Wednesday 24 April 2024

Environment Management

* Environment Management:


* Biological Diversity:

The number of tigers in Nepal has increased to 355 in 2022. In 2018, the

number of tigers was 235. In 2021, the number of endangered Krishnasara

increased by 39 from 336 in 2022 to 375 in 2022.

7.61 So far, 293 species of indigenous flora have been documented in Nepal.

Also, 5,309 flowering species and 6,083 non-flowering species have been

documented.

7.62 Until the mid-March of FY 2022/23, under the President Chure-Terai

Conservation Program, 35,000 plants have been produced. In the main

river system, 13.7 kilometers of river and streambank

stabilization/management work has been completed. Additionally, during

this period, land-based water recharge has been carried out at 4 locations,

and flood/dike/embankment control has been implemented at 48 locations.


* environment pollution:



* climate change:

Nepal is also one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change in the world. Nepal ranks 139th out of 182 countries in terms of its exposure, sensitivity, and ability to adapt to the negative impact of climate change (ND-GAIN, 2022).


15.2 Due to increasing human activities, the surge in the emission of

greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has led to an increase in global

temperature. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate

Change (IPCC) Assessment Report (AR6), average temperature of the

Earth has increased by 1.1 degrees Celsius in compare to 1850-1900.

Climate induced events are significantly increasing globally. As a result,

climate change has emerged as a major challenge to the balance of human

communities and ecosystems.


15.3 Nepal is among the countries that are at high risk of climate change due to

its topography and geographical features. The annual average temperature

of Nepal has increased by 0.056 degrees Celsius during 1974-2014 AD.


15.4 To address the issue of climate change, various mechanisms have been

established including the United Nations Framework Convention, the

Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement. Every country has been

formulating policies, laws and procedures to reduce the impact of climate

change and implementing them accordingly. Nepal is also a party to these

treaties and has been working in the field of climate change mitigation and

adaptation.


15.5 The world's greenhouse gas emissions were 32.52 billion metric tons in

1990, but such emissions have reached to 49.76 billion metric tons in 2019.

Global greenhouse gas emissions increased by an average of 1.45 percent

during the period from 1990 to 2019.


15.6 According to the statistics of Climate Watch, China, United States of

America, India, European Union countries, Indonesia, Russia, Brazil,

Japan, Iran, Germany and Canada are the countries that emit the most

greenhouse gases in the world. China accounts for the largest share of

global greenhouse gas emissions at 24.2 percent, followed by the United

States of America at 11.6 percent. Among the top 10 greenhouse gas

emitters, Canada's is the lowest at 1.56 percent.


15.8 National Council for Environment Protection and Climate Change

Management, Inter-Ministerial Climate Change Coordination Committee

(IMCCCC) at federal level and Provincial Climate Change Coordination

Committee (PCCCC) at the provincial level have been established and is

working to facilitate the functional coordination of government agencies .

15.9 The 27 th session of the conference of Parties to the United Nations

Framework Convention (COP-27) was held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt in

2022. Nepal had prepared a national concept paper covering the issues of

Himalayan regions, adaptation, mitigation, agriculture and food security,

climate finance, technology transfer and capacity building and submitted

it to the conference. Developed countries have agreed in the conference to

prepare a report on doubling adaptation finance by COP28, including

establishing Damages and loss fund and making institutional arrangements

for the implementation of the “Santiago Network”.


15.10 Climate model program is being conducted at 8 local levels to expand the

climate model villages to more local levels based on the geographical

balance and endangered situation. A total of Rs. 100 million has been

allocated in the current fiscal year to support local levels to assist in

developing climate adaptation plan.


15.11 The share of the budget that directly benefits climate change has been

increasing in recent years. In the FY 2018/19, 4.6 percent of the total

budget was allocated for direct benefits to climate change, and this ratio

has increased to 5.9 percent by the current fiscal year.


15.13 By the mid-April 2023, Nepal has prepared three national communication

reports and submitted to the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework

Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).


15.14 Local climate change adaptation plans are being formulated and

implemented at the local level across the country. Nepal Climate Change

Support Program is being implemented in 35 local levels of Karnali

Province. Likewise, an ecosystem-based adaptation program is in

operation at 10 local levels in Bagmati, Karnali and Sudurpaschim

provinces. In addition, the Forest for Prosperity program is operational at

50 local levels in Lumbini and Madhesh provinces.


15.15 In the FY2022/23, the adaptation projects for small farmers of hill area,

being operated in 200 village development committees of Lumbini,

Karnali and Sudurpaschim Province in the past, have been completed.

Likewise, the Karnali Food Security Project, which is being implemented

at 7 local levels in Karnali and Sudurpaschim Province, was completed in

mid-November of the current fiscal year.


15.17 To participate in the carbon trade of the forest sector, the carbon emission

reduction program document of 13 districts of Terai has been approved

and is being implemented since 2018 AD.


15.18 As of mid-April of 2023, 241 local adaptation and climate resilience

development plans are being implemented. 1,944 households have

benefited from the construction of 25.52 km of irrigation canals in the FY

2021/22 through the Adaptation for Smallholders in Hilly Areas Project.

Similarly, 1,921 households from the conservation of water pond at 94

locations and 1,052 households from the controlling floods, landslides and

mudslides at 32 locations have been directly benefited. Likewise, solar

energy is connected in 14 distressed households and improved stoves have

been fitted in 384 households. In addition, 9,738 household are directly

benefitted so far including promoting climate resilient farming in 403

group.


15.19 The infrastructure construction of air quality measurement center is

expanding. As of mid-April of 2023, 29 air quality measurement centers

are operational across the country. The data received from these centers

are analyzed and the status report is published regularly.



