Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: The World Bank and Ministry of Finance Friday convened a high-level roundtable meeting today on investment priorities and enabling policies to operationalize Nepal’s vision for Green, Resilient, and Inclusive Development (GRID).
Leaders from the government and development partners, as well as representatives from civil society, the private sector, youth groups, and think tanks participated in the event and took stock of efforts to implement GRID since the government and development partners endorsed the Kathmandu Declaration on GRID in September 2021m the World Bank said in a statement.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi said Nepal formally adopted the integrated approach to green, resilient, and inclusive development, or GRID, as its national development vision. “This approach can be an engine of sustainable growth, good jobs and livelihood opportunities, and resilience in the face of multiple risks,” he added.
According to the statement, the Roundtable reviewed priority actions in the government’s emerging draft GRID strategic action plan. These include managing land, water, and forests in a more productive, sustainable, and integrated way; equipping people with new skills and resilient livelihoods; greening urban development; scaling up water supply and sanitation, managing pollution and waste; scaling up renewable energy; boosting the sustainability and resilience of the transportation system; strengthening disaster risk management and financing; and enhancing social protection to be responsive to shocks.
Martin Raiser, the World Bank Vice President for the South Asia Region, said green, resilient, and inclusive development is about lifting incomes, improving opportunities for all, and achieving growth in harmony with nature. “The World Bank and development partners are fully committed to supporting Nepal’s GRID priorities and we are excited to see the impactful outcomes of GRID unfold,” he added.
The roundtable also served to consolidate the GRID partnership led by the government which has grown to 20 development partners.
