LocationsHow Nepal is localizing climate finance to stop land erosion
Holding the Ground
April 28, 2025
A house destroyed by a massive landslide in Kispan, Dolakha. For many, this was the moment that shifted the village’s future.
In the foothills of the Himalayas, the village of Kispan in Dolakha, Nepal, has long lived in the shadow of disaster. The monsoon season brings a constant risk of landslides that destroy homes and farmland. For years, residents like Kamal Raj Khatri have tried to protect their village using basic stone walls and tree planting, but these local efforts haven't been enough to stop the frequent soil erosion.
One day, heavy rains caused a landslide that tore through the village. One house was gone, buried beneath a thick wave of mud and rock. Others were badly damaged—cracked walls, shattered fences, the remains of people’s hard work scattered across the village.
For years, the lack of technical guidance and funding meant that landslides remained a recurring threat to the community's safety and livelihoods. "We were losing everything, and no one seemed to care."
To break this cycle, the Climate Finance Network (CFN), with support from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) CARA Programme and Sweden Sida, provided the technical and financial backing for the People, Energy, and Environment Development Association (PEEDA) to implement the "Bio-Engineering for Landslide Risk Reduction" project. This initiative was specifically designed to bridge the gap between national climate goals and the local, low-cost solutions needed on the frontlines of the climate crisis.
Community members in Kispan reinforcing hillsides with bamboo crib walls and stone terraces to prevent future landslides.
Nature-based solutions: From scepticism to security
The core of the CFN intervention was the introduction of bio-engineering—using the natural power of vegetation and local materials to stabilize slopes. Initially, the project was met with doubt by the local community.
“How could bamboo stop a landslide? Even concrete walls fail!” says Kamal Raj Khatri. “I was sure the structures would be gone by morning during the first big storm. But when the skies cleared, the bamboo walls were still standing. The landslide had stopped. I had completely misunderstood—it actually works.”
Through the CFN-supported grant, PEEDA provided the training and resources for villagers to build bamboo crib walls, wattle fences, and slope-stabilizing plantations. This wasn't just about stopping a single landslide; it was about giving residents the skills to recognize warning signs and maintain the structures themselves.
Women played a leading role in rebuilding efforts—carrying stones, reinforcing walls, and supporting one another with courage and laughter.
Scaling the Nepal Model in the region
The success in Kispan is not an isolated event; it serves as a strategic blueprint for Nepal and the region. By providing technical and financial backing to PEEDA, the Climate Finance Network (CFN) has demonstrated how local pilot projects can drive systemic change.
Through this initiative, villagers moved from reactive measures to mastering bio-engineering techniques, including building bamboo crib walls, wattle fences, and slope-stabilizing plantations. This training transformed the project into a shared community effort, with residents reinforcing their own land and using PEEDA’s practical guides to recognize landslide warning signs.
A critical element of the CFN’s approach in Nepal is the collaboration with the local government to ensure these local successes are integrated into broader governance systems. The project didn't just train villagers; it brought together the Local Disaster Management Committee (LDMC) and municipal officials to map at-risk areas and prioritize climate-smart budgeting.
“Kispan has faced severe landslides that displaced families and threatened livelihoods,” explains Bishwas Karki, Chairperson of Gaurishankar Rural Municipality. “The community’s use of bamboo and local materials is a powerful example of resilience. These solutions are practical and cost-effective—they should be encouraged across the entire municipality.”
The regional value of this model lies in three key areas:
Localizing National Adaptation Plans (NAPs): By proving that bio-engineering can be successfully managed through local government budgets, the CFN provides a roadmap for Nepal—and other mountainous nations—to operationalize their national climate targets at the village level.
Cost-Effective Replication: The model is already scaling beyond Kispan into the Pyuthan district. These lessons show how nature-based climate finance can be replicated in remote, high-risk geographies across the region.
Institutionalizing Resilience: Support from leaders like Bishwas Karki, Chairperson of Gaurishankar Rural Municipality, has been vital. He notes that these "practical, cost-effective solutions" are a powerful example of resilience that should be encouraged across the entire municipality.
The villagers planted trees, built bamboo crib walls, and reinforced the slopes following the new techniques. They watched the seasons change, waiting for the next storm.
What's next?
As the success of the Kispan pilot sparks interest across the country, the focus is now on scaling these bio-engineering techniques through official government disaster management plans. Supported by a growing coalition of local leaders and disaster management experts, the transition from "reactive" relief to "proactive" prevention is becoming a reality. This shift proves that when institutional accountability is balanced with genuine local ownership, climate finance can transform even the most vulnerable communities into architects of their own safety. As the ground holds firm in Kispan, it provides a powerful lesson for the region: resilience starts with the roots.
This story is part of a series of initiatives supported by the UNDP Climate Finance Network (CFN), a flagship programme supporting Asia-Pacific countries to bridge the gap between climate goals and the investment needed to reach them. As a regional platform, CFN provides technical and policy support to integrate climate into public finance, mobilize private and innovative capital, and create the enabling environment required for lasting impact. Supported by the UK’s FCDO flagship CARA programme and Sweden (Sida), CFN ensures climate action is transparent, coordinated, and fully funded.
The village of Kispan sits nestled in the Himalayas—a community determined to hold the ground beneath its feet.