Subash Pandey on Nepal’s Climate Financing Dilemma

Nepal is one of the most vulnerable nations to the effects of climate change, such as floods, landslides, and droughts. Yet, the government and other stakeholders are struggling to usher in proper climate financing, which, when worsened by poor management of the received funds, is rendering the country’s chances to achieve its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) unfeasible. In this episode, PEI’s Saurab Lama and Subash Pandey discuss the hurdles in Nepal’s path to climate financing. The discussion is based on the latter’s recent op-ed titled “Climate Financing Dilemma.” They explore both the external limits to Nepal’s access to climate funding, especially the ideal grants, and the internal factors that obstruct it from optimizing the funds that do make it in. They also consider the possible steps Nepal can take to overcome its climate financing dilemma beginning with the re-directing of its focus from grants to loans. Subash is a graduate of Climate Science and Policy at Bard College’s Center for Environmental Policy with research interests in the UNFCCC and its implementation architecture. He works in the fields of climate and environment with experience ranging from local grassroots organizations to international development and research institutes both in the Global South and North. He aims to help the Least Developed and developing countries in achieving their ambitious (NDCs). Click here to read Subash’s op-ed titled “Climate finance dilemma” published in The Kathmandu Post on March 1, 2023. Click here to support us on Patreon!!