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१ सय ३ देशद्वारा पेरिस सम्झौता अनुमोदन, सम्झौता कार्यान्वयनका लागि नेपालको जोड

जलवायु परिवर्तनसम्बन्धी संयुक्त राष्ट्रसंघीय खाका महासन्धि (यूएनएफसीसीसी) अन्तर्गतका पक्षराष्ट्रको २१औं सम्मेलन (कोप ट्वान्टी वान्) मा भएका सम्झौतामा अधिकांश देशले सहमति जनाएका छन् ।

अघिल्लो वर्ष फ्रान्सको राजधानी पेरिसमा सम्पन्न जलवायु परिवर्तनसम्बन्धी सम्मेलनले पारित गरेका मुद्दामा अधिकांश देशले राज्यस्तरबाटै सहमति जनाएका हुन् ।

गत सातादेखि मोरक्कोको माराकेसमा चलिरहेको २२औं सम्मेलन (कोप ट्वान्टी टु) सम्म आइपुग्दा विश्वको कुल कार्बन उत्सर्जनमध्ये ७४ प्रतिशत कार्बन उत्सर्जन गर्ने १०३ देशबाट पेरिस सम्झौता अनुमोदन भइसकेको छ ।

अन्य देशले पनि सम्झौता अनुमोदनमा सहमति जनाउने क्रम जारी छ । नेपाल, अमेरिका, चीन, भारत, जापानलगायतका करिब ७४ प्रतिशत कार्बन उत्सर्जन गराउने १०३ देशले सम्झौता अनुमोदन गरिसकेका छन् ।

गत सोमबारदेखि मरक्कोको माराकेसमा भइरहेको कोप २२ मा नेपाललगायत विकासोन्मुख राष्ट्रहरूले सम्भौता अनुमोदन हुनुनपर्नेमा जोड दिँदै आएका थिए ।

जलवायु परिवर्तनविद् राजु क्षेत्रीले अनुमोदन गर्ने देशहरूको संख्या क्रमिक रूपमा बढ्दै गएकाले जलवायु परिवर्तनका क्रियाकलापले प्राथमिकता पाउने र हरितगृह उत्सर्जन कटौती कम हुँदै जाने बताए ।

“विश्वव्यापी रूपमा नै चर्चा उठेको जलवायु परिवर्तनको मुद्दा सम्बोधन हुने र न्यूनीकरणका कार्यक्रमले विश्वव्यापिता पाउँछ,” उनले भने ।

Read more on the article here

जलवायु सम्मेलनमा हल्लीखल्ली

अमेरिकी राष्ट्रपतिमा डोनाल्ड ट्रम्पको जितसंगै मोरक्कोको मराकेसमा जारि जलवायु परिवर्तन सम्बन्धि राष्ट्रसंगी सम्मेलन (कोप २२) मा हल्लीखल्ली मच्चिएको छ |

"पेरिस सम्झौता कार्यान्वयन नहुने त होइन भन्नेमा वार्ताकारहरु चिन्तित बनेको मैले देखें", नेपालको तर्फबाट जलवायु सम्मेलनमा सहभागी विज्ञ राजु पण्डित क्षेत्रीले भने, "उनको विजयले सबैलाई चकित पारेको छ र जलवायु परिवर्तनका मुद्दामा अनिश्चितता पनि निम्त्याएको छ |" अमेरिकाले सम्झौता खारेज गरे जापान, बेलायत, क्यानेडा, चीन र भारतले पनि हात झिक्न सक्ने र त्यस्तो अवस्थामा सम्झौता कम्जोर बन्न सक्ने उनको भनाइ छ |

Read the full article regarding the significance of Trump's Presidency for Climate Policies, published in Kantipur on 10 November 2016, here

नेपालले जीसीएफबाट ३० करोड पाउने

जलवायु परिवर्तनसम्बन्धी राष्ट्रिय अनुकूलन योजना (न्याप) बनाउनका लागि नेपालले करिब ३० करोड रुपैयाँ अनुदान पाउने भएको छ ।

हरित जलवायु कोष (जीसीएफ) ले अनुकूलन कार्ययोजना बनाउन नेपाललाई ३० करोड रुपैयाँ (३ मिलियन डलर) अनुदान स्वरूप उपलब्ध गराउने तयारी गरेको हो ।

२ महिनाअघि कोरियामा भएको जीसीएफको १३ औं बोर्ड बैठकले न्याप तयारीका लागि ३ मिलियन अमेरिकी डलर (३० करोड रुपैयाँ) उपलब्ध गराउने निर्णय गरेको हो ।

