Lalitpur: A consultation workshop was held on 17 April 2025, to review and refine the developed Training Modules and Manuals for mainstreaming Urban Ecosystem-based Adaptation (Urban EbA) in the planning and budgeting process of the municipalities and development authorities within Kathmandu Valley. The event was organized as part of the ongoing project, Urban Ecosystem-based Adaptation for Climate-resilient Development in the Kathmandu Valley, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The project is implemented by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) in collaboration with the Kathmandu Valley Development Authority (KVDA) and UN-Habitat Nepal as the technical partner.

This workshop was built on the Urban EbA Training of Trainers (ToT) conducted in December 2024, aiming to continuously engage the participants, who will facilitate training programs planned by the project. The trainings target the communities, local political leaders, municipal officials, and KVDA representatives. The workshop brought together over 30 participants, including municipal officials and technical experts from the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD), KVDA, Department of Urban Development and Building Construction (DUDBC), High-Power Bagmati Civilization Integrated Development Committee, Lalitpur Metropolitan City, Budhanilkantha Municipality, who actively contributed to tailoring the training materials for the four target groups.

Mr. Lila Khatiwada, Deputy Development Commissioner at KVDA, emphasized the critical need for integrating eco-friendly practices into municipal infrastructure planning, which requires capacity-building at the local level, which the project intends to roll-out with the prepared training resource materials.

The participants meticulously reviewed and provided detailed feedback on the developed twelve training modules based on the structured curriculum matrix and in context of the four distinct target groups. Each group presented consolidated feedback, highlighting key suggestions and areas for improvement.

Throughout the workshop, participants actively engaged in role-play exercises and peer-to-peer discussions, enhancing their familiarity with the materials and building confidence in adapting the Urban EbA resources for effective delivery. Participants expressed appreciation for actively shaping the final training resources, highlighting the importance of participatory and inclusive methods in addressing urban climate challenges.

In the closing, Ms. Pragya Pradhan, Habitat Programme Manager at UN-Habitat, highlighted the need for knowledge transfer that not only focuses on the willingness to give, but also the ability to receive that requires effective tools, materials and communication mechanisms. Further, she thanked the participants for valuable inputs and active engagement in refining the training resource materials and delivery modalities, essential for the next steps that is finalization of the materials and manuals for roll-out.

Mr. Durga Prasad Upadhya, National Project Manager of Urban EbA project, expressed his gratitude to the participants for open discussions and constructive inputs for finalizing the training materials, which will be used for the upcoming training activities in the municipalities within the Kathmandu Valley. He also appreciated the collaboration with UN-Habitat Nepal team achieving a milestone and reaffirmed his commitment to continued and meaningful engagement of the participants during the project’s implementation.