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Overview

Small scale subsistence agriculture employs 78 percent of Nepal’s workforce, with the agriculture sector as a whole contributing to 34.3 percent of national GDP. These farmers are increasingly exposed to climate change induced risks, such as more frequent droughts and floods. In areas of high elevation, climate change, furthermore, intensifies snow and ice cap melting processes, which increases the risk of glacial lake outburst floods. Effective adapation strategies are thus imperative to protect livelihoods and prevent rises in food insecurity – already a reality for 3.4 million Nepalese citizens.

With low literacy rates, widespread poverty and a high dependency on natural resources, there is a limited capacity in Nepal to adapt to future climate change risks. Nepal has welcomed the NAP-Ag Programme and its objectives to protect agricultural production through mainstreaming adaptation activities into national planning and budgeting processes.

Adaptation policies

UNDP and FAO aim to support farming communities to identify and implement adaptation strategies, within the context of Nepal’s Agricultural Development Strategy (ADS) 2015 to 2035 as well as its Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management in Agriculture – Priority Framework for Action 2011- 2020.

At the national level an assessment has been undertaken to identify gaps and entry points to improve climate budgeting in agriculture. Strengthening capacity to undertake economic appraisals of adaptation options, as well as improving tracking and monitoring systems that will enable evidence-based decision making of public expenditures and increase the efficiency of resource mobilisation processes. Capacities also need to be strengthened in the Ministry of Agricultural Development (MoAD) and district authorities to facilitate the intergration of climate change adaptation into the existing Agricultural Development Strategy (ADS) enacted by MoAD.

NAP-Ag activities

Throughout the period 2016 – 2018, the NAP-Ag is aiming to achieve four outcomes; (1) develop an integrated roadmap for the NAP, addressing sector priorities aligned to the ADS; (2) support the integration of adaptation needs in sector policy and programme development while improving evidence-based results for NAPs by developing a robust monitoring and evaluation framework; (3) strengthen technical capacities and institutions; and (4) promote advocacy and knowledge sharing through exchanging of lessons learned.

An opportunity for knowledge sharing will be the stakeholder forum, scheduled for the second half of 2018, where civil society, private sector, and community-based organizations can discuss and validate priorities for climate action in agro-ecological areas.

Monitoring and Evaluation

An adaptation monitoring framework was developed to monitor priority programs under the Agriculture Development Strategy. This included monitoring both the ADS process, as well as the outcomes and processes of ADS related programs. Guidelines on integrating climate change into M&E frameworks for prioritised adaptation-sensitive initiatives were elaborated along with a training package and toolkit for officers at both national and subnational levels.

Support with leveraging climate finance

Increased country support in leveraging climate finance for the implementation of climate change adaptation strategies and frameworks in the agricultural sectors. Assessed gaps and entry points to improve climate budgeting practices and supporting a task force to improve systems for more robust expenditure classification and tracking.

Capacity development for gender mainstreaming

Enhanced capacity for gender mainstreaming through technical training workshops and piloted analytical methods for collecting and using sex-disaggregated data within impact evaluations, monitoring and value chain analysis.

Review of domestic data sources for climate finance

Undertook research to better understand allocations to climate change through national expenditure.

Economic appraisal of adaptation options

Appraised adaptation options and strengthened capacity to conduct vulnerability and impact assessments, including the assessment of gender issues. The assessments seek to facilitate the framing of priority options and programmes on agriculture and ecosystem-based adaptation, and support the mobilization of national and international finance.

Training workshop to increase capacity for gender analysis

Delivered training to increase capacity for gender analysis within the context of field-level vulnerability assessments and adaptation planning. Follow-up activities are being planned in order to build on the training workshops.