KATHMANDU, May 3: Political parties taking part in the upcoming local level elections slated for May 13 and their candidates have incorporated various issues of public concern in their election manifestos. 

They have featured education, health, political, economic, and social and infrastructure development along with forest, environment and climate change issues with priorities in their election manifestos.

Nepali Congress

The major ruling party Nepali Congress in its election manifesto entitled ‘Party’s Resolution’ highlights the need for planned programs for coping with the impact of climate change, its mitigation and adaptation when the climate crisis is a reality now. 

The party believes that each local government should promptly act toward the building of a community capable of resisting the impacts of climate change. 

Moreover, the party advises the local governments to have a policy of promoting the minimum use of petroleum products to mitigate carbon emissions, the cause of greenhouse gas effect. “This can be an opportunity to build a green economy.”   

The party pledges to ensure practical and technical training and create jobs for them, to launch a tree-plantation program in each local unit for the conservation of water resources, promoting conventional water supply systems like Hiti (stone spouts), and ensuring water and risk management plans as per the environmental standard while undertaking road construction projects.   

Likewise, the party promises to promote clean energy-based economic activities and entrepreneurship at the local level, minimize the use of petroleum products and encourage the use of renewable energy, promote the use of electric stoves and electric public vehicles in urban areas and provide subsidies for charging stations under the green economy building campaign. 

NC's manifesto has mentioned about creating new green employment focusing on women, protecting and promoting indigenous knowledge, art, culture, technology, seed, original design to construct local infrastructure and structures, promoting the use of local materials, and launching 'house with medicinal herbs, healthy villages, towns', linking women's knowledge and skill with economy.  

CPN-UML 

Similarly, the CPN-UML, has announced to work toward striking a balance between development and environment to protect the community from the adverse impacts of climate change and conserve ecology as well as promote green development.  

The UML has raised various issues including protection from the adverse impacts of climate change and natural disasters, creating public awareness for adaptation, developing capacity, and protecting the communities affected from climate change and disasters as well as those at its high-risk with priority.

Forest conservation, management of community forests, introducing programs for development of private forests, launching sapling plantation as a campaign and increasing income generation of the community through overall development of forest heritages  have been mentioned in the manifesto. 

The UML has forwarded a plan to construct embankments to recharge ground water, collect rainwater, construct and conserve ponds, develop watersheds, control flood and landslide, reduce water-induced risks and launch a 'one settlement, one pond' campaign. 

Similarly, the party has declared in its local election manifesto to use green technology and environment-friendly construction materials in development and construction works, encourage investment for the promotion of green economy, enhance preparedness to cope with natural disasters based on disaster risk mapping, make required preparedness for emergency rescue, relief, reconstruction and rehabilitation, keep the logistics materials needed in such situation in ready position, develop integrated and safe habitats and forge effective coordination among the three tiers of the government. 

The UML's election manifesto has also prioritized collaboration between the province and the federal governments to stop human encroachment on forests, conserve wildlife and birds, manage human-wildlife conflict, construct zoos in partnership between the federal and provincial government and produce, process and market medicinal herbs and forest products in collaboration with community and partnership forest users committees. The manifesto attaches priority to encouraging agricultural forestry, providing efficient energy for cooking and domestic use, and making the house free of firewood, biofuel and smoke. 

CPN (Maoist Center) 

Another ruling alliance partner, the CPN (Maoist Center) has, in its election manifesto entitled "Party's Appeal in Election", has announced to implement the 'Forest for Prosperity' program for the development of industries based on timber, non-timber and other forest products, to establish at least one industry based on timber, non-timber and herbs processing in every local unit, to run the ' an industry in each community forest' programme, and to build climate change adaptation model village in every local unit, among other programmes. 

Likewise, the Maoist Center's manifesto maintains operating special tree planting program at the local level lacking significant area under forest cover, implementing in every local unit the Clean Environment Campaign for pollution control, promotion of greenery and waste management, ensuring the community's prior right over natural resources including forest resources and further empowering the community forest user groups.

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