Climate Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) Asia has released a policy brief titled ‘Climate Resilience Planning in Mountainous Regions in Nepal’, which has been jointly developed by ICLEI South Asia and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development under CDKN’s Knowledge Accelerator project.
The policy brief assesses the challenges in undertaking local climate mitigation and adaptation actions in Nepal municipalities and makes recommendations for developing and mainstreaming resilience plans. It aims to help municipalities and climate practitioners deal with challenges such as lack of clarity about the role of government agencies, lack of technical capacity among municipal staff, and limited finances by using available tools of resilience planning.
The existing policies on climate resilience in Nepal do consider the integration of climate mitigation, adaptation, and disaster risk reduction in development planning. However, they do not distinguish the responsibilities of local governments and regional governments in reducing GHG emissions or building resilience, leading to confusion over jurisdictions. This creates several challenges in the planning and implementation of climate-resilient strategies. The policy brief suggests that these challenges could be addressed through various strategies, such as the use of simple tools and processes like the Climate Resilient Cities Action Plan, and strengthening of the capacity of local governments through appropriate training. The brief is targeted towards climate practitioners in the government and non-government sector to encourage local resilience planning and development.