Local Adaptation Plans of Action (LAPAs): an analysis of approaches to planning for climate change in Nepal : A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Natural Resources Management and Ecological Engineering at Lincoln University

Abstract

Adaptation to climate change has become a major focus globally since 2001. In accordance with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) decision in 2001, each least developed country prepared National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) so that these countries would be able to adapt to the adverse effect of climate change. Concerns were expressed about the local variability of effects and impacts of climate change and hence Local Adaptation Plans of Action (LAPAs) have been developed particularly to address these issues, with Nepal being the pioneer country to do so. In Nepal, it is generally accepted that LAPA reflects a bottom-up and participatory approach to planning, unlike the NAPA. However, the plans have been prepared and implemented by different organisations through different programme, making them contentious and inconsistent. The sustainable livelihoods framework has been utilised to address the knowledge deficit on the planning approaches specific to LAPA by exploring the approaches to LAPA planning undertaken by different programmes in Nepal. The programmes selected for study are three of the large-scale interventions on adaptation planning, namely, Nepal Climate Change Support Programme (NCCSP), Multi-Stakeholder Forestry Programme (MSFP) and Hariyo Ban Program (HBP). Two of these (MSFP and HBP) are broad forest-based programmes which include climate change adaptation as a subset of their activities, while the third (NCCSP) is a broad climate change adaptation programme which includes forest-based projects as a subset of their activities. I analyse the approach undertaken by these organisations in the LAPA process and finally examine the activities identified in the plan. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews at three levels, that is, national, district and community, and included people from government agencies, non-government organisations and the community. A total of 37 interviews were undertaken and the relevant documents were reviewed and analysed to provide a comprehensive understanding on the process. Key findings reveal a rigorous approach to LAPA planning, with vulnerability assessment as the factor determining the adaptation strategies in all three cases reviewed. However, there was greater ownership and acknowledgement of the resulting plan when the implementing agency had the authority and ability to mobilise the necessary resources and to make decisions, that is, when there was top-down implementation of a bottom-up plan by local government. Inadequate knowledge and capacity on technical aspects and the lack of a clear coordination mechanism at all levels in terms of adaptation planning are major challenges for the survival of LAPA. The findings suggest an integrated approach as an option to address the issue around overlapping objectives of development and adaptation. This learning and understanding can be applied in further scaling up of the adaptation planning in Nepal as well as other developing countries.