Kathmandu | 8 April 2026

UN‑Habitat officially launched the Development Account (DA) Tranche 17 Project in Nepal on 2 April 2026 during the Global South Financing & Sustainability Conference (GS WASH Finance 2026). Funded under the 17th Tranche of the United Nations Development Account (2026–2028), the project will be implemented in Nepal and Lao People’s Democratic Republic, with Mechinagar Municipality selected as the project city in Nepal.

The initiative aims to enhance the capacities of urban sanitation service providers and national and local governments to plan, finance, and manage equitable, inclusive, and climate‑resilient sanitation systems, with a particular focus on low‑income and vulnerable urban communities.

Speaking at the event at Square Hotel, as part of GS WASH Finance 2026, Mr. Hezekiah Otieno Pireh, Team Lead - WASH at UN-Habitat, presented an overview of the United Nations Development Account financing model, underscoring its catalytic role in addressing governance, policy, and institutional capacity gaps that often constrain the performance and sustainability of urban sanitation investments. He highlighted that the Development Account uniquely supports demand‑driven, capacity‑focused interventions that enable countries and cities to leverage larger financing streams and sustain long‑term results.

An overview of the DA 17 project for Nepal and Lao PDR was presented by Ms. Shobana Srinivasan of UN-Habitat who outlined the project’s two core components: strengthening the operational capacity of urban sanitation service providers and reinforcing national and local government capacity to integrate climate‑responsive sanitation into urban development frameworks. These efforts are expected to contribute directly to SDG 6 and SDG 11 through improved governance, service quality, and resilience.

The project was formally launched through a collective on‑screen unveiling, followed by remarks from Mr. Ram Kumar Shrestha, Joint Secretary at Ministry of Water Supply (MoWS) and Director General of National Water Supply and Sanitation, Research, Innovation and Capacity Development Center (NWSSRICDC) who emphasized the alignment of the DA 17 Project with Nepal’s national WASH priorities and policy frameworks, and its potential to inform scalable approaches to urban sanitation reform across the country.

The launching session was moderated by Ms. Sudha Shrestha, National Programme Officer – WASH of UN‑Habitat Nepal Office.