Kathmandu, 31 Oct: Nepal has finally prepared an action plan in a bid to help the vulnerable communities across the country cope with the impacts of climate change.
The much awaited National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) to help the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) adapt to the urgent adaptation needs and it will be formally launched on Nov. 4, said Batu Krishna Uprety, joint-secretary and chief of Climate Change Management Division at the Ministry of Environment. “With the completion of NAPA, the government is eligible to apply for adaptation fund required to help the country to cope with the immediate effects of climate change,” he said.
NAPA is pre-requisite under the United Nations Convention on Climate Change for all LDCs to access the adaptation fund. It (NAPA) provides a process for the LDCs to identify, communicate and respond to their most urgent and “immediate adaptation” needs, and prioritise them. The total fund for NAPA project is US $ 1.325 million. The Global Environment Facility (GEF) that operates LDC Fund provided US$ 200,000 and UN’s Development Programme (UNDP) provided US$ 50,000 to implement NAPA project. Other funding agencies include DFID (US$ 875,000) and the Embassy of Denmark, Kathmandu (US$ 200,000), among others.
GEF is an independent Washington-based organisation financing the preparation of NAPAs which prioritises projects to help people adapt to some of the immediate effects of climate change. The process for preparation of NAPA started in 2007 after Nepal in 2007 asked the UNDP to be the implementing agency to help prepare the document. However, delay in appointing a climate change consultant and blame game between GEF and UN agencies further delayed the process by a year, according to ministry officials.
In January 2008, GEF decided to fund for the preparation of NAPA in Nepal and soon, after the decision, the government signed an agreement with UNDP on Nov. 14 for the implementation process. According to Uprety, the government and the stakeholders speeded up NAPA preparation process only after May, 2009 when GEF provided money. He said that Nepal has identified nine adaptation projects that needs immediate implementation plans to help the vulnerable people cope with the impacts of climate change. A total of US $ 350 million is needed as a short-term fund to meet the urgent needs of adaptation in Nepal. Uprety said that Nepal can now acquire fund from LDCF and Adaptation Fund established under UNFCCC to assist LDCs in adapting to the impacts of climate change.
Out of US $ 290 million in LDCF, Nepal can get at least US$ 6 million. There are 49 countries categorised as LDCs in the world.
