Towards Sustainable Climate Resilient Tourism

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Province 7 of Nepal Capacity Development Support for Sustainable Development

I have had chance to review the recently announced budget speech of Province no 7 for FY 2074/75. While going through the budget speech, it was revealed that the Province wants to be prosperous through tourism, medicinal herb, infrastructure development, hydropower and forest management. They have made the budget speech of NRs. 1,02,00,00,000.

The Province has allocated budget, among others for undertaking feasibility study of tourism and preparing province level forest management plan. Under tourism front, the Province has set aside some budget for establishing Tourism Information Center at strategic places like Shuklaphanta, Khaptad, Ramaroshan, Chisapaani and Tikapur park and Preparing Tourism Master Plan. The Province has also allocated budget for clean and green city development, forest fire control, urban forestry development, climate resilient (mitigation and adaptation) infrastructure development, among others. Moreover, the Province has planned to formulate necessary polices for conserving endangered species, watershed management, water source conservation and feasibility study for infrastructure development activities. Besides, budget has allocated for preparing necessary acts, regulations, working procedures and guidelines.

As mentioned in the budget speech due to climate change, the water sources are being drying out in the Mountain Areas of the Province no 7 that has posed difficulties in accessing drinking water for local people. It has ultimately caused migration of people from Mountain Areas to lowland mainly in emerging urban areas. As said in the budget speech, inadequate human and institutional capacities and lack of sufficient infrastructures are the key challenges for successful implementation of the above-mentioned activities.

It seems it is high time for conservation organizations to work closely with the Province Government mainly to develop human and institutional capacities to make them able to integrate conservation, climate change and poverty linked issues into upcoming acts, regulations, policies and programs. Moreover, they need support for designing and developing environment friendly and climate resilient infrastructures.