Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) 3.0.

Nepal’s third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), submitted under the Paris Agreement, outlines the country’s climate commitments up to 2035. It aligns with its long-term goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2045 and emphasizes climate justice, sustainable development, biodiversity conservation, and community resilience. The strategy also integrates gender inclusion, local governance participation, and indigenous knowledge into climate action planning.
The NDC identifies key climate risks facing Nepal, including glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), erratic monsoons, landslides, droughts, forest fires, biodiversity loss, and threats to agriculture and water security. Nepal recognizes that these impacts disproportionately affect vulnerable communities, particularly women, rural populations, and subsistence farmers. The NDC prioritizes strengthening resilience across sectors such as agriculture, water resources, forests, disaster risk reduction, health, and infrastructure. It also highlights the growing issue of loss and damage, estimating significant economic impact on infrastructure, livelihoods, and productive sectors due to climate-related disasters.
The Mitigation strategies focus on clean energy transition, sustainable transport, forest conservation, and low-carbon development. Key mitigation measures include expanding hydropower and renewable energy generation, increasing electric vehicle adoption, improving energy efficiency, promoting clean cooking technologies, and enhancing waste management systems. Nepal also plans to maintain at least 46% forest cover, strengthen REDD+ initiatives, and improve sustainable land-use management to increase carbon sequestration. The NDC further emphasizes institutional reforms, monitoring systems, and international climate finance support to implement these mitigation goals effectively.
In terms of Adaptation Strategies, the approach centers on building climate resilience at national and local levels. Major adaptation strategies include strengthening early warning systems, integrated watershed management, climate-smart agriculture, resilient infrastructure development, and reducing risks from glacial lake outburst floods. The NDC also promotes ecosystem-based adaptation, biodiversity conservation, and community-led adaptation planning. Nepal intends to improve water management systems, disaster preparedness, health sector resilience, and food security while integrating adaptation into provincial and local governance frameworks. Capacity building, access to climate finance, technological support, and international cooperation are highlighted as essential for successful adaptation implementation.