Nepal is one of the lowest carbon-emitting countries in the world, yet it is one of the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. The climate risks and vulnerability in Nepal are high due to its geography and its exposure to the risk of natural disasters and impacts on the lives and livelihoods of Nepali people due to the effects of climate change. It will also adversely affect Nepal’s development ambitions since its economic growth is highly dependent on climate-sensitive sectors - be it tourism, agriculture, or hydropower. In response to global climate conventions, Nepal has devised legislation, policies, programs, and institutional and financial arrangements for climate resilience, but their effective implementation remains a challenge. Climate change is a shared responsibility of individuals, communities, nations, and generations - to raise voices and act for green growth and climate action. Young people have a special role to play in post-COVID recovery, tackling climate challenges and advocating and acting for green growth. Although young people are most affected by climate change, and their involvement on the agenda is crucial, representation of their voices at the policy-making level is limited. On the other hand, women and girls are disproportionately affected by the effects of climate change. Youth need more capacity, networks, and resources to engage on climate issues creatively and effectively from multiple dimensions – ethical, political, economic, social, or human rights perspectives.
Nepal’s 15th Development Plan has recognized climate change as a major issue and provides direction and strategies to tackle it with a vision of “building a climate-resilient society”. Nepal has ratified the Sustainable Development Goals, and the Paris Agreement on climate change, and the roadmap for its implementation. National Climate Change Policy 2019 identifies eight thematic and four cross-cutting areas including gender equality and social inclusion, awareness raising and capacity building, research, and climate finance. Roles for youth, civil society, and the private sector have also been highlighted in the policy. Youth civil society has a major role to play in supporting the government to effectively implement climate-related policies and programs as well as to monitor and hold the government to account. Youth mobilization for the country’s development agenda including tackling climate change has been prioritized in several of Nepal’s plans and policies. One of the five pillars of National Youth Strategy 2025 is related to the mobilization, participation, and development leadership capacity of youth.
Youth for Climate Action Project:
The Association of Youth Organizations Nepal (AYON) and the British Council are implementing the Youth for Climate Action (YCA) project in Nepal. The project places a distinct emphasis on empowering young people to take an active role in positive climate action. Through this project, young individuals will have the chance to get involved in local-level climate initiatives. They will have the opportunity to enhance their knowledge, acquire valuable skills, and expand their networks, all of which will equip them to lead efforts aimed at fostering gender equality in their respective sectors and communities. The project’s approach to leadership development for climate action involves aspiring young leaders with an opportunity to network and act against climate issues in their communities through small-scale social action projects. Under the project, we are calling for applications for small-scale climate action grants to support youth leadership for climate actions.
Climate Action Grant
Climate action grants are monetary and/or non-financial awards to an individual or institution to support their exemplary work in climate action. Grantees go through a competitive process that requires the application and submission of supporting documents. AYON provides grants to encourage the social leadership skills of young leaders in important social discourses and interventions. Grants usually comprise financial, mentoring, and platform support. A grant contract outlining the specifications of support and the proposed activity/project is required to process the distribution of the award.