Under the “Enhancing Local Capacities in Socially Inclusive Resilience in Asia (SIRA)” project, ICLEI South Asia conducted a virtual introductory training session on 30 June 2025 for selected municipalities in Nepal. The event marked the beginning of the training series programme to be conducted under the SIRA project to strengthen the capacity of 17 municipalities in Nepal, selected through an open call for expression of interest, on inclusive and climate-resilient urban development.  

This introductory session was conducted to provide the participants from the selected municipalities with a foundational understanding of climate change, climate resilience, disaster risk reduction (DRR), and Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) with a focus on urban settings. The event saw active participation of 31 municipal officials representing 14 municipalities. It was divided into three thematic sessions, each followed by open sessions for discussions and questions from the participants. 

In the first session, Rahul Singh, Senior Manager, Sustainability at ICLEI South Asia, introduced the participants to climate change, climate resilience, and concepts of vulnerability assessment. The discussion highlighted the integration of GEDSI into urban planning and examined the key climate risks and vulnerabilities that the municipalities in Nepal faced. The session underscored the critical role of resilience building in urban development.

Anuradha Adhikari, Assistant Manager, Climate and Energy, ICLEI South Asia, delved into the concepts of hazards, disaster risk and resilience and explored their connections with climate change in the second session. It provided an overview of the disaster risks in Nepal and emphasised the importance of DRR planning at the city level.

The third session focused on the principles of GEDSI within the framework of climate resilience. Bedoshruti Sadhukhan, Assistant Director of ICLEI South Asia, offered practical guidance on incorporating GEDSI considerations into DRR strategies and resilience planning, ensuring inclusive and equitable approaches to climate action.

In a plenary open discussion , participants shared the primary climate and disaster risks faced by them in their municipalities and discussed the actions being undertaken  to address them. The risk of landslides emerged as one of the major concerns for almost all participants.  They discussed common causes of landslides, including excessive rainfall due to a changing climate and unplanned infrastructure development. City representatives from Dhankuta, Suryodaya, and Kohalpur highlighted good practices such as the development of climate-smart villages, gender-friendly budgeting practices, and community-owned solid waste management practices to mitigate the risks related to landslides.  

This introductory training session marks the first step towards strengthening socially inclusive and climate-resilient urban governance in Nepal through informed local action.