Kathmandu: A team led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative for Nepal, Kyoko Yokosuka, met with Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Physical Infrastructure and Transport, and Urban Development, Kulman Ghising, to discuss continued support for Nepal, especially in light of the upcoming elections.
According to National News Agency Nepal, the meeting, held at the Ministry of Urban Development in Singha Durbar, focused on the UNDP’s support for the upcoming elections and its ongoing assistance in energy and climate change sectors. The implementation status of existing projects was also reviewed during the discussions.
Minister Ghising shared that the government is working on allowing Nepali citizens temporarily residing abroad to vote and requested support for adopting online voting technologies used internationally. His secretariat highlighted the need for assistance in mitigating climate change impacts, fostering employment through small and medium-sized industries in rural areas, studying vulnerable glacial lakes, and establishing a disaster early warning system.
The Minister emphasized the importance of transitioning from fossil fuels to electric energy, promoting electric energy in energy-intensive industries, and reducing carbon emissions by replacing coal in brick kilns with electric energy. Minister Ghising’s secretariat noted that UNDP has committed to aiding the upcoming elections and securing financial assistance for Nepal from the Climate Fund.