Leading Nepal's National Adaptation Programme of Action
Nepal,
ongoing
As a least developed country Party to the UNFCCC and in accordance with the decisions of the seventh session of the Conference of Parties on Climate Change, Nepal prepared its National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) to Climate Change in September 2
As a least developed country Party to the UNFCCC and in accordance with the decisions of the seventh session of the Conference of Parties on Climate Change, Nepal prepared its National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) to Climate Change in September 2010. SNV led in the development process of NAPAs, through a series of extensive consultative processes to address the most urgent and immediate needs of adaptation. The effective implementation of NAPA priorities will provide multiple opportunities to help climate vulnerable communities and ecosystems cope with the adverse impacts of climate change, and improve livelihoods by addressing most urgent and immediate adaptation needs.
The Government of Nepal is currently in the implementation phase of the National Adaptation Programmes of Action at national level and Local Level Planning is still under development. In addition the National Low Carbon Development Strategies (LCDS) of Nepal have also been finalised. There are now on-going discussions with the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment to develop National Adaptation Plans (NAPs).
National Framework on Local Adaptation Plans for Action
In order to localise climate change adaptation, Nepal has adopted a National Framework on Local Adaptation Plans for Action (LAPA) to ensure the integration of adaptation and resilience into local and national planning processes. This ensures bottom-up, inclusive, responsive and flexible planning. The LAPA contributes to sensitizing local people and stakeholders, carrying out vulnerability and adaptation assessments; identifying, selecting and prioritising adaptation options; and formulating and implementing adaptation plans. The framework provides opportunities to develop and implement a stand-alone LAPA and/or integrate adaptation options into the regular planning and implementation processes. At present, Nepal is implementing LAPAs in 90 Village Development Committees and 7 Municipalities – the most locally based administrative units in the country. Similarly, about 375 local adaptation plans and nearly 2200 Community Adaptation Plans of Action (CAPAs) for community forests have been developed.
Progressing to a National Adaptation Plan
In 2015, Nepal launched a process to formulate and implement a National Adaptation Plan (NAP) to address medium and long-term adaptation needs and reduce climate vulnerabilities. The process engages ministry-led Thematic Working Groups and aims to be participatory and transparent by promoting local ownership and extensive consultation. This will also support the integration of climate change adaptation into sectoral policies, strategies, plans and programmes.