जीसीएफमा जम्मा भएको रकम जलवायु परिवर्तनसँग सम्बन्धित क्रियाकलाप सञ्चालन गर्न विकासोन्मुख, विकासशील र अविकशित मुलुकले पाउने छन् । तर, सम्बन्धित मुलुकमा जलवायु परिवर्तनसँग सम्बन्धित कार्यक्रमको प्रभावकारिता, चाहना र प्रतिबद्धता आवश्यक छ ।

"मध्यकालीन र दीर्घकालीन रूपमा आवश्यक पर्ने जलवायु परिवर्तनसम्बन्धी अनुकूलन कार्यक्रमको खाका बनाउन सकिन्छ । कस्ता कार्यक्रम सञ्चालन गर्ने र कसरी अगाडि बढ्ने भनेर पूर्वतयारीको खाका बनाउन आवश्यक छ । यस्तो खालको राष्ट्रिय अनुकूलन योजना (न्याप) बनाउन जीसीएफले अनुदान स्वरूप रकम उपलब्ध गराउने निर्णय गरेको हो । न्याप कुनै पनि देशले आफैं निर्धारण गर्ने कार्यक्रम हो । कार्यक्रम कार्यान्वयनका लागि पछि फेरि नेपालले रकम पाउन सक्छ । न्याप तयारीका लागि सबै सरोकारवाला निकायको सुझाव आवश्यक छ ।"

– राजु पण्डित क्षेत्री

See more at: http://np.karobardaily.com/2016/08/97140/

Innovation Needed to Turn on Climate Cash Tap for the Poor

Officials at the Green Climate Fund – which by 2020 is hoping to handle much of a promised $100 billion a year in funding to help poorer nations adopt clean energy and cope with more extreme weather and higher seas - have said it will channel half its cash to adaptation projects.

It is also working to provide poorer countries in need of money with "direct access" to funds though institutions they choose, rather than routing much of the funding through large banks, as has happened with most climate finance up to now.

But creating such a shift is hugely challenging, experts told a meeting on community-based adaptation to climate change this week in Dhaka.

"There are lots of challenges to really access these resources," said Raju Pandit Chhetri, director of the Kathmandu-based Prakriti Resources Centre. "So much has to be in place."

Efforts to help poorer countries develop the capacity to qualify for funding are underway in many places. But simply finding developing-country ministries, NGOs or other bodies willing to undertake the grueling accreditation process is tough, at least in Nepal, Chhetri said.

"The process takes lots of time and money, and there’s no guarantee you will get accredited,” he said. “It’s a huge investment for an organization to commit to this.”

To ease the problem, he believes poor countries seeking less money should face simpler and less stringent accreditation requirements in the early rounds of funding, with standards tightening as they learn and seek larger amounts.

"You can’t put a 25-year-old, a 16-year-old and a 5-year-old at the same starting line for a race,” he said. "It’s not fair.

"If it fails, it fails. But let us make an effort, so that in the long run we do not always rely on international institutions. We want to open that door,” he added.

For details, visit http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2016/04/29/world/africa/29reuters-climatechange-finance-innovation.html?ref=world&_r=3

Time to act towards climate-resilient sustainable development

The late 2015 saw two global conclaves—on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and on Climate Change taking center-stage for efforts aimed at overcoming pressing challenges before the humanity. The two hard-earned global developments that took place in September and December, respectively, have come up with commitments galore to make significant strides towards addressing many of the world’s challenges.

One of the key objectives of the stated 17 SDGs to be effective for the next fifteen years is environmental security focusing on low carbon green growth. Goal 13 calls for urgent actions to combat climate change and its impact on mother earth and human lives.

Importantly, the COP 21 – the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – recently concluded with the adoption of first legally-binding agreement to cope with climate change and ease the transition to low carbon economies. The global climate summit came up with the deal supported by 195 countries including Nepal after intense multi-dialogue process and negotiation.

Climate change has attracted much attention in recent years, driven to a large extent by the national and international policy debate. Nationally climate change remains an emerging policy theme. “The National Adaptation Plan of Action (NAPA) is considered the pioneering process of shaping climate change works in Nepal. It helped the government to realize the urgency of finalizing climate change policy in 2011”, says Raju Pandit Chhetri, Director of Prakriti Resource Centre, an organization working on climate policy and environment.

See more at: http://www.infonepal.net/english/43315/

Fuel Shortages Push Nepal Towards Renewables

Severe shortages of fuel and cooking gas over the past five months have forced Nepalese to install solar panels and take up cycling. Protests by communities in the southern plains against Nepal’s new constitution since September have disrupted the supply of goods into the country, including petrol, which landlocked Nepal is completely dependent on India for. Many in Nepal blame India for imposing the blockade in tacit support for the protestors, but India refutes such claims.

