Within reported dates· Climate· Health

ROAP/NEP03 CITIES 4 WOMEN: INCLUSIVE AND CLIMATE RESILIENT URBANIZATION IN NEPAL - EU

Nepal is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change, facing increasing number of landslides, flash floods, extreme heat events, and droughts. Its rapid urbanization rate, one of the highest in the world, coupled with unplanned municipal infrastructure development, exacerbates these issues and disproportionately affects disadvantaged groups, particularly women and girls. However, amidst these challenges, the concentration of people in urban settings promotes the development of better public services, fosters interactions, and offers diverse social and cultural experiences. The devolution of power and resources to local authorities mandated by the 2015 Constitution, has created a unique window to maximize the benefits of Nepal's rapid urbanization process. Access to basic services and public spaces is crucial for inclusive, healthy, and productive cities. However, many Nepali women feel unsafe in public spaces, hindering their ability to pursue education, work, and exercise their rights. Despite existing policy and legislative frameworks in Nepal already include participation, climate resilience, and gender sensitivity are not adequately integrated into public space’s design and implementation. In practice, the development of municipal public infrastructure follows ad-hoc approaches and short-term planning, which is further compounded by limited implementation capacity within the municipal engineering units. Following the existing participatory processes of the Government of Nepal, Cities 4 Women project aims to enhance the deliberative process for the development of local infrastructure, in order to generate inclusive and resilient public spaces. The project will mobilize communities, academia, knowledge institutions, and policymakers to institutionalize the best practices and learnings of the actions contributing to a long-term solution.

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