Conference on Climate Justice, Disasters Risk Reduction, Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience

NGO Federation of Nepal (NFN) organized an insightful discussion on Climate Justice, Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Change Adaptation, and Resilience at Rashtriya Sabha Griha, Kathmandu, on March 10, 2025 The event began with a series of informative presentations.Mr. Maheshwor Dhakal, Senior Joint Secretary and Chief of the Climate Change Management Division at the Ministry of Forests and Environment (MoFE), presented on Nepal’s Priorities and Climate Agenda. He discussed topics such as international climate finance, the allocation of Nepal’s climate budget, the country’s initiatives in Mountain Agendas, the upcoming Sagarmatha Sambad, and COP 29. Following this, Dr. Manish Raj Pandey, Department Head at the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC), spoke about Climate Finance. He introduced the concept of climate finance, its mobilization, mechanisms, priority areas, and Nepal’s funding needs and gaps. Next, Mr. Mahesh Badal, Livelihood and Natural Resource Specialist at ActionAid Nepal, presented on Climate Justice and Resilience. His discussion covered topics such as climate debt, community struggles in adapting to climate change, the management of common resources, and the resilience framework. To summarize the key takeaways, Pallav Regmi, Climate Change Advisor at Save the Children Nepal, highlighted the major points discussed in the presentations. During the Q&A session, the audience raised concerns regarding the impact of USAID funding cuts on Nepal’s climate fund. The panel acknowledged that project suspensions had already begun, but since USAID had not provided an official statement, they could not give a definitive answer. Another question addressed Nepal’s position in the Sagarmatha Sambad (Mountain Dialogue). The panel responded that Nepal would submit its position paper before the dialogue commenced and emphasized the severe impacts of glacier melting on the country. Regarding post-disaster response and rehabilitation, the panel explained that trained volunteers are deployed in disaster-stricken areas, relief materials are distributed systematically, and a structured roadmap and guidelines are followed to assess and support the affected communities. The session concluded with a vote of thanks, marking the end of an engaging and informative discussion on Nepal’s climate priorities and resilience-building effort.