels.
The international community is hence involved in climate change missions in Nepal. NGOs such as WWF and Oxfam, and international organisms like UNDP have ongoing projects in the country. Donors for these endeavors include the European Union and the Department for International Development in the United Kingdom. There are also local civil society organizations involved, some of them grouped under the Climate Change Network Nepal. Furthermore, Nepal is part of the Pilot Programme on Climate Resilience (PPRC), which is included in the Climate Investment Fund (CIF) and coordinated by the World Bank. International funding from other countries and supranational organizations thus contributes to add to the limited resources available at the national level.
By Aurora Sanchez