KATHMANDU, MAY 15

The Korean government is set to provide support of USD 9.8 million to create green jobs in Pokhara.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the project 'Green Job Creation through Recycling and Upcycling Project in Pokhara Metropolitan City (PMC)' was signed by Taeyoung Park, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Nepal and Madhu Kumar Marasini, Secretary of MoF, amidst an event at the Ministry of Finance on Tuesday.

In the event, Mooheon Kong, Country Director of KOICA Nepal Office and Mr. Kamal Prasad Bhattarai, Joint Secretary of Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration were also present.

The Korean Government through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) will spend USD 9.8 million for this project. The project will be implemented by UNDP in Pokhara in close collaboration with MoFAGA and Pokhara Metropolitan City.

The primary objective of this project is to create sustainable recycling and upcycling enterprises to foster green economic practices. One of the core components of this project is to establish a Green Venture Zone (GVZ), which is one of the state-of-the-art centers for understanding recycle, upcycle, innovation and startups. The GVZ will showcase final products crafted from recycled and upcycled materials, featuring exhibition halls hosting national and international events revolving around environmental themes, according to a statement issued by the KOICA said.

'The project shall create programs focusing on recycling and upcycling ventures, coupled with initiatives aimed at facilitating behavioral changes related to waste management.'

The project aims to establish 30 Recycle Upcycle (RU) enterprises, consequently generating numerous green jobs in Pokhara. These efforts are expected to produce substantial behavioral transferals at the community level, encouraging waste segregation practices at households, thereby alleviating the burden on Pokhara's waste disposal sites, the statement added.

PMC is hoping that the project will establish a mechanism where waste is managed in an efficient manner leading to sustainable solutions for landfill site management. Moreover, PMC expects that the project will create a better environment to host a larger number of tourists as Pokhara has recently been declared as a tourism capital of the country. In addition to this, PMC wants to demonstrate its successful circular economy created by recycling and upcycling to other cities of Nepal.

During the proceedings, Secretary Marasini expressed gratitude to the Government of the Republic of Korea for the partnership which will enhance the friendly relation between the two countries. He further assured to fully cooperate for the successful implementation of this project.

Similarly, Ambassador Park highlighted the opportunities presented by this initiative, emphasizing how the project could enable unemployed individuals to leverage their skills, establish green ventures, and contribute to the economic growth of the country.

Furthermore, in his remarks, Kong emphasized that the project shall create the next level of understanding among community people on managing waste properly. He expressed optimism that the challenges confronted by Pokhara Metropolitan City regarding waste management would be substantially mitigated and underlined the uniqueness of the GVZ concept, composed to position Pokhara on the global stage.

The ceremony also commemorated the 50 years of diplomatic ties between Nepal and Korea. Expressing the similarities between the two countries, Ambassador Park stated that Nepal is a priority country for development cooperation and he assured to further strengthen the cooperation and friendly ties between the two countries.

The Government of the Republic of Korea has been supporting Nepal through KOICA in various areas of health, vocational training, rural development and IT since 1991. By 2023, the total amount of KOICA's support surpassed 200 million US Dollars. This comprehensive assistance encompasses 45 Country Partnership Projects, 114 Civil Society Organization(CSO) Projects, Capacity Enhancement Programs that have benefitted 2,211 participants and the World Friends Korea(WFK) program, which has dispatched 3,236 volunteers and specialists to Nepal.