Kathmandu: Nepal is set to receive a substantial grant of approximately Rs five billion aimed at reducing the water levels in four glacial lakes at risk of flooding within the country. The initiative, designed to mitigate glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) and climate change-induced flooding in Nepal’s glacial river basins, was approved during the 42nd board meeting of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
According to National News Agency Nepal, Dr. Sindhu Prasad Dhungana, an alternate board member of the GCF representing the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), confirmed the approval of a US $36.2 million grant from the Green Climate Fund, equivalent to nearly 5 billion rupees. The Government of Nepal, alongside the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Independent Power Producers Association of Nepal, will co-invest an additional 13.8 million US dollars in the project. The UNDP, as an accredited body of the Fund, submitted the project on behalf of the Government of Nepal.
UNDP Country Representative in Nepal, Kyoko Yokosuka, stated that the seven-year project will be implemented in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme under the guidance of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology. The project aims to benefit approximately 2.2 million residents in the Koshi and Gandaki river basins. It will focus on reducing water levels in four high-risk glacial lakes, expanding early warning systems, conserving over 150 hectares of riverbanks through natural methods like afforestation, and enhancing disaster preparedness and climate resilience.
A similar joint initiative in Nepal previously succeeded in preventing a potential disaster by lowering the water level of Imja Lake in Solukhumbu by 3.4 meters in a controlled manner. Kamal Ram Joshi, Director General of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, mentioned that the GCF grant would assist in managing risks, as reports indicate that 21 glacial lakes in Nepal are at risk of bursting, potentially causing significant damage.