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World Bank approves $100 Million to SupportKey Reforms for Nepal’s Green, Resilient, and Inclusive Development

Sunakhari News/ Kathmandu –
The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved a $100 million development policy credit(DPC) to help improve the enabling environment for Nepal’sgreen, climate-resilient, and inclusive development pathway.This is the first in a programmatic series of threeDPCs on Green, Resilient and Inclusive Development (GRID).

“In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Bank has pivoted its program in Nepal to focus supportto the Government to pursuea greener, more inclusive, and more resilient development path, said Faris Hadad-Zervos, World Bank Country Director for Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.“Through this operation, we are supportingthe Government’skey policy actions across sectors including water, land use, agriculture, forest, urban, waste, and pollution.”

This first operation supportsstrategicGRIDtransitions that help build and maintain prosperity for all. This includesthe sustainable and productive use of natural capital; strengthening theresilience of urban and rural infrastructure, human capital, and livelihoods to climate and environmental risks; and promoting more efficient and cleaner production, consumption, and mobility.

The operation also supports reforms for strengthening inclusion in development decision-making and access to assets and services; and encouragesprivate sector investmentingreening Nepal’s economy and creatingjobs and livelihoodsrelated to such areas as community forestry, agriculture, clean air, and solid waste management. “Nepal’s shift to the GRID approach is a strategic move during a challenging era that is full of opportunity.

This shift will help the country continue to make progress on expanding and protecting prosperity while reducing poverty in the face of compounding challenges that affect Nepal’s development, including COVID, disaster, climate and environmental risks,” said Steve Danyo, Sector Leader for Sustainable Development for Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka, and the Task Team Leader for the operation. “The GRID DPC supports Nepal’s shift to a more sustainable, resilient, and inclusive economy.”