KATHMANDU: Department for International Development (DFID) of the British government is providing Nepal with 80 million US dollars over the next 10 years to help the country combat climate change and improve the livelihood of the poor.

Issuing a press statement today, DFID said the poor are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and added the announcement ahead of the Copenhagen climate summit could be perceived as a practical response on the ground.

“Nepal is on the frontline of the battle against climate change, with the Himalayan glaciers melting faster than anywhere else in the world,” said Gareth Thomas, International Development Minister of the UK, adding that deforestation was Nepal’s biggest source of greenhouse gases (GHG). He further added that a fair and equitable deal at Copenhagen was vital to ensure that Least Developed Countries including Nepal are given necessary funds and support to fight devastating impacts of climate change. Sixty-six million dollars of the fund will be invested for protecting Nepal’s forests by supporting a National Forestry Programme with other donors.

This would help some of the world’s poorest people to earn a living from forests’ natural resources and would reduce the forest degradation and deforestation which would contribute over 70 per cent of Nepal’s GHG emissions, it was stated.

National Forest Programme has aimed to increase the incomes of around 1.2 million people by 50 per cent by capturing C02, potentially attracting millions of dollars annually through international carbon trading.