Nepal : Strengthening Capacity for Managing Climate Change and the Environment

Agriculture, natural resources and rural development / Agriculture research and application

Public sector management / Economic affairs management

The Government of Nepal in 2006 requested ADB to provide an advisory technical assistance (TA) grant to develop an environmental master plan. Reconnaissance missions were fielded in March and May 2008 and ADB and the Ministry of Environment, Science, and Technology?s (MOEST) determined to change the title and focus of the TA to ?Strengthening Capacity for Managing Climate Change and the Environment.? Following separation of the MOEST in July 2009 into Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Science and Technology, the TA has been placed in the desk of Ministry of Environment (MOE).

A TA fact-finding mission was fielded 27 July to 3 August 2008 and included a 3-day multi-stakeholder workshop to prepare the TA project design. Thirty-two participants representing the MOEST, other government line agencies and apex bodies, associations of district and village development committees, NGOs, academia, and donors attended.

Organizational framework is drafted and agreed upon by stakeholders

Funding mechanism for environmental management is agreed upon by stakeholders

Effective public education, information, and awareness activities on environment and climate change are developed and implemented

1 - Legislation not required for organizational changes. Records of consultation will be used instead.

2 - Despite the political challenges, the TA team has produced the following key deliverables, all of which are document thoroughly in the final TA consultants' report: (i) Consultant's Report on "Institutional and Financing Framework for Managing Environmental and Climate Change"; (ii) Organizational Documents on Establishing the Department of Environment (DoEnv); (ii) Proposal for Establishment of Climate Change Centre; (iii) Pollution Control Functions of the DoEnv; (iv) Proposal to Create New MoEnv Sections'; (v) Proposed MoEnv Organizational Structure within a Federal System. Initial Analysis was completed on: (i) Linkages between MoEnv and other Ministries/Agencies; and (ii) Mechanisms for Financing Environmental Protection and Climate Change Adaptation.

3 - Service providers have completed IEC deliverables satisfactorily: (i) district-level training modules; (ii) toolkit for CBVA, (iii) educational curriculum review. In addition, the following have been produced: (i) Central Goverment Climate Change Curriculum Development and Training Program, (ii) Raising Public and Media Awareness on Environmental Health Impacts of Climate Change, (iii) Raising Public and Media Awareness on Climate Change and Environmental Management.

Public dissemination of TA results have also been done through a knowledge sharing workshopin April 2012 to share results of the training, communications and awareness activiteis with government partners, civil society, and the media. The results have also been posted to the web.

MOE hosted one national and five regional consultations with local government officials and civil society members to seek new ideas and collect feedback on proposed institutional changes to MOE. The training service providers held consultations at central and regional levels to assess the needs and preferences for the training products being developed and tested under the TA, much of which focus on general and sectoral training modules on climate change and environmental management for civil service officers. The TA has also forged innovative partnerships among government ministries (such as the ministries of Environment, Health and Population, and Education) and among government, civil society, the media, and individual experts, which has enabled diverse inputs, participation, and transparency into the design and implementation of training and awareness activities.

As noted above, a knowledge sharing workshop was held in April 2012 to share results of the training, communications, and awareness activities with government partners, civil society, and the media. Also in April 2012, the TA supported the international conference Mountain Alliance Initiative which produced a 2-page "Kathmandu Call for Action" which was unanimously agreed upon by participating key mountain countries.

A final dissemination workshop on "Nepal Climate Data Portal" was likewise held in August 2012, organized by Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) for TA 7173. The new database set up under the TA which shows geographically diverse country estimate how rainfall and temperatures will change in the future was launched. Demonstration and hands on exercise on the web data portal was also done.

All consultants will be recruited on an individual basis, in accordance with the Guidelines on the Use of Consultants (2007, as amended from time to time). Consulting services for the TA will total 42 person-months (pm) [3 person-months of international and 39 person-months of domestic consultants]. The expertise required are as follows:

International - Legal/Policy/Institutional Specialist (3 pm)

Domestic:

Project Facilitator/Change Management Specialist (18 pm)

Training Specialist (9 pm)

Policy Specialist (9 pm)

Financial Management Specialist (3 pm)