I am always eager to learn about climate change, sustainable development and climate compatible development in developing countries. In my master’s degree thesis, I tried to “analyze the gaps in Global Climate Finance which are targeted to climate vulnerable communities of the developing countries. I also studied the role of the communities towards adaptation with the specific reference to Nepal.”

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The question like ‘how do the global climate finance regime and governance mechanisms shape that the local communities are integrated into climate initiatives in developing countries?’ remains pertinent  when we realize that the most vulnerable communities of the world are in edge to bear the brunt of climate change. The thesis tries to dig in the major failures of why climate finance has not been able to give the expected outcome. The failures are neither globally based, nor locally but rather both. The malfunction of the funds are the backlashes of superficial and double standard protocols designed to create equilibrium as a neoliberal world. Since the global and local phenomena are intricately interrelated, the impact starts from global to the smallest entity as a tiny community. The fundamental flaws lie in capital accumulation and lack of global consideration of climate justice, along development agency’s flaws in perception about the local situation and country’s development priority in global South. My dissertation discusses over the international fund allocation mechanisms and flows of funds in Least Developing Countries with the argument that climate funds are not reaching to the needy. Even though countries like Nepal receives the significant amount of funds, there are no remarkable programs being carried out because of country’s politics and power issues. Nuances of a community like heterogeneity caused by cultural background, literacy differences, influences of political parties, indigenous knowledge etc. are often ignored while designing the climate change programs.

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Therefore, my research provides a literature to reflect upon the global climate finance regime, governance mechanisms and its flow to the developing countries while tracing how the foul game has been played showing the loopholes. The work also attempts to emphasize on local indigenous knowledge to be given a place while designing climate resilience packages. 

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Research Interest: Climate Change, Sustainable Development, Global Climate Financial Regime and Local Communities Development.

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Prior to Sophia:

Saraswati Upadhaya worked as communications coordinator in an outreach program of Kathmandu University in Nepal for two years. As a media studies graduate, has an interest in making short documentaries  in topics especially related to climate change and encapsulating unheard voices of people from rural communities.