Position Paper
Climate Action and Resilience
Context
Climate change poses threat to the social, economic, and ecological systems of Lumbini Province. As a largely agrarian region with flood-prone plains, fragile river systems, and high dependence on climate-sensitive livelihoods, Lumbini faces disproportionate impacts despite contributing minimally to global emissions.
Siddhartha Social Development Center (SSDC) recognizes climate action and resilience as one of the development pillars for protecting lives, sustaining livelihoods, advancing social justice, and achieving inclusive development.
Climate context of Lumbini Province
Lumbini Province is experiencing visible and accelerating climate impacts, including; recurrent flooding and river erosion (Rapti, Tinau, Banganga, Rohini basins); increasing heatwaves and drought stress, particularly in the Terai belt; declining agricultural productivity and water availability;rising out-migration, especially of youth, due to livelihood insecurity; heightened vulnerability of women, landless farmers, Dalits, indigenous groups, elderly, and persons with disabilities
Problem Statement
Despite national climate commitments and policies, climate action in LumbiniProvince remains constrained by limited integration of climate risk into local development planning and budgeting; weak disaster preparedness and early warning systems at community level; insufficient support for climate-resilient agriculture and livelihoods; poor access of local governments and CSOs to climate finance; exclusion of marginalized groups from climate decision-making processes; and fragmented coordination among government, CSOs, and communities
Priority Areas for Action
Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR): Strengthening preparedness, early warning, and response to floods, heatwaves, and climate-induced disasters.
Climate-Resilient Livelihoods: Supporting smallholder farmers, landless households, and informal workers through climate-smart agriculture, diversification, and market access.
Water, Ecosystems, and Natural Resource Management: Protecting watersheds, forests, and agricultural land to enhance ecological resilience.
Inclusive Climate Governance: Enhancing participation of women, marginalized groups, and youth in climate planning and local decision-making.
Local Capacity and Climate Finance: Strengthening local governments and communities to access, manage, and utilize climate finance effectively.
SSDC’s Position and Commitments
SSDC firmly believes that climate resilience in Lumbini must be locally led, socially inclusive, and institutionally anchored. We therefore commit to:
- Empowering communities to anticipate, adapt to, and recover from climate shocks
- Promoting climate-resilient and diversified livelihoods, especially for marginalized groups
- Supporting nature-based solutions and sustainable land and water management
- Strengthening local government capacity for climate-responsive planning
- Advocating for equitable access to climate finance at local levels
- Amplifying local voices in provincial and national climate policy dialogue