Nepal expedites NAP formulation

Krishna Adhikari, Kathmandu / Jan 4: The National Adaptation Plan (NAP) formulation process has been expedited to identify appropriate climate change adaptation needs and implement them in the medium and long-run.

The NAP is expected to propose climate change adaptation actions for mid (2018-2030 AD) and long-term (up to 2050 AD) bearing in mind the national policies towards that end and Sendai Framework for Disaster Reduction and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as well.

Minister for Population and Environment Jayadev Joshi hoped that the formulation of NAP taking place with the participation of multi-stakeholders and under the guidance of the government and its implementation would help institutionalise climate change adaptation efforts and minimise the climate change impacts.

The Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change at its 16th Session (COP 16) that was held in Cancun of Mexico in 2010 decided to formulate and implement NAPs for the developing and the the least developed countries (LDCs).

The COP 16 at Cancun in 2010, under the Cancun Adaptation Framework, established a process to enable LDC parties to formulate and implement NAPs and established Adaptation Committee including a work programme on loss and damage.

Likewise, the COP 17 at Durban, South Africa to COP 21 at Paris, France, several decisions have been made to expedite the NAP formulation process. The COP 17 decided initial guidelines on NAPs whereas the COP 21 invited LDCs to forward outputs, including NAP documents, and outcomes related to the NAP process to the NAP Central.

Article 7 of the Paris Agreement in 2015 establishes the global goal on adaptation, and calls Parties to engage in adaptation planning process such as formulation and implementation of NAPS, to share experiences and lessons learned on support needs, plans and actions through adaptation communication and to actively participate in global stock taking to enhance implementation of adaptation actions.

Nepal launched the NAP formulation process in September 2015. This has paved the way to explore supports and promote wider participation and engagement of partners and involve professionals in the NAP process. Nepal’s NAP has received initial and technical support from the UK AID, Action on Climate Today, Oxford Policy Management and Practical Action.

To the end of the year 2016, developing countries Brazil, Cameroon, Sri Lanka and Palestine and the LDCs Burkina Faso and Sudan have already formulated the NAPs.

As other LDCs, Nepal accords high priority to climate change adaptation and thereby it made efforts in enhancing awareness and collecting ideas and concerns to the NAP process.

It is believed the formulation of the NAP and its implementation will help Nepal get international assistance to the implementation of climate change adaptation actions.

Secretary at the Ministry of Population and Environment Dr Bishwonath Oli welcomed the efforts to formulate the plan while admitting to the failure earlier to make the plan due to various reasons following the introduction of the climate change policy in 2067 B.S.

“It will help make a guideline for collecting international financial aid,” he said.

So far local adaptation plans have been implemented in 14 districts in the course of implementing the national adaptation programme in 2067 B.S.

Nepal has received Rs 310 million (USD 2.9 million) for the plan from the Green Climate Fund, a fund within the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) founded as a mechanism to assist developing countries in adaptation and mitigation practices to counter climate change as per of the announcement made by the fund at the 16th United Nations climate change conference held in Marrakesh, Morocco two months ago.

Oli said it is expected that the national campaign to reduce climate change would be materialised by implementing the adaptation plan based on the suggestions from various respective ministries once it operates.

Thematic Working Groups are agriculture and food security, forest and biodiversity, water resources and energy, disasters like climate change, urban settlement and infrastructure, tourism, natural and cultural heritage and population (drinking water and sanitation) while gender and marginalised community while livelihood and good governance are the Cross-cutting working groups.

Likewise, alongside the draft plan, various reports on its situation, capacity, necessity and obstructions, priority of development and situation of vulnerability, tendency and scenario of climate change, calculation of vulnerability and risk, list of measures for climate adaptation and their priority, communication of the plan process and indicator for monitoring and evaluation will also be prepared, said NAP coordinator Naresh Sharma. RSS