KATHMANDU, July 2: The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has approved almost Rs 5 billion in grants to help Nepal reduce the growing threat of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs). The 42nd Board Meeting of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), held in Papua New Guinea on Tuesday, approved grant assistance for Nepal's project titled "Protecting Livelihoods and Assets at Risk from Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) and Climate Change-Induced Flooding in the Glacial River Basins of Nepal."
GCF's alternate board member on behalf of LDCs, Dr Sindhu Prasad Dhungana, who attended the GCF meeting in Papua New Guinea, confirmed that the decision was made to approve a $3.61 million grant to help Nepal protect lives and livelihoods from the risks of GLOFs. Nepal's proposal for the project was unanimously approved in the GCF Board Meeting, Dhungana shared.
He said the GCF Board Meeting endorsed 17 projects of the total 19 proposals, including that of Nepal.
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UN agencies have identified the GLOFs as the major and accelerating climate risk in the Himalayas. "The approval marks a new chapter in how Nepal prepares for climate threats, shifting from reacting after floods to preventing them before they happen. Led by Nepal’s Department of Hydrology and Meteorology in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the new project will benefit over 2.2 million people living in the Koshi and Gandaki river basins," according to UNDP Nepal.
Dhungana explained that the seven-year project is designed to serve as a model for reducing the increasing risk of glacial lake outburst floods. The initiative aims to stimulate future public and private investments in climate risk reduction, providing a blueprint for other high mountain countries to follow. The project has also secured an additional $14 million in co-financing from the Government of Nepal, UNDP, and the Independent Power Producers' Association of Nepal.
According to UNDP Nepal, the key components of the seven-year project include expanding and upgrading hazard monitoring and early warning systems; reducing water levels in four high-risk glacial lakes (Thulagi, Lower Barun, Lumding Tsho, and Hongu 2); strengthening riverbanks and flood-prone areas through reforestation and protective infrastructure such as check dams and vegetative gabion walls; and helping national and local authorities, first responders and communities to plan and prepare for future risks.
Likewise, UNDP has welcomed the opportunity to partner with the Government of Nepal to tackle some of the most urgent and complex climate risks facing mountain regions. “Supported by the Green Climate Fund, this initiative represents a long-term investment to protect lives and strengthen resilience where it matters most. It is climate action that is both grounded and game-changing, Kyoko Yokosuka, UNDP Resident Representative in Nepal, said.
Kamal Ram Joshi, Director General of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, hoped that this project would help protect vulnerable Himalayan communities by strengthening local capacity and safeguarding lives, livelihoods, and infrastructure.
Saying that 21 glacial lakes are at high risk of outbursts in Nepal, Joshi mentioned that the CGF grant was a great achievement since it supports our efforts for risk management. The stakeholders have described this project as a significant milestone in Nepal's efforts to strengthen climate resilience.
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