Nepal and the United Kingdom joined hands to commemorate the centenary of the Nepal-UK Friendship Treaty of 1923. The grand celebration took place at the Basantapur Palace, signifying a momentous milestone in the long-lasting bond between the two nations ‘
By Keshab Poudel Nov 29, 2023
COP 28’s negotiations on the potential integration of Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) and compliance markets are crucial issue for Nepal. It will determine how VCM industry guidelines and the results of Article 6.4 negotiations in Dubai interact with each other
By Keshab Poudel Nov 28, 2023
For seven consecutive years, Nepali citizens have not had to call upon Laxmi, the goddess of light, prosperity, and happiness, during dark nights of load shedding. This change is credited to Kul Man Ghising, the Managing Director of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA). Backed by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda and Energy Minister Janardan Sharma Prabhakar, as well as Anup Kumar Upadhyaya, secretary, and Chairperson of NEA, MD Ghising made a landmark decision to end a decade-long era of prolonged power outages on October 30, 2016, coinciding with the festival of Laxmipuja.
By Keshab Poudel Nov 13, 2023
UN Secretary-General António Guterres is the first prominent figure to advocate for Nepal to the global community, despite multiple visits by international leaders in the past. Out of all the United Nations Secretary Generals who have visited Nepal, Secretary General Guterres is the first to prioritize the country with an extensive visit, ensuring support in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). With the institutional support of Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs' political and bureaucratic leadership of Minister NP Saud and secretary Bharat Raj Paudyal, Nepal has accomplished various milestones that have amplified the country's voice during this visit by a high-level delegation.
By Keshab Poudel Nov 08, 2023
With the professional and institutional backing of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda made two highly significant visits to China and UN, signaling a positive shift in Nepal's foreign relations. During his two visits, which included a week-long journey to China and a global gathering at the 78th UNGA in New York, Prime Minister Prachanda made impressive moves while keeping in mind the sensitivity of neighboring countries and the limitations of his own country. The Foreign Ministry and its team, led by Foreign Minister Narayan Prasad Saud and Foreign Secretary Bharat Raj Paudyal, provided all-out support to ensure successful visits. Some experts in foreign relations have referred to the visits as a recalibration of Nepal's foreign policy.
By Keshab Poudel Oct 12, 2023
Given the increasing demand for energy for heating and cooling, and the fact that local governments in Nepal are issuing hundreds of permits for the construction of new public and private buildings without considering the energy efficiency matrix, Nepal's goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2045 is in jeopardy. Funded by the European Union, the Building Energy Efficiency in Nepal (BEEN) Project has commenced altering the mindset of policymakers in federal ministries, local government officials, and other stakeholders regarding the importance of incorporating energy efficiency as a new standard for building design and development
By Keshab Poudel Sep 25, 2023
Thanks to the policy of the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation and the efforts of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), Nepal has made impressive progress in generating, transmitting, and distributing hydropower throughout the country. Though frequent but brief power outages continue to be a concern for those considering a shift to electric transportation, household cooking, and industry, recent trends in increasing electricity consumption and decreasing imports of petroleum products demonstrate that Nepal is making progress in transitioning from dirty fossil fuels to clean hydropower. Despite ongoing economic and geopolitical crises, the energy transition is accelerating but it remains too sluggish to meet the NDC targets.
By Keshab Poudel Sep 08, 2023
As the Managing Director of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), Nepal's largest public utility, KUL MAN GHISING starts his day early in the morning. With the responsibility of providing electricity to over 98% of the population and managing 15,000 employees, CEO Ghising must remain vigilant and works until late evening. Any power outages lasting even an hour in any part of Nepal put him under immense pressure. Even members of Parliament call his resignation over electricity-related concerns. Although his schedule is tight, MD Ghising met with KESHAB POUDEL at his office to discuss various issues related to Nepal's transition to sustainable energy. Here are some excerpts from conversation:
By Keshab Poudel Sep 07, 2023
DINESH KUMAR GHIMIRE, Secretary, Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation, has worked at the Ministry in various capacities for almost three decades. Secretary Ghimire also heads the Ministry of Energy as Nepal embarks on a clean and green energy transition in order to meet the country's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) of zero emissions by 20245. As COP 28 UAE approaches, the discussion of clean energy challenges is taking precedence. Secretary Ghimire, a soft-spoken man with vast understanding of Nepal's energy difficulties, spoke to KESHAB POUDEL about a variety of topics. Excerpts:
By Keshab Poudel Sep 03, 2023
The Promotion of Youth Engagement in Local Governance Process (PROYEL), funded by the European Union and Helvetas Nepal and implemented by local NGOs, has effectively demonstrated how to engage youth in the local governance process. In collaboration with PROYEL, Helvetas Nepal has implemented a number of youth-focused programs in the areas of entrepreneurship, empowerment through technical training, safe migration and governance, GESI and climate change. Recently, Helvetas-Nepal met with members of the Sudurpaschim, Karnali and Madhesh Youth Sounding Board to discuss how youth are engaging with its programs and to get feedback on how to make them more youth-friendly and responsive to their needs.
By Keshab Poudel Aug 25, 2023
Kul Man Ghising, the managing director of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), has accomplished a great deal during his two years in the position despite a lack of funding, the sluggish administrative structure of the NEA, and the lack of cooperation from various government stakeholders. Due to rising electricity demand and power generation, NEA must make significant investments in its transmission and distribution networks. In addition, interministerial collaboration and support from provincial, local, and public institutions are essential to the development of an NEA transmission and distribution system that can evacuate and continuously supply power to every household. MD Ghising is on a long march to get rid of as many humps and bumps as she can.
By Keshab Poudel Aug 11, 2023
Constituted by the European Union Delegation (EU Delegation), the Youth Sounding Board (YSB) in Nepal and Ethiopia have successfully demonstrated effective ways of involving and engaging the young population in the development process
By Keshab Poudel Aug 10, 2023
In a momentous joint program attended by Minister of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Prakash Jwala, and Ambassador of Japan to Nepal, Kikuta Yutaka, the Nagdhunga Tunnel Project achieved a significant breakthrough. This marks a important milestone in fulfilling the long-awaited dream of Nepalese travelers to traverse through their first modern tunnel. The tunnel's construction has been made possible through generous financial assistance from the Japanese government under the Official Development Assistance (ODA) program and the entire work will be completed and vehicles can be passed through the tunnel by September 2024
By Keshab Poudel Aug 08, 2023