UN workshops in Kathmandu focus on gender issues

Nepal: A three-day workshop on integrating gender in climate risk assessment and adaptation planning at local level was held in Kathmandu, Nepal from 08 to 10 October 2017 as part of the activities of the UNDP-FAO Integrating Agriculture in National Adaptation Plans Programme (NAP-Ag), the project funded by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB). The event was organized by FAO-Nepal, in collaboration with UNDP and FAO of the NAP-Ag global team.

The training sought to strengthen the capacity of the Nepal’s NAP-Ag Project Technical Task-force (PTT) and contractors to integrate gender analysis methods and tools in climate risk assessment and adaptation planning in the agriculture sector. It also sought to strengthen the gender and adaptation capacity of participating government officials in terms of monitoring and evaluating the NAP-Ag project, and more importantly in terms of their adaptation work over the longer term.

The case-study based training used interactive exercises supported by presentations to guide participants through different gender related concepts and issues, risk assessment frameworks and tools, and the adaptation planning cycle.

Over 25 participants attended from ministries of Agricultural Development, Livestock Development, Forestry and Soil Conservation, Population and Environment, Information, Federal Affairs and Local Development, and Home Affairs as well as the National Agricultural Research Council, Nepal Academy of Science and Technology, National Planning Commission, Department of Food Technology and Quality Control, Department of Agriculture, Department of Livestock Services, Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, FAO Nepal, and UNDP Nepal. Association for Development of Environment and People in Transition-Nepal (ADAPT-Nepal) and PricewaterhouseCoopers Limited, the service providers engaged to undertake the climate risk assessment and adaptation planning initiative at local level also participated.

This training is linked to other workshops on gender and adaptation held under the auspices of the NAP-Ag programme in Uganda, Kenya, and Zambia in 2016 and 2017. The training was facilitated by Barun Gurung (WOCAN) with additional facilitation and logistical support by Nisha Onta (WOCAN). Catherine Hill, Gender Advisor, NAP-GSP provided with technical support to the training.

Nepal recognized the importance of integrating gender issues into risk assessment to understand and respond to the different vulnerabilities to risk that women and men experience and their capacity to respond.

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.