Kathmandu, Feb. 16: To
address the growing challenges of climate change and disaster reduction, a
four-month long certification programme in climate change for district
government officials has started in Chitwan.
According to a press
statement issued by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain
Development (ICIMOD), the training, attended by 70 district officials of
Chitwan, will run till May 2017.
"The certification programme seeks to build knowledge and capacity
in district officials, with a particular focus to assist poor and marginalised
communities in preparing for future disasters. All participants will receive
training in climate-related hazards as well as the socio-economic dimensions of
natural disaster and on adaptation to climate change and resilience," read
the statement.
It said that Nepal's
mountainous topography made it vulnerable to the effects of climate change,
such as increasing temperatures, accelerating glacier melt, and rising
incidence of floods and landslides.
"Chitwan is situated in the Gandaki basin, which has
experienced many of the devastating effects that climate change. Between 2000
and 2014, more than 1,200 people have died as a result of climate-related
hazards. Floods and landslides alone account for 76 per cent of all people
killed in the Gandaki basin over the same time period," read the
statement.
Chief district officer
Narayan Prasad Bhatta said that sensitisation, creating awareness and
disseminating knowledge at the local level was very important.
"The climate
change is a defining issue of our time and Nepal is one of the most vulnerable
countries," he said.
The programme is being
organised by the government, Chitwan Development Committee with technical
support from Practical Action and ICIMOD.
It is a part of the
Himalayan Adaptation, Water and Resilience (HI-AWARE) regional programme of
ICIMOD, which aims to create climate resilience and adaptive capacities of the
poor and vulnerable living in the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra river basins.
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