The Inception Workshop of the Inclusive Climate Finance for Vulnerable Communities in Asia-Pacific (ICCAP) Project was successfully held on 24 June 2026 at Square Hotel, Kathmandu, Nepal, bringing together 65 participants from government ministries and departments, Nepal Rastra Bank, financial institutions, microfinance institutions, civil society organizations, non-governmental organizations, development partners, and international organizations.

The workshop was jointly organized by the Asia-Pacific Rural and Agricultural Credit Association (APRACA), the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), and Appui au Développement Autonome (ADA) under the ICCAP Project, funded by the International Climate Initiative (IKI).

The event was inaugurated by Dr. Rajendra Prasad Mishra, Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Forests and Environment (MoAFE), who served as the Chief Guest. In his address, he underscored Nepal’s increasing vulnerability to climate change and emphasized the importance of strengthening inclusive climate finance systems to ensure that vulnerable communities have access to resources needed for climate adaptation and resilience. Special remarks were delivered by Mr. Ramu Paudel, Executive Director, Nepal Rastra Bank, while officials from the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forests, and Environment participated as special guests.

The workshop aimed to officially launch the ICCAP Project in Nepal, introduce its objectives and implementation approach, strengthen collaboration among key stakeholders, and identify opportunities to enhance inclusive climate finance policies, institutional capacity, and investment
for vulnerable communities.

The overview of the project’s five work packages was presented, followed by presentations on Nepal’s climate finance landscape. The Ministry of Finance presented the country’s climate finance policies and strategies, Nepal Rastra Bank shared its regulatory perspectives on inclusive climate finance and green taxonomy, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forests, and Environment highlighted Nepal’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) and National Adaptation Plan (NAP) and their relevance to climate finance.

The workshop concluded with an interactive discussion on climate finance readiness, policy gaps, barriers, and opportunities in Nepal. Participants reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening partnerships and promoting inclusive, accessible, and effective climate finance to support climate-resilient livelihoods and sustainable development across the country.

Inception workshop hosted by APRACA on 24 June 2026 attracted media attention. Excerpts of the media reports are as below

Speaking at the multi-stakeholder event in Kathmandu, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Mishra, Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forests and Environment, highlighted that the initiative will help bridge the climate financing gap by strengthening climate finance policies, enhancing the capacity of financial service providers, promoting investments in climate adaptation, and advancing gender equality and social inclusion.

APRACA Secretary General Dr. Prasun Kumar Das emphasized that achieving global climate goals requires translating commitments into tangible local action through inclusive climate finance. He noted that Nepal has been identified as one of the project’s priority countries, where efforts will focus on expanding access to climate finance for vulnerable households, particularly women and marginalized communities.
This initiative reflects APRACA’s continued commitment to promoting inclusive, resilient, and sustainable rural financial systems that empower communities to adapt to climate change.

Please refer to the below link for further details: https://www.ecospherenews.com/detail/2245