PROCEEDINGS OF THE WORKSHOP ON Environmental management in a changing climate Communicating local perspectives from the Kailash Sacred Landscape 30 September–1 October 2019 Copyright © 2020 International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Published by Attribution Non-Commercial, No Derivatives 4.0 International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development International License GPO Box 3226, Kathmandu, Nepal (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) Report preparation Serena Amatya, Sunayana Basnet, Sushmita Kunwar, Note Binaya Pasakhala, Pradyumna Rana, Astrid Hovden, This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part Riamsara Knapp, and Janita Gurung and in any form for educational or nonprofit purposes without special permission from the copyright holder, Production team provided acknowledgement of the source is made. Shanuj VC (Consultant editor) ICIMOD would appreciate receiving a copy of any Samuel Thomas (Senior editor) publication that uses this publication as a source. No Rachana Chettri (Editor) use of this publication may be made for resale or for any Punam Pradhan (Graphic designer) other commercial purpose whatsoever without prior permission in writing from ICIMOD. Photo The views and interpretations in this publication are Cover: Rajendra Shakya those of the author(s). They are not attributable to Citation ICIMOD and do not imply the expression of any opinion ICIMOD and HimalConnect (2020). Proceedings of the concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city workshop on Environmental management in a changing or area of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation climate: Communicating local perspectives from the Kailash of its frontiers or boundaries, or the endorsement of any Sacred Landscape. ICIMOD. product. This publication is available in electronic form at www.icimod.org/himaldoc. 2 PROCEEDINGS PROCEEDINGS OF THE WORKSHOP ON Environmental management in a changing climate Communicating local perspectives from the Kailash Sacred Landscape 30 September–1 October 2019 Organized by HimalConnect and International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), in collaboration with The Mountain Institute (TMI) Funded by The Research Council of Norway (NORGLOBAL-2), Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) through the University of Cambridge (UoC), and UiO:Energy at the University of Oslo (UiO) ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT IN A CHANGING CLIMATE 1 Contents SECTION 1 | PAGES 1–2 Technical session 2: Introduction Communicating local perspectives Closing session SECTION 2 | PAGE 2 Workshop objectives PAGES 8–13 Annex SECTION 3 | PAGES 3–7 Annex 1: Programme agenda Workshop highlights Annex 2: Participant list Technical session 1: Identifying local concerns and solutions Annex 3: Group participants Annex 4: Solutions identified by groups Abbreviations and acronyms ABS Access and benefit sharing MoFE Ministry of Forests and Environment CCA Climate change adaptation MoITFE Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forest CDO Chief District Officer and Environment C&D Conservation and development MoLMAC Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives DFO Divisional Forest Office MoPID Ministry of Physical Infrastructure GCRF Global Challenges Research Fund Development Himalayan Connections: Melting HimalConnect MP Member of Parliament Glaciers, Sacred Landscape and Mobile Technologies in a Changing Climate NGO Non-governmental organization EWS Early warning system NPC National Planning Commission GESI Gender equality and social inclusion NTB Nepal Tourism Board HKH Hindu Kush Himalaya NTFP Non-timber forest product ICIMOD International Centre for Integrated RVWRMP Rural Village Water Resources Mountain Development Management Project KSLCDI Kailash Sacred Landscape SIAS Southasia Institute of Advanced Studies Conservation and Development Initiative TMI The Mountain Institute LEC Livestock Expert Centre ToT Training of trainers MoALD Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock UiO The University of Oslo Development UiT The Arctic University of Norway MoCTCA Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil UoC The University of Cambridge Aviation WMC Waste Management Committee MoFA Ministry of Foreign Affairs MoFAGA Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration 2 PROCEEDINGS SECTION 1 Introduction In a confluence of events, climate change-related bridge the knowledge gap if the CCA measures floods are occurring at the same time that motorable are to become effective. Moreover, legislation and roads and telephone connections, as well as new policy development has not yet been completed at governance modes are arriving in Limi, in Nepal’s the provincial and federal levels. Besides, there is a Humla