Kathmandu, 21 November 2023 – Nepal has today launched its first National Adaptation Plan (NAP), a comprehensive strategy aimed at bolstering the nation's resilience against climate change. The plan, having an estimated cost of USD 47 billion extending to 2050, was unveiled at the National Climate Summit in Kathmandu.
The development of a NAP is an important milestone in a country’s efforts to adapt to the escalating climate crisis. Drawing on the latest climate science and projections, Nepal's adaptation plan pinpoints critical sectors where enhancing resilience is urgent, with the goal of systematically integrating adaptation measures into policies, planning, and programs across all levels of government.
In his opening remarks at the launch event, the Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal said: “Nepal is at high risk due to climate change. The changed climate has altered the nature, amount, and timing of monsoon rains. It has increased temperature and changed rainfall patterns, leading to more disasters and extreme events, which pose multifaceted challenges.”
A report from the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) indicates a level of warming of 0.3°C per decade in the high mountains of Asia, outpacing the global warming rate and leading to glacier retreat, which has “decreased the stability of mountain slopes and the integrity of infrastructure.”
“These extreme events threaten food security. They threaten water supply and infrastructure. They put lives and livelihoods at serious risk,” said Hanaa Singer-Hamdy, the UN Resident Coordinator for Nepal.
“Nepal’s NAP is a welcome boost for national and global climate action. It is a visionary policy document charting the path for the country to adapt to climate change now, as well as in the medium and long-term.”
The NAP outlines 64 specific adaptation interventions across eight key economic sectors. The three most urgent priority sectors were identified as: i) agriculture and food security; ii) forests, biodiversity and watershed conservation; and iii) disaster risk reduction and management.
The funding model for Nepal's NAP involves a blend of national and international financial support, with the Nepalese government committing USD 1.5 billion and external sources providing the remaining USD 45.9 billion.
The plan will call for wider-scale collaborations with development partners and the private sector. For successful implementation, a whole-of-society approach will be required and a review of the plan will take place every five years.
UNEP’s Adaptation Gap Report 2023, released earlier this month, highlights the urgency of such initiatives, estimating the costs of climate adaptation in South Asia could range between US$40 billion and US$205 billion per year over the next ten years, or around 1 to 5.1 per cent of the region’s gross domestic product.
UNEP and the government of Nepal have successfully worked together on a range of climate adaptation initiatives and projects since 2013, including ecosystem-based adaptation projects in Kathmandu Valley and the Dolakha region, a conflict and peace project, and a flagship initiative on south-south cooperation.
At the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai (Cop28), where the world’s governments will gather in attempts to make progress in tackling climate change, Nepal will be hosting its own Pavilion for the first time, showcasing solutions and aiming to provide a model for other high-altitude countries.
2025 has been declared by the UN General Assembly as The International Year of Glaciers' Preservation.
For more information about Nepal’s National Adaptation Plan, please contact bunchingiv.bazartseren@un.org
