Hariyo Ban Programme launched to combat climate change

‘Hariyo Ban Nepal Ko Dhan’ is the most popular saying in Nepal. Hariyo Ban aims to reduce the adverse impacts of climate change and threats to biodiversity in Nepal, a five-year programme was launched in Kathmandu.

Funded by the US Agency for International Development, the Hariyo Ban programme is a new investment in biodiversity conservation and climate change in Nepal, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the managing partner of the programme.

The programme will be implemented by a consortium comprised of four leading conservation organisations in Nepal –WWF, the Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere, the Federation of Community Forestry Users in Nepal and the National Trust for Nature Conservation.

“Nepal, being a Himalayan country, is one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world and the government welcomes the efforts being made by Hariyo Ban,” said Deependra Bahadur Kshetry, vice-chairman of the National Planning Commission.

This programme is also expected to help build resilience to climate change in communities and ecosystems by restoring and conserving Nepal’s forests.

Hariyo Ban will be implemented in southern part of the country including Chitwan-Annapurna landscape, which links the the high Himalayas to the Terai.

Climate change is emerging as a major threat to people and biodiversity of Nepal and more than 1.9 million people are highly climate vulnerable and 10 million are increasingly at risk, according to the WWF.

Source: nepalmountainnews