district. Limi, thus, presents an ideal case lack of institutional/administrative resources for the for discussing the current challenges in making subnational governments. This poses a challenge as environmental management in Nepal more climate policies and practices need to be coordinated both resilient. As is common in Himalayan border horizontally and vertically in order to ensure the communities, Limi has a long tradition of managing implementation of successful CCA measures. the local environment,1 but since the introduction of federalism, the community has had to develop The Namkha Rural Municipality (Map 1) is one and implement new environmental management of the pilot sites of the Kailash Sacred Landscape policies as it is now part of the Namkha Rural Conservation and Development Initiative (KSLCDI). Municipality. Similarly, the 2015 Constitution of The workshop contributed to the KSLCDI’s aims Nepal has placed the responsibility for climate of achieving effective ecosystems management change adaptation (CCA) on the local governments. and building the resilience capacity of the local However, the CCA framework and policy documents communities. It provided an opportunity for key are written in a highly technical language. There stakeholders from all three levels of government, is a need to improve communication methods and as well as civil society representatives and FIGURE 1 NAMKHA RURAL MUNICIPALITY HUMLA, NEPAL 1 Diemberger et al. 2015, Hovden 2016, Basnet and Chaudhary 2017. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT IN A CHANGING CLIMATE 1 researchers, to come together to discuss how to respective participants. Day 1 was a preparatory make environmental management systems more day involving local stakeholders, experts and sustainable in the context of a changing climate researchers to discuss concrete challenges and scenario. The focus was particularly on exploring how solutions by considering three thematic areas: water the knowledge of local challenges and management management, waste management, and natural strategies could be communicated and made relevant resource management. On Day 2, participants from across the different decision-making levels in Nepal. the provincial and central governments were invited to exchange experiences and engage in a dialogue The two-day interactive workshop lay a strong with the local stakeholders on these three thematic emphasis on local perspectives. The workshop was areas. conducted in Nepali with simultaneous translations in English and Humli Tibetan language for the SECTION 2 Workshop objectives The workshop was designed as a collaborative • Initiate knowledge sharing and dialogue program between the project ‘Himalayan between stakeholders from the local, provincial, connections: melting glaciers, sacred landscapes and federal governments, civil society and mobile technologies in a changing climate’ representatives and researchers (HimalConnect2) and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) • Sensitize policymakers at provincial and based on an agreement between the Department central government levels to the environmental of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages (IKOS) management practices and concerns of the at the University of Oslo, and ICIMOD. This is Namkha Rural Municipality the second of five workshops envisaged by the • Identify possible solutions to the challenges in HimalConnect project and focused on bringing the areas of water, waste, and natural resource together local stakeholders in Nepal. The workshop, management in the Limi Valley of the Namkha which was also supported by The Mountain Institute Rural Municipality (TMI), had the following objectives: 2 HimalConnect is a Research Council of Norway-funded collaborative project between the University of Oslo (UiO), UiT – the Arctic University of Norway, and Cambridge University, with ICIMOD and The Mountain Institute (TMI) as the main cooperation partners in Nepal. 2 PROCEEDINGS SECTION 3 Workshop highlights issues. Hovden also emphasized on the vital need TECHNICAL SESSION 1 to listen to the voices of the local people in order to Identifying local concerns and devise sustainable solutions for overall development. solutions THEMATIC SESSION Opening session Water, Waste, and Natural Resource Eklabya Sharma, Deputy Director General, ICIMOD, Management warmly welcomed the workshop participants. This session started with thematic presentations He expressed his happiness in collaborating with on three issues of importance in Limi: water ICIMOD partners and supporting organizations. He management, waste management, and natural stated that the topic of the workshop was relevant resource management. This was followed by group to ICIMOD as it works with both policymakers as discussions (Annex 3 for group members) which well