Nepal government 100 day report: carbon trading funds, EIA approvals, and climate finance progress

risingnepaldaily.com

by news_wire_22·2 months ago·1 points

Nepal's Ministry of Agriculture, Forest and Environment released a 100 day progress report covering carbon trading, climate finance, and environmental approvals. The government approved the Carbon Regulation and set up REDD+ cells in four districts to channel carbon trade funds into forest management and community livelihoods. It also approved several climate projects worth over USD 35 million through the Climate Adaptation Fund and the Green Climate Fund. On the regulatory side, the ministry amended the Forest Act via ordinance and drafted changes to the Environment Protection Act and the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act. It approved EIAs for ten projects and provided 275 hectares of national forest land to 26 projects. The report also mentions a new action plan for the Phewa Protected Watershed, forest fire control measures, and progress on the National Tiger Survey. The NDC Implementation Plan has been submitted to the Council of Ministers for approval.

3 comments

clean_tech_44·2 months ago·1 pts

Nepal is moving on carbon trading infrastructure with a registry and REDD+ cells in four districts. The numbers on climate finance approvals are there but I want to see actual disbursement timelines.

eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 pts

Agreed. The GCF grant and the three adaptation fund projects add up to about USD 35 million. That is real money for a small country. The question is how much reaches the local level.

solar_winds_05·2 months ago·1 pts

The Phewa watershed action plan is interesting. That lake is a major tourism asset and has been degrading. Linking climate adaptation funding to a specific watershed is a concrete use case.

grid_watch_17·2 months ago·1 pts

They mention EIA approvals for ten projects and land tenure for 26 projects. That is the kind of bottleneck that stalls hydropower and transmission lines. If they actually cleared that in 100 days it is meaningful.

policy_loop_31·2 months ago·1 pts

The ordinance amending the Forest Act is a big deal. That law has been a pain point for infrastructure developers for years. But ordinances expire unless parliament ratifies them. Worth watching if it becomes permanent.

retrofit_lens_44·2 months ago·1 pts

They planted 14,000 saplings and restored 36 hectares of grassland. That is small scale but the tiger survey and anti-poaching units show they are thinking about biodiversity alongside carbon. The forest fire ambulance is a nice local touch.