Water at COP30: the view from Nepal
Participants in a recent training on climate negotiation share their thoughts on the importance of water resilience to international climate negotiations
From 29-30 October, a two-day training in climate negotiation was provided for Nepalese stakeholders in global climate negotiations as part of the Water Resilience Tracker's support to Nepal.
The training was attended by 27 participants representing key government ministries, provincial government, youth and civil society organizations. The group was gender balanced (with around 50-50 male female ratio) and included participants from different ethnic groups in Nepal. They attended to enhance their understanding of international climate processes and strengthen their ability to represent Nepal’s priorities effectively at COP30 and other global platforms.
The training was organized by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration with the Ministry of Forests and Environment (MoFE), the Water and Energy Commission Secretariat (WECS), and the Prakriti Resources Centre (PRC). It was part of annual support programme started in 2024.
Five of the participants shared their views on the importance of resilient water management to climate negotiations and the value of capacity building for participating delegations.
The interviews have been translated and edited for clarity and length.
Madhu Raman Acharya
Former Foreign Secretary and Nepal’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations
In simple words, what is a negotiation at the COP?
The negotiation process is essentially a matter of give and take — determining to what extent we can put forward our opinions and how much of our position can be reflected in the final outcomes. It is also about understanding how the discussions and decisions made at the COP will affect us. For instance, Nepal seeks financial and technical support from mechanisms like the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage and the Green Climate Fund.
At the same time, it is an opportunity to showcase our national actions —policies (such as the National Adaptation Plan, Nationally Determined Contributions) commitment to carbon neutrality by 2045, increasing forest cover to over 46 percent and locally led adaptation efforts. Through this, we can demand recognition and rewards for our efforts, whether in the form of finance, technology transfer, or capacity building.
Buddhi Sagar Poudel
Joint Secretary, Ministry of Forests and Environment (MoFE), and former chief of CCMD and COP delegate
Having led the Nepal delegation at COP29, why do you think this training is important?
Negotiation is a highly technical field, and many of the skills required for effective negotiation are still lacking within Nepal’s delegation. We need to strengthen our understanding of negotiation skills and develop specialized team of highly skilled negotiators.
Participants at this training will develop a better understanding of the overall negotiation process — how it works, what themes are discussed during COP, what positions are taken, and how to effectively present Nepal’s views. They will also learn how to strategically engage in discussions and identify opportunities to advance Nepal’s priorities within the negotiation space.
What is the importance of water resilience in climate negotiations?
Water is a crucial theme in climate discussions. There are several sectoral agendas related to agriculture, water, forestry, and even fossil fuels. In fact, water is one of the main themes under the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA), which includes seven themes — one of which focuses on water. We have already developed matrices and indicators for this, which will soon be endorsed.
Challenges such as water scarcity, water-energy security, and their interlinkages need to be better understood. Even when water is not explicitly mentioned in negotiation texts, it is interconnected with many other thematic areas and is therefore implicitly included across multiple streams.
Anju Dhungana
Head of Women and Child Department, Ministry of Women, Children, and Senior Citizens
How did this training meet your expectations?
This training is quite a new experience for me, especially because it focuses on climate change and, more specifically, on enhancing negotiation skills in that context. I believe gender equality should also be emphasized in such discussions, as the impacts of climate change are deeply felt at the grassroots level, particularly among women. Therefore, I believe there should be active participation of women at every level of climate-related discussions and decision-making.
Through this training, I hope to understand the fundamental aspects of how climate change is affecting our country, what measures are being taken to address these challenges, and how I can apply the knowledge gained here to my fieldwork through cross-cutting approaches that integrate gender perspectives.
Bidya Hirachan
Center for Indigenous Peoples’ Research and Development (CIPPRED)
How did this training meet your expectations?
I was fortunate to have previously received UNFCCC training through our global alliance of indigenous peoples and partner agencies. However, what was always missing was a clear understanding of Nepal’s own preparation and position. There was often confusion about where we stood and what message we wanted to convey.
This climate negotiation training helps address that gap — it fosters a sense of collectiveness, allowing us to form a unified national voice and a clearer direction for our engagement. As an indigenous person and a Nepali citizen, I find that this training significantly enhances my own capacity, and it does the same for others.
Kapil Gnawali
Senior Hydrologist, Water and Energy Commission Secretariat (WECS)
How did this training meet your expectations?
The first time I went to COP, I got lost in the venue itself. There were so many sessions and negotiation teams that it was hard to even find where to go or what program was happening. By the second time, I knew a little more from my first experience.
However, from the training we took yesterday and today, I have learned every step: how to take an agenda forward, where to table it, and how to negotiate effectively. We also gained detailed knowledge of the overall negotiation process. In that sense, this negotiation training has been very fruitful.
What is the importance of water resilience in climate negotiations?
Water is a core element for all climate adaptation, mitigation, and resilience efforts. Without water, we cannot implement adaptation or mitigation strategies effectively.
Since 2020, water has been recognised as a key sector. In the next phase, we can move forward by placing water as a central element in negotiations, ensuring it remains a core focus in these discussions. This training is an important step in preparing participants to engage effectively in international climate negotiations, particularly in advancing Nepal’s water resilience agenda.