The eighth version of the CBA, a consolidated effort undertaken by more than 50 countries towards highlighting the activities carried out by the vulnerable communities to climate change, has been undergoing for the first time in Nepal from Sunday.

Addressing the session on financing community-based adaptation in Least Developed Countries, Krishna Chandra Paudel said the funding for climate adaptation to help the most vulnerable communities in LDCs is inadequate compared to mitigation activities. “Besides inadequate funding, effective mobilisation of available financial resources is important to address adaptation,” he said.

In case of Nepal, National Adaptation Programme of Action, a blueprint identifying urgent and immediate adaptation measures, estimated in 2010 that the total amount required to implement nine priority adaptation projects at around $350 million. However, more than four years down the line, only 10 percent of the total estimated amount has been mobilised through multilateral, bilateral and development agencies.

“Establishment of a vib-rant and functional institution is a must to help community-led adaptation practices to sustain and benefit climate-vulnerable communities,” said Madhav Karki, a member of the climate change council of the government.

Chairing the session on the role of traditional and indigenous knowledge in community-led climate change adaptations, Karki said traditional knowledge is still compatible with the emerging adaptation needs of the people but needs transformation with local innovations.

“Adequate financing for community-led initiatives to adapt to climatic changes is a must for the sustainability of projects,” he said. “Commer-cially viable adaptation practices should be promoted.”

Meanwhile, Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, landed in Kathmandu on Monday to attend the conference.