KATHMANDU, NOV 14 - The UK government has extended a financial assistance of USD 80 million to Nepal through Department for International Development (DFID) to deal with the climate change and improve the lives of the poor. DFID will spend the amount over the next 10 years to help tackle the climate change and improve the lives of poor in the country as they are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. DFID statement issued on Friday said that the money, announced less than a month before the start of the Copenhagen climate change meeting, will be used to help provide a practical response on the ground.
“Countries right across the world need to take urgent and radical action to tackle climate change. The poorest and most vulnerable countries need our help to do so,” said UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown speaking in the UK. “That is why we are announcing today a £50 million ($80 million) package of support to work with Nepal to tackle climate change and deforestation.” And with less than one month to go before Copenhagen it is time for the world to step up and make the bold decisions we need to secure a global, comprehensive and binding climate change deal.”
A total of USD 66 million of the new money will go towards protecting Nepal’s forests by supporting a National Forestry Programme with other donors. This will help some of the world’s poorest people to earn a living from forests’ natural resources (such as thatch, fruits, wood and essential oils) and reduce the forest degradation and deforestation that contribute over 70 per cent of Nepal’s green house gas emissions. Nepal’s new National Forest Programme aims to help increase the incomes of around 1.2 million people by 50 per cent and will also capture C02, potentially attracting millions of pounds annually through international carbon trading.
A further USD 16 million of the UK money will be used to help increase Nepal’s resilience to the impacts of climate change. Measures to be taken will include improving emergency warning systems, protecting the vulnerable from floods and landslides and supporting community water schemes to increase their ability to cope with drought.
The money will also go towards supporting Nepal to negotiate on and access global climate funds.
