Multi-scale politics in climate change: the mismatch of authority and capability in federalizing Nepal,Climate Policy

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Multi-scale politics in climate change: the mismatch of authority and capability in federalizing Nepal
Climate Policy ( IF 6.056 ) Pub Date : 2022-06-28 , DOI: 10.1080/14693062.2022.2090891
Dil B. Khatri _{1,

2} , Andrea J. Nightingale _{1,

3} , Hemant Ojha _{4,

5} , Gyanu Maskey _{2,

6} , Pema Norbu Lama ‘Tsumpa’ ₂

Affiliation

ABSTRACT

Nepal’s transition to federalism in 2015 involved a significant redistribution of authority across three levels of government, with a greater level of autonomy granted to provincial and local levels. We examine multi-scale climate policy and politics in Nepal, focusing on three elements that are important for policy development and implementation: (a) the authority to make decisions; (b) the knowledge and expertise to develop and implement policies; and (c) the ability to access and mobilize resources, primarily external funding, by government bodies at different levels. Our findings show that the newly decentralized local governments are constrained in their ability to develop and implement climate change-related policies and practical responses by a mismatch between the authority granted to them and existing institutional capabilities. These governmental bodies have limited opportunities to develop, access and mobilize knowledge of climate and development and financial resources, which are needed to put new policies into action. Based on this analysis, we argue that decentralization of governmental authority is not likely to produce effective climate policy outcomes if this mismatch remains unaddressed.

KEY POLICY INSIGHTS

The ability of the provincial and local governments in federal Nepal to respond to climate change has been constrained by a pervasive mismatch between authority granted and institutional capabilities, in terms of opportunities to access and mobilize knowledge and financial resources.
The devolution of power is not adequate for effective climate change responses; rather, there is a need to strengthen the institutional capabilities and opportunities of the decentralized local governments to address climate change.
Formal allocation of authority is always blurred in practice, as agencies at different levels of governance engage in power struggles within and beyond formally delineated boundaries. This suggests the need for more operational clarity on policy implementation procedures.
There is a need for a clear exchange of knowledge and a flow of resources to the level where responsibilities lie to respond to climate change.

中文翻译：

气候变化中的多尺度政治：尼泊尔联邦化的权力和能力不匹配

摘要

尼泊尔在 2015 年向联邦制过渡，涉及在三级政府之间进行重大的权力重新分配，省级和地方各级拥有更大程度的自治权。我们研究了尼泊尔的多尺度气候政策和政治，重点关注对政策制定和实施很重要的三个要素：(a) 决策权；(b) 制定和实施政策的知识和专长；(c) 各级政府机构获取和调动资源的能力，主要是外部资金。我们的研究结果表明，新分权的地方政府在制定和实施与气候变化相关的政策和实际应对措施方面的能力受到限制，因为授予他们的权力与现有的机构能力不匹配。这些政府机构在开发、获取和动员气候和发展知识以及财政资源方面的机会有限，而这些都是将新政策付诸行动所必需的。基于这一分析，我们认为，如果这种不匹配仍未得到解决，政府权力下放不太可能产生有效的气候政策结果。