LEG Meeting Begins in Nepal

Minister of Environment Thakur Prasad Sharma inaugurated the Eighteenth Meeting of the LEG on Tuesday. This is for the first time Nepal is organising this kind of international meeting in Nepal in the environment sector. The meeting will continue till 15 October 2010.

“This is pride for all of us to invite international experts in our country to discuss the globally important agenda like climate change. Nepal has been actively taking part in all the activities related to climate change. We have very strong commitments towards it,” said minister Sharma. “We organised various programs including a meet Kathmandu to Copenhagen, cabinet meeting at Kalapathhar to draw the attention of world.”

Organised jointly by Ministry of Environment and the UNFCCC Secretariat, the meeting is attended by all (12) members of LEG, and representatives of the GEF, FAO, UNDP, UNCCD Secretariat, WHO, ADB and UNFCCC Secretariat. The GEF and its Agencies will attend the meeting on 12 and 13 October and later two days will be the closed session of the LEG meeting.

“We have completed our National Adaptation Program of Action (NAPA) document and the document has already approved by the cabinet. This indicates our firm commitments to implement the programs on Climate change,” said minister.

The COP at its seventh session decided to establish LDC Fund and LDC Expert Group (LEG). The 12 members LEG comprises of 5 experts from African LDC Parties, 2 from Asian LDC Parties, 2 from Small Island LDC Parties, and 3 from Annex II Parties (developed and industrialised countries) to the UNFCCC. For 2008-2010, LEG is represented by government nominated experts of Austria, Bangladesh, Benin, Canada, Gambia, Liberia, Maldives, Nepal, Netherlands, Sao Tome and Principe, Solomon Island, and Uganda.

“This meeting has very significant in the context that Nepal has already prepared a NAPA document under which Nepal can acquire fund for the implementation of the programs related to adaptation,” said Vice-chairman of National Planning Commission Jagadish Chandra Pokharel.

Member of National Planning Commission Dr. Dinesh Chandra Devkota highlighted that the population of Least Developed Countries consist of over 40 percent of total population but they get less than 5 percent of resources.

Secretary to Ministry of Environment Dr. Ganesh Raj Joshi said that this meeting will help to find out the ways to effectively implement the NAPA process. Country director of UNDP Country officer Ms. Anne-Isabelle Blateau said that Nepal has seen a lot of impacts of climate change during the last few years. Vice chairman of LEG also spoke on the occasion.

Conducted by Chief of Climate Change Management Division of Ministry of Environment and Joint Secretary of Ministry Batu Krishna Uprety, other speakers also highlighted various aspects of Nepal’s climate change scenario.

“Nepal has prepared really a good NAPA document with wider consultations. We have to accept the fact that Nepal’s NAPA process is good. Challenges before Nepal is now to implementation of NAPA,” said Simon Lucas, acting of UK Department for International Development (DFID).

“The meeting with GEF and its Agencies will discuss, inter alia, on matters related with: (i) status of the preparation and implementation of the NAPA, and support activities; (ii) experience on the preparation of NAPA and LDC work programme; (iii) preparation of best practices and lessons learned; (iv) future collaboration with GEF and its agencies; and (v) preparations for COP 16. The LEG meeting on 14 and 15 October will focus on aspects related to, inter alia, outcome of the Subsidiary Bodies for Implementation on LDC matters, issues on NAPA preparation and implementation, information on accessing funds from LDC Fund, elements of the future mandate of the LEG, and status of LDC work programme,” said Uprety who is also a member of LEG.

Nepal's NAPA, approved by the Government of Nepal on 28 September 2010, will be briefly presented in the meeting,” press release said. “A field visits will also be organised to the participants to help understand the impacts of climate change in Nepal,” said Uprety.