Environment not in Priority!!

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.