Sudurpaschim, Nov 16: Stakeholders have emphasized that the dividends that Nepal receives for its role in reducing carbon emissions should be reached to the grassroots.
At a two-day workshop organized in Dhangadhi on emission reduction under Nepal’s REDD+, they said that since indigenous and marginalized communities are in the forefront in reducing emissions by protecting forests the dividends should also reached to them in a fair manner.
Speaking at the workshop, forest expert Rupesh Kalakheti highlighted the negative impact on the environment due to carbon emissions and said that despite contributing little to carbon emissions Nepal has had to bear a lot of losses.
President of the Federation of Nepal Indigenous Journalists, Lucky Chaudhary, said that indigenous peoples and marginalized groups, who have been playing a major role in protecting forests, are still unable to enjoy the dividends received from it.
Nepal, which has signed various international environmental treaties and agreements, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), has been participating in the REDD+ process since 2008. In this regard, Nepal has formally started operating various programs in preparation for REDD+ with the support of the World Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership Program (FCPF) since 2010.
