U.S. Climate Finance

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is investing $7.2 million in the biodiversity and climate change program Hariyo Ban (Nepali for "Green Forests") to support climate change adaptation and mitigation. This integrated program works closely with the government of Nepal and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) - especially local community forest users groups and non-governmental conservation organizations - to reduce threats to biodiversity and vulnerabilities to climate change in Nepal's Terai Arc landscape and the Gandaki River basin. Fiscal Year 2012 resources will advance Hariyo Ban's efforts to: build structures, capacity and operations for effective sustainable landscape management to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation; and increase the ability of human and natural systems to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change. Specific activities include but are not limited to support develop of Nepal's Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) strategy, establishment of sub-national level reference emissions levels, addressing direct and indirect drivers of deforestation and forest degradation, increasing awareness on climate change vulnerabilities and mitigation measures, integrating climate change into local planning processes, and introducing climate smart, low-cost tools and technologies to monitor and address adverse impacts of climate change.