Webinar on “Environmentally Sustainable Transport(EST): Ways ahead Of Nepal” Held

By Suman Udas

Kathmandu, September 17, 2010

The webinar on “Environmentally Sustainable Transport: Ways Ahead for Nepal” ended finally with the forum proposing and accepting following plans to implement:

• CANN will write a letter requesting Ministries of Environment, Transport, Finance and National Planning Commission to write to UNCRD pledging their supporting to the process of preparing the EST strategy.  Ministry of Physical Planning and Works will be copied in the letters.
• CANN will write a letter requesting National Planning Commission to lead a National Steering Committee with representatives from Ministries of: Physical Planning and Works, Environment, Finance and Transport and civil society to advise the process of preparing the EST strategy and coordinate input from various ministries.  The ministries will be copied in the letter.
• CANN will write a letter to the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works to offer CAI Asia-CANN’s services as the National Collaborating Center.  CAI Asia with its regional expertise in promoting policies and practices in EST and CANN as the Nepal Network promoting activities to reduce outdoor air will facilitate and support the preparation of the EST strategy.  Winrock International will provide the technical and administrative assistance to CANN during the EST strategy preparation process.  UNCRD will be copied.

Realizing the importance of environmentally sustainable transport (EST) to address environmental, social and economic issues related transport sector in Nepal, webinar on “Environmentally Sustainable Transport: Ways Ahead for Nepal” was held on 15th September, 2010 at DECC Hall, United World Trade Center, 4th floor Tripureshwor, Kathmandu.

The webinar started with the welcome note by Mr. Gopal Raj Joshi, Country Coordinator of CANN who also explained briefly about the objectives of the Webinar and background, objectives and current projects of CANN. Mr. Bart Fabian, Transport Expert of CAI-Asia Centre from Philippines presented and shared on “Developing Environmentally Sustainable Transport Strategies and Action Plan” via web to the participants present in Nepal. The presentation basically focused on increased motorization, and the need and strategy of EST. Mr. Bart also elaborated on the thematic areas of EST along with the strategy of EST adopted in Philippines, the challenges faced and their solutions and how EST can be implemented in Nepal. He also informed about the current EST related developments in Asia and explained the UNCRD Regional EST Forum. On the starting of second session, Mrs. Sushma Upadhyay of Ministry of Environment shared the facts about road conditions and vehicle composition in Nepal along with condition of Kathmandu Mobility and challenges of EST in Nepal.  She, then, elaborated on the issues and discussed in detail the current activities by the government and the ways ahead for Nepal.

The webinar was addressed by the Secretary of Ministry of Physical Planning and works, Mr. Purna Kadariya, who briefly shared his experience of EST Forum, held in Bangkok and highlighted the main theme of the forum. He also announced that The Government of Nepal has decided to invite UNCRD to draft Nepal’s Action Plan. It was, then, followed by the presentation and sharing of “Best Practices of EST in other countries” by Mr. Bibek Chapagain, Director, Winrock International. He facilitated the further discussion for Ways ahead and during the discussion various participants suggested some key ideas and opinions on EST.

A total of 36 participants representing government, local government, INGOs, Intergovernmental Agency, donor, private sector, academia and research institutes, media and NGOs took part in the webinar. The webinar was organized by Clean Air Network Nepal (CANN) and Clean Energy Nepal (CEN) in coordination with Ministry of Physical Planning and Works and the Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities Center (CAI-Asia Center). The webinar was organized in support of the Knowledge Air Project implemented by the CAI Asia Center, Clean Energy Nepal and Winrock International on behalf of the Asian Development Bank.