KATHMANDU: The National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) on Tuesday convened a high-level provincial consultation workshop in Birendranagar, Surkhet, to advance the development of a Karnali Province–focused Green Climate Fund (GCF) project aimed at promoting climate justice through locally led climate action.

The workshop focused on co-creation and co-design of the proposed project, placing local communities and provincial priorities at the centre of climate adaptation and resilience efforts.

Inaugurating the programme, Minister for Forests and Environment, Physical Infrastructure and Transport Madhab Prasad Chaulagain stressed that Karnali must be prioritised in Nepal’s climate and development response, citing the province’s vulnerability to climate change and its fragile mountain ecosystems.

NTNC Member Secretary Dr. Naresh Subedi reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to mobilising global climate finance, highlighting NTNC’s role as a Direct Access Accredited Entity to the Green Climate Fund and the Adaptation Fund.

The session was chaired by Ajit Kumar Karna, Secretary at the Provincial Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forests and Environment, who underlined the need for strong provincial ownership and leadership to ensure the project reflects Karnali’s needs and realities.

Presenting the project framework, Dr. Manish Raj Pandey, Head of NTNC’s Climate Change Department, outlined the project vision, objectives and the pathway for developing a full GCF funding proposal. Dr. Bishnu Hari Poudel, GCF Country Liaison Officer, briefed participants on GCF priorities and strategic considerations for accessing international climate finance.

The workshop was moderated by Lina Chalise, Senior Climate Change Officer, while ESS expert Krishna Prasad Ghimire shared insights from district- and local-level consultations conducted in Jajarkot, Jumla, Dolpa and Dailekh.

A total of 52 participants, representing provincial and local governments, the private sector, forest-based organisations, enterprise groups, NGOs, CBOs, CSOs and the media, took part in the consultation.

The project is being developed with technical support from RAIN TA SLU, funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), to ensure alignment with international climate finance standards and globally recognised locally led adaptation practices.

NTNC said the consultation marked a key step toward a climate-just, locally driven and globally supported resilience pathway for Karnali Province, aimed at translating global climate finance into tangible benefits for vulnerable communities and ecosystems.