Nepal has promulgated adequate
policies towards achieving the goal of “prosperous and happy people”. Local Governance
Operation Act, 2017 is a milestone document that makes mandatory provision of
formulating activities at local level that contributes to social inclusion,
economic efficiency and sustainable environment. While seeing annual
development plans local governments, it is found that a very few of them have
considered environment, climate change and disaster issues into their annual
development plans. One of the main reasons why environment is in low priority
is due lack of adequate human resources capacity at local level.
Many
legal documents like the Constitution of Nepal, Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Act (DRR&MA), 2017, Climate Change Policy (CCP), 2011 and model
planning guidelines for local government gives priority on localizing cross
cutting subjects such as climate change, disaster and environmental issues at
State and local level. Moreover, Nepal has obligation to contribute to achieve
Sustainable Development Goals that includes climate change and environmental
issues among others. Local Governance and Operationalization Acts (LGOA), 2017,
stress on considering three major pillars of sustainable development goals such
as economic efficient, social equity and sustainable environment while
formulating annual and periodical development plans by local government. Further
the Act mentions that development plan should pay attention to cross cutting
issues specifically good governance, environment, children, climate change
adaptation, disaster management, and social inclusion.
As an
entry point of the mainstreaming environment into local development plan, immediately
after completion of the Local Elections, WWF Nepal has informed selected elected
local representatives on need of integrating cross cutting issues such as
climate change, biodiversity, environment into their respective annual
development planning and budgeting process. In this connection, a total of 15
orientation meetings for elected representatives has already been conducted in
different locations of Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) Program areas. Based on the
above experiences, four cluster level stakeholder workshops were also conducted
at different four places in TAL areas.
As an
impact of the orientation training and meetings, a few local government units
have started integrating cross cutting issues into their annual development
plans of FY 2017/18. Godawari Municipality, Kailali have included environment
and climate change awareness program, Turmakhand Rural Municipality in Achham
has included programs of pond conservation and water source protection, Bedkot
Municipality, Kanchanpur has envisioned slogan of “clean and green Bedkot”. Bhimdatta
Municipality has announced a vacancy for Environment Expert to be appointed
with their own resources. Shuklaphanta Municipality, Kanchanpur formed
Environment and Disaster Management Committee and even identified a focal
person to look after environmental activities. Tikapur Municipality Council
meetings for Policy, Program and Budget decision number 45 mentions that Local
Adaptation Plan of Action for Climate Change (LAPA) based activities shall be
implemented in coordination with stakeholders. Further, the Tikapur
Municipality have decided to establish and mobilize disaster management fund,
adoption of national building code and implementation of existing disaster
management plan.
However, the local
government units who have included climate change, environment and disaster
issues into their annual development plans are not allocating adequate budget
for implementation. In other words, the assigned activities are not followed by
fund. Major pie of the annual budgets of most of the local government units are
in infrastructure development mainly in rural road construction, community
building, school building, culvert, gravelling, among others. In contrast a very
few activities and budgets are allocated into environment friendly development
activities. For instance, Krishnapur Municipality in Kanchanpur has approved a
total budget of Rs 57,62,85,000 for FY 2017/18. Out of the total, they have
allocated budget of Rs.59,62,000. e. less than 1% for environment friendly development
activities like biogas, plantation, pond conservation etc.
The above mention facts indicate
that despite having policy provisions for balanced development of three
pillars, only social and economic pillars are being considered while planning
at local level. The third but equally important environmental pillar necessary
for sustainable development are in low priority. While scrutinizing underlying
factors for paying inadequate attention towards giving priority for environment
pillar, it was noted that there is inadequate human resource capacity to deal
with environmental issues at local level. Therefore, it is high time to appoint
Environment Inspector with clearly defined roles and responsibilities at local
level. Once the well qualified environment person is placed at local level only
then we can hope for integrated sustainable development.
Though the policy
provision is in place for balanced development, due to lack of adequate human
resources there is a mere chance of translating the policies into actions at
local level. To ensure balanced development, it is desirable to appoint at
least one Environmental Inspector in all Municipalities of Nepal.