On June 27, 2025, the Alternative Foundation hosted a National Consultation Workshop on Strengthening Climate and Environmental Policy Integration in Three Tiers of Government at The Entrance Café, Lalitpur. Recognizing Nepal’s acute vulnerability to climate change, the workshop aimed to address the growing need for integrated, coordinated, and locally grounded climate governance. Participants included federal, provincial, and local government representatives, civil society leaders, development partners, academics, and indigenous groups. The event provided a platform to critically assess Nepal’s climate policies, identify implementation gaps, and discuss actionable solutions for aligning national climate ambitions with subnational realities.
Key highlights included a comprehensive keynote by Dr. Pem Kandel, who outlined Nepal’s structural challenges in climate governance from weak inter-governmental coordination to underfunded local adaptation efforts. The workshop introduced a Policy Analysis Framework developed by the Alternative Foundation to promote systematic policy reviews, capacity building, and evidence-based decision-making. Discussions emphasized reforming Nepal’s fiscal architecture to ensure local governments receive the committed 80% climate finance allocation. Participants also called for stronger inclusion of indigenous knowledge, climate vulnerability mapping at the municipal level, and the establishment of formal inter-governmental climate councils to streamline coordination and accountability.
In her remarks, Hon. Kusumdevi Thapa, Chair of the Agriculture, Cooperative, and Natural Resources Committee in the House of Representatives, stressed the need for cross-sectoral collaboration and reinforced her commitment to advancing legal reforms for climate-resilient governance. The workshop concluded with a shared vision: that Nepal’s climate response must go beyond policy rhetoric to foster real, community-driven action across all levels of government. The Alternative Foundation pledged to lead this process forward through provincial dialogues, field assessments, and the development of a National Climate and Environmental Policy Integration Roadmap, ensuring that climate resilience becomes a central pillar of Nepal’s democratic and developmental journey.
