Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, June 3:

Nepal should establish a Designated National Authority (DNA) to mobilise resources and increase access to Clean Development Management (CDM), said speakers at a workshop on ‘Prospects and Challenges for Nepal After Ratifying the Kyoto Protocol.’ Presenting their working papers on challenges and opportunities offered by the protocol to the least developed countries like Nepal, they stressed the need to mobilise resources for sustainable development. Suman Sharma of the ministry of Environment, Science and Technology noted that Nepal has actively participated in every convention related to environment though her contribution to the emission of gases that cause global warming is minimal. “Nepal is vulnerable to greenhouse effect,” he said, adding that the country should increase access to funds instituted through the Kyoto Protocol to cope with the greenhouse effect. He also stressed the need to review and strengthen policies related to environmental issues.

Presenting a working paper, Jiwan Acharya of the Winrock International said that CDM projects would contribute to the sustainable development of developing countries. “Projects proposed after January 1, 2004 would be eligible for the CDM. The CDM projects should be tangible and should contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gases emission. Transportation, bio-fuel and industries could be some of the most beneficial areas for CDM projects.” Ngamindra Dahal of the King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation stressed the need to incorporate community forests in the Kyoto Protocol. “Natural disasters are capricious and inevitable,” said Rojina Shrestha of the IUCN Nepal and added that vulnerable communities should be provided training so as to enable them to cope with the disasters.