KATHMANDU: After a year’s effort, the launch of the biggest project on climate change in the nation has been confirmed. The project ‘Pilot Project for climate Resilience (PPCR)’ will provide up to Rs 4.2 billion within three years to the nation from the Climate Investment Fund.

A meeting in Manila, Philippines, a week ago confirmed

the project and decided to release around Rs 26 million for the preliminary preparations for the project.

“The meeting was fruitful and commitment was made as per the proposal submitted by the ministry of Environment on February but we were working on the preparation of the project proposal for last one year,” said Purusottam Ghimire, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Environment and the focal person of the project who participated the meeting in Manila.

The PPCR committee agreed on January 2009 to support

eight countries including

Nepal, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Cambodia, Niger, Mozambique, Tajikistan and Zambia on the recommendation of experts of the committee.

“We were the first to submit the proposal and the meeting in Manila consented Nepal and Zambia to move ahead so the money received for the preliminary work will be used for the detail project preparation,” said Ghimire.

According to Ghimire other nations selected for the pilot project are in initial phases and the manila meeting decided to move on first come first basis service and the remaining six countries will be confirmed after receiving the proposal from them.

The Asian Development Bank will canalise the fund and the ministry of Environment will implement the project.

The nation is preparing the National Adaptation Plan of Action (NAPA) that is expected to submit the report on June. According to the ministry the PPCR will focus on the priority areas that will be outlined by the NAPA.

“A team of four national and two international consultants will be hired soon and the detailed project plan will be completed within four months,” explained Ghimire.

The current contributors for the climate investment fund include United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, Australia,Denmark and Canada, Switzerland and Norway. “The initial commitment is of Rs 2.1 billion but we can extend it up to Rs 4.2 billion,” said Ghimere.

Meanwhile, the ministry set to form a Climate Change Management Division that will look over the issues. “It is true that we have acute shortage of manpower so our proposal to develop the climate change management division was approved by the cabinet so a separate team of ten staffs headed by the joint secretary will look over the climate change issues after few weeks,” said Ghimire.

According to Purna Bhakta Tandukar, chief of the Administration at the ministry of Environment, the procedure for the formation of the climate change management division is in the last phase and the ministry is waiting the appointment of Joint secretary by the ministry of General Administration.

“The new division will help us to implement bigger projects,” said Ghimire.