KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 25
The Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), in collaboration with the Kathmandu Valley Development Authority (KVDA), organized a one-day workshop in Kathmandu on Tuesday, focusing on identifying potential research areas for Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) in Nepal's urban areas.
Highlighting the urgent need for ecosystem-based adaptation in Nepal's urban regions, driven by climate change and other challenges, NAST launched the workshop to foster research collaboration among stakeholders. This initiative comes at a time when Nepal's urban planning is grappling with significant challenges.
In his welcome address, Dr. Pramod Kumar Jha, Academician at NAST and Chairman of the Research Grants Selection Committee, emphasized the necessity of EbA in urban areas to mitigate the threats posed by climate change.
Nava Raj Pyakurel, Deputy Development Commissioner of KVDA, stated, "We are champions in creating and formulating policies to address emerging issues, but when it comes to implementation, accountability is lacking." He also underscored the importance of good governance in ensuring effective policy execution.
Januka Dhakal, Development Commissioner of KVDA, echoed these concerns, noting that urbanization in Nepal has been increasingly affected by natural disasters such as dry landslides and flooding. She highlighted that, in response to these challenges, at least 30 EbA projects have been launched in Kathmandu Valley, with 13 additional projects outside the valley.
In his closing remarks, Prof. Dr. Dilip Subba, Vice Chancellor of NAST, stated, "Our initiative aims to attract researchers at all levels, from bachelor's students to PhD scholars, to collaborate on research focused on Ecosystem-based Adaptation in Nepal's urban areas."
During the technical session and group discussions, Prof. Dr. Rejina Maskey from Tribhuvan University (TU) and the Research Grants Selection Committee of NAST chaired the session, while Dr. Bimala Devkota, Chief Scientific Officer, and Pawan Kumar Neupane, Senior Scientific Officer at NAST, facilitated the discussions.
Durga Prasad Upadhyaya, National Project Manager of the Urban EbA Project at KVDA, presented his findings on the Kathmandu Urban EbA Project and NbS for Climate Resilient Urban Development in the Kathmandu Valley.
In his findings, he also emphasized the changing patterns of rainfall and the rise in temperatures in the Kathmandu Valley over the past decade.
Dr. Bimala Devkota and Pawan Kumar Neupane also discussed key research themes and areas under the Research Grant program, which has approved a total of $55,000 in funding for researchers, from bachelor's to PhD scholars. Open applications for the grants will be invited in the near future.
Throughout the workshop, participants from various organizations brainstormed to identify new avenues for research in diverse thematic areas.
Deepak Kumar Khadka, Senior Research Fellow at the Policy Research Institute of the Government of Nepal, focused on policy-level research, while Dr. Sunil Babu Shrestha, former Vice Chancellor of NAST and Academician at NAST, shared his experience with EbA planning at the National Planning Commission and its relevance among local representatives across the country.
In his closing remarks and vote of thanks, Dr. Pramod Kumar Jha expressed his gratitude to the participants and expressed optimism that the workshop would attract more researchers to the field, fostering a better understanding of EbA and generating greater policy and community-level impact.
The event was moderated by Pawan Kumar Neupane, Senior Scientific Officer at NAST.
