The inception period of a CDKN supported project in Nepal has concluded with the Government of Nepal publishing an Inception Report and Implementation Plan for carrying out economic impact assessment of climate change in key sectors in Nepal.

The project will provide headline and sectoral estimates of the impacts and economic costs of climate change for agricultural and water sectors, to provide input to the Government’s assessment of loss and benefits from climate change in various geographical areas and development sectors by 2013.

The findings of the assessment will also provide information on climate compatible development options in these sectors to address these risks, to help the Government to strategically consider options for climate compatible development pathways.

The detailed scope and design of the project has been set through a highly participatory process, led by a project Steering Committee of senior Government officials from relevant departments, and chaired by the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology. Thematic working groups of local experts and stakeholders have also provided guidance and advice. This has resulted in consensus and ownership within the Government, and across the local stakeholder community, on what type of assessment will be most useful for the country.

The project is being implemented by IDS-Nepal, Practical Action Consulting (PAC) Nepal, and the Global Climate Adaptation Partnership (GCAP) who have documented the decisions made by the Government.

An Inception Report is a synthesis of the available information on climate change in Nepal. This includes information on current climate, future climate projections, socio-economic data, and existing information on vulnerability and adaptation.

The Implementation Plan then puts forward the approach that builds on existing information available obtained from the inception report, to deliver useful new analysis for the Government. The proposed work plan is split into 3 work streams: •

• The costs of current climate variability and extremes in Nepal. This will provide the analysis of near-term economic costs, including potential impacts from changes in climate variability. For adaptation, the focus will be on addressing short-term climate variability (now and for the next 5 – 10 years) – focused on current and emerging trends, and identifying short-term, “no and low regrets” actions.
• The risks to current plans over the short-medium term in Nepal. This will provide an initial risk screening of the potential impacts of climate change on current plans, i.e. and the associated economic costs. For adaptation, it will focus on building climate resilience (for the next 5-15 years) – focused pragmatically on incorporating climate change into existing plans, using insights from short- and long-term climate risks.
• The longer term impacts and economic costs of climate change to Nepal. This will provide an analysis of the more traditional impacts and economic costs of climate change in key sectors, using information from scenario-based impact assessments and models. For adaptation, the focus will be on planning for medium to long-term climate change (2025 and beyond) – identifying priorities for early action.

These documents have been peer reviewed by local and international experts, and should prove to be useful to other Governments and stakeholders interested in carrying out similar initiatives.

For more information, contact CDKN Project Manager elizabeth.colebourn@cdkn.org