KATHMANDU, JULY 6

Amid heavy rainfall and flooding throughout the country, experts have advised caution while undertaking infrastructure development.

They have said countries ought to convert it to climate-smart infrastructure, and they also continued to advocate for climate change compensation finance and investment in green finance.

According to climate change expert and project CAP (Collaborative Approach for Preventing Plastic Leakages in Nepal's Rivers) lead at CREASION, Ujjwal Upadhayay, there is a direct link between climate change and the country's disaster or inundation situation because while rain and weather phenomena are natural, climate change is a human-induced event that exacerbates and increases the frequency of natural disasters. 'As a result, one of the primary causes of the floods in Kathmandu and throughout Nepal is climate change, which is human-caused,' he told THT.

'In order to avoid casualties, haphazard infrastructure development must be avoided. Roads, buildings, and bridges must be well planned and developed in a climate-smart manner so that they are not affected by climatic disasters,' he stated. 'Disaster Management Task Force must be rady at each municipality and ward level. These task forces must be immediately mobilised to tackle climate-induced disasters before security forces such as the Nepal Police, Armed Police Forces, or any other official rescue force reach disaster hit areas to prevent people from further losses and casualties.'

Furthermore, developing countries like Nepal are considered one of the most vulnerable to climate chnage-indused disasters. 'Nepal has been ranked as the fourth most climate vulnerable country,' he said.

Nepal should make strong claims at global events, such as COP, while seeking loss and damage funds, primarily climate funds. During COP 28, it was proposed that developed countries establish a climate finance fund of $100 billion USD to compensate the most severe victims of climate change for losses incurred as a result of climate change consequences that have yet to occur.

'As a result, more compensation should be made available to countries such as Nepal, which has been heavily burdened and paid dearly as a result of climate change, and those funds should be used not only for compensation but also for green finances such as infrastructure planning to prevent a climate disaster,' he emphasised.

'A portion of the fund should go to the affected people who have suffered a loss, while another portion should be invested in climate change or disasters resilient to infrastructure or people's livelihoods of victims,' he added.