Nepal is still reeling under the impact of the earthquake in April, which may have pushed up to 800,000 below the poverty line.  The blockade may have pushed another 700, 000 or so under the poverty lines as shortages of food, fuel and medicine push prices up.

Those who can afford it are seizing the opportunity to invest in green energy. “For whatever reasons the blockade was imposed, this is the right time to shift from dirty fossil fuels and invest in cleaner sources of energy. This crisis has made people realize that dependency on fossil fuel that is imported from [our] neighbour is not sustainable,” said Prashanta Khanal, a longtime advocate for creating a cycle friendly city.

People who have invested in alternative energy have suffered less over the past few months. While thousands of vehicles queued for days to buy petrol, electric vehicles ran without a problem.

“This is an opportunity for the government to set policies that encourage people to invest in renewables and promote electric vehicles, otherwise it will just be a temporary arrangement during the crisis,” said Raju Chhetri, Director of Prakriti Resources Centre, an environmental NGO based in Kathmandu.

See more at: http://www.thethirdpole.net/ne/2016/01/28/fuel-shortages-push-nepal-towards-renewables/

Highlights on COP21, 1 December 2015: Incentives for pro-poor climate financing

Giza Gaspar-Martins, Least Developed Countries (LDC) Chair and Director of the Department of Climate Change, Ministry of Environment, Angola, opened the session highlighting research by IIED that says that it will cost US$93.7 billion dollars to implement the submitted Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) in the post-2020 climate plan for 48 LDCs. The event was moderated by Saleemul Huq, Director, International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD).

Neha Rai, Senior Researcher, IIED, said that of the US$350 billion dollars provided to climate finance globally only 10% have gone to developing countries. She further noted that of the money delivered to developing countries, 70% has gone to middle income countries. 

Benito Müller, Director, European Capacity Building Initiative, highlighted that devolution to the local decision making level is important to enhance direct access to Green Climate Fund (GCF) resources. He encouraged countries to test their existing financial transfer mechanisms, such as development banks, to see which ones work best with regards to reaching local communities.

Victor Orindi, National Disaster Management Authority, Kenya, outlined a project working in five counties in Kenya to support them in accessing climate finance. To ensure that the money reaches the local communities the project’s County Climate Change Fund has a devolved governance system where the local communities’ funding wishes are prioritized.

Raju Pandit Chhetri, Prakriti Resources Centre, Nepal, spoke about Nepal’s priority for funding renewable energy and the five-year National Rural Renewable Energy Program that costs US$170 million and splits financing 50/50 between the Government of Nepal and donors. He outlined numerous challenges with the project, amongst other things: renewable energy still being a new sector that needs greater support and incentives; the geography of the country providing access difficulties; administrative burdens providing challenges; and renewable energy not being profitable to the private sector.

Saleemul Huq, criticized the capacity building support the GCF provides to countries to access the fund. He outlined that to mitigate the lack of capacity building support Bangladesh visited and learned from a Senegalese organization as they are the first organization to be accredited to both the Adaptation Fund and the GCF. He concluded by stating that South-to-South collaboration is crucial in learning how to access climate finance.

During the ensuing discussions, participants discussed, inter alia: what is meant by local in the GCF direct access modality; how other funds and nations could use the same direct access modality; the split between government and donor funding for both the Nepal and Kenya projects; the Bangladesh experience from visiting the Senegalese organization; and community participation in the Kenyan project. In response to a question from the audience regarding corruption, Müller said that “the only corruption-proof funding system is giving no money” and that the risk to funders is decreased when they fund many small projects rather than a few big projects.

See more at: http://www.iisd.ca/climate/cop21/cdafrica-ap/1dec.html

Nepal's Homework For COP21 Paris Nearly Complete

At a time when countries across the globe are gearing up for the much anticipated COP21 Paris Meet in France, Nepal's homework for preparing its national agenda is nearly complete.

Nepal is party to the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Although Nepal's contribution to the causes of climate change is negligible, it is on the receiving end of its impacts. Every year, it grapples with problems such as distorted monsoon rain, increasing flooding and landslides, risks of glacial lake outburst floods, droughts and other climate induced disasters.

"While climate change is a global problem, solutions have to be searched at global level. In this context, COP21 is an arena of opportunity for small and Least Developed Countries (LDCs) like Nepal. The draft is being prepared to meet the international climate change agreements and various issues have been included," said Raju Pandit Chhetri, Prakriti Resources Centre, who is an expert on Climate Change Finance.http://www.myrepublica.com/society/story/30911/nepal-s-homework-for-cop21-paris-nearly-complete.html