* digital development



* Sustainable development in Nepal

16.3 Once Nepal is upgraded to a developing country in 2026, it will have an

impact on the internal and external sectors of the economy. At present,

Nepal's export trade as a least developed country is likely to decrease the

competitiveness of goods due to the decrease in the concessions it is

getting. Therefore, it is necessary to diversify the export goods and

markets to reduce the decline after upgrading by increasing the

competitiveness of exports. Similarly, foreign investment needs to be

attracted and increased to increase export capacity. In the same way,

emphasis should be laid on increasing the competitiveness of the private

sector, efficiency and productivity of the means of production.


16.3 Once Nepal is upgraded to a developing country in 2026, it will have an

impact on the internal and external sectors of the economy. At present,

Nepal's export trade as a least developed country is likely to decrease the

competitiveness of goods due to the decrease in the concessions it is

getting. Therefore, it is necessary to diversify the export goods and

markets to reduce the decline after upgrading by increasing the

competitiveness of exports. Similarly, foreign investment needs to be

attracted and increased to increase export capacity. In the same way,

emphasis should be laid on increasing the competitiveness of the private

sector, efficiency and productivity of the means of production.


16.5 This campaign has been advanced with priority in the national development

process as an effort to achieve sustainable development goals. Sustainable

development goals have been internalized in periodical plans, medium term

expenditure framework and annual budget and program of federal, province and

local level.

16.6 A monitoring framework containing sustainable development target indicators

has also been developed. Arrangements have been made to mobilize and

coordinate the financial resources necessary to achieve the development goals,

including the implementation roadmap. A fiscal strategy is prepared with the

estimate of investment required to achieve the target.

16.7 A high-level Central Steering Committee under the chairmanship of the Prime

Minister, and a Sustainable Development Goals Coordination and

Implementation Committee under the chairmanship of the Vice Chair of the

National Planning Commission have been formed. Thematic Committees are also

formed in the chairmanship of members of NPC. There is also a Sustainable

Development and Good Governance Committee in the Federal Parliament to

facilitate the formulation and amendment of laws and regulations related to the

Sustainable Development Goals.


16.11 Five different targets have been set for poverty reduction under Goal 1. Nepal's

achievements is appreciating in the implementation of this goal. The

multidimensional poverty index has come down to 17.4 percent up to the review

period of 2019 and the population living below the absolute poverty line is

estimated at 15.1 percent. Employment and poverty alleviation targeted programs

and Encouragement and Education and skills enhancement programs are the

major reasons for reducing poverty.


16.12 Nepals Achievement on Zero hunger (Goal 2) is low. Under this goal, there are

four indicators undernutrition, child wastage, child stunting, and child mortality.

The percentage of child stunting has dropped to 25 percent by 2022 while it was

36 percent in 2016. The popularity percentage has dropped from 10 percent to 8

percent. Although per capita food production is satisfactory, the food security

index is 46-

16.13 Regarding Goal 3 - healthy lives and prosperous living standards, mixed progress

has been realized. The fertility rate is 2.1 up to now. Indicators including maternal

mortality, child mortality under the age of five, neonatal infant are on track. The

suicide rate during this period is higher than the base year. The proportion of births

assisted by skilled birth attendants is satisfactory.


16.14 The under-five mortality rate (per thousand live births) has fallen from 118 in

1996 to 33 in 2022. Similarly, the infant mortality rate (per thousand live births)

has decreased from 50 to 21 during the same period.'


16.15 Significant achievements have been made in Goal 4 - Inclusive Quality Education.

Although the proportion of the working age population with employable skills is

increasing, it is still low at around 31.0 percent. As status of learning achievement

in schools in Mathematics is 35; Nepali is 34; English is 41, it needs further

improvement. Although the overall enrollment rate of early childhood education

has improved, it is relatively low.


16.17 Encouraging progress has been made in Goal 6 –Access to Clean Water and

Sanitation. Among the major indicators related to drinking water and sanitation

sector, the population that has access to basic drinking water until mid-March of

2023 is 94.93 percent and the population has reached 25.69 percent with access

to drinking water of high medium level. Cent percent of the population has

accessed to basic sanitation. However, population access to processed sewer

system is low.


16.18 Achievement on Target 7 - Cheap and Clean Energy Indicators is modest. The

population with access to electricity is 95.0 percent, while the connected

electricity capacity has reached 2666 MW. On the other hand, the use of

conventional fuels and petroleum products is even higher. Population with access

to renewable energy is 7.5 percent.


16.19 Achievement on indicators of Goal 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth is

modest and more efforts are needed to achieve the goal. The average annual

growth rate of real GDP per capita for the last 10 years is 4.5 percent. Informal

employment in the agricultural sector is high. The situation of child labor has

improved marginally.


16.21 Achievement is remained almost constant on Goal 10 – Reducing Inequality. The

share of the bottom 40 percent and the top 10 percent in income is almost constant.

The consumption-based Gini coefficient has declined to 0.32 from 0.46 as in the

base year. Indicators such as Global Competitiveness Index and Ease of Doing

Business Index have also improved.'


16.25 The progress related to Target 15 - Life on Land is satisfactory. 44.7 percent of

the country's total land area is covered by forest, while protected area is 23.4

percent. Of which 42.7 percent forest is under community management.

Encouraging progress has been made in ecosystem and forest management. The

increasing number of tigers and rhinos signals the improvement of natural habitat

of the main species. Ecosystems in sensitive areas like Chure are becoming

vulnerable due to encroachment and erosion.



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