15 January 2013: The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved funding of a project that aims to enhance government capacity to mitigate climate-related hazards in Nepal by improving the accuracy and timeliness of weather and flood forecasts and warnings for climate-vulnerable communities.

Funded by a Strategic Climate Fund grant of US$16 million, and a Strategic Climate Fund Loan of US$15 million, the project project also aims to develop agricultural management information system services to help farmers mitigate climate-related production risks.

According to the World Bank, the project features four components: institutional strengthening and capacity building and implementation support of Nepal’s Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM); modernization of the observation networks and forecasting; enhancement of the service delivery system of DHM; and the creation of an Agriculture Management Information System at Nepal’s Ministry of Home Affairs. [World Bank Project Website]