Strategic Green Growth Transitions in Nepal: Toward a post-COVID recovery

Project Summary:

The grant aims to advance inclusive green growth in Nepal, in green finance and fiscal policy, the agriculture/water/forest nexus, clean energy and transport, resilient infrastructure and urban development, nature-based tourism, biodiversity, and waste and pollution. It will provide an opportunity to influence and inform decision-making in Nepal to transition to green economies and recovery.  

List of Activities:

• Activity 1: Green growth diagnostics and thematic deep dives. The activity includes an analysis of different financial and fiscal instrument options for green growth investments; air quality management analysis.
• Activity 2: Green growth platforms for policy dialogue, knowledge promotion and dissemination.
• Activity 3: Green growth capacity building, pilot and demonstration.

Outcomes:

Output 1

• Report with recommendations from the analysis, including a prioritized list of financial and fiscal instruments for green growth for Nepal
• Case study of Korean experience and benchmarking with Nepal in promoting green investment by the public and private sector
• Report with conclusions and recommendations from the analysis on environmental impact assessments and risk management Nepal
• Functional maps defining airsheds for Nepal

Output 2

• Inputs for the Government of Nepal's (GoN) preparation of its GRID Strategic Action Plan with a joint implementation and monitoring plan to track delivery and impact (with multiple DP support and GoN budget allocated to finance the priorities)
• GoN GRID Platform, including regular dialogues among stakeholders on investment, institutions, information, and policy
• Nepal diagnostic benchmark metrics and indicators
• GRID strategic communication products 
• PCN and ROC-ready Program document (for development of DPC series)
• Opportunities for convening investment to finance GRID-compliant (e.g. green growth) investments. This includes identification of complementary areas for private sector action to transition to GRID and a strategic plan to mobilize private investment (towards regular dialogues among stakeholders on investment, institutions, information, and policy)

Output 3

• Report of review of policies for identified new technology to create new jobs
• Report on the analytics on green skills in Nepal
• Pilot on green tech in Nepal
• Training program to develop new skills5. Knowledge exchange (virtual and in-person)

Outcomes

• Investment dialogues on WBG pipeline development informed by diagnostics
• New GRID DPC in Nepal informed by analytics
• Enhanced participation of the private sector in green growth and promote change in government expenditure or investments
• Improved country capacity on EIA and risk management
• Increased awareness on air pollution and its impacts leading to behavioral change contribution towards the development of a green growth roadmap and action plans for Nepal
• Enhanced awareness on green growth, environmental issues amongst policy and decision-makers in Nepal
• Increased green jobs
• New partnerships created for knowledge exchange and industrial capacity building on green tech
• Technology transfer and investments in new green tech in the countries

Collaboration with K-Partners and Others:

MAFRA, KECO, KEITI, KFS, KEI, KRC, EPIS and K-Water (tentative)