KUSOED launches Environment and Social Learning Centre for enhancing national capacity

Kathmandu, June 5: The Kathmandu University School of Education (KUSOED) has launched the Environment and Social Learning Centre (ESLC) on its premises in Hattiban, Lalitpur. The ESLC plaque was also unveiled on the same occasion. 

The launching event held on Wednesday coinciding the advent of the World Environment Day (June 5) brought together educationists, environmental activists, representatives of development partners, civil society and private sector, students, and policy-makers. 

The ESLC is a national initiative supported by the World Bank to strengthen Nepal’s capacity in Environmental and Social (E&S) risk management, KUSOED Dean Prof Dr Bal Chandra Luitel shared. 

"The ESLC – a collaborative initiative of the KU and the World Bank focuses on building professional competencies in areas such as environmental protection, social safeguards, climate adaptation, and stakeholder engagement", he noted, adding, "Strengthening institutional capacity and human resources by bridging policy implementation gaps and developing qualified professionals in environment and social risk management".  

Delivering inclusive, gender-responsive academic and professional training aligned with national and international environment and social frameworks is the thrust of the initiative, it was stated during the launch event. 

Presenting the big picture of environment and social capacity building, WB's Senior Social Development Specialist Gloria Malia Mahama said the ESLC would work to address social and environmental challenges of Nepal through strengthening country systems, including legal, regulatory and institutional frameworks along with skills and capacity development. "The key strategy would be to bring together multiple stakeholders, including civil society, academia and market to pursue the objective". 

On the occasion, Chair of ESLC Working Group, KUSOED, Dr Suresh Gautam highlighted that it is designed to address the limited capacity through awareness, training programmes, and environment and social curriculum. "ESLC curriculum will incorporate concepts and examples from national and international good practices standards on environmental and social risk management, safeguard tools, case studies, clinics, field visits, course exercises and presentations, and assessment", he shared. 

Gautam, also the Head of the Development Education Department at KUSOD, mentioned that the ESLC would emphatically deliver high-quality E&S training, enhance capacity and performance of project stakeholders (Project Implementation Units, E&S professionals), align programmes with international E&S standards and build a skilled pool of E&S experts nationwide. 

Delivering her remarks on the occasion, Associate Professor of KUSOED, Dr Lina Gurung shared that the ESLC would contribute to establish the narrative that protecting environment is development. 

In regard to the sustainability standards, the initiative as shared will provide guidance to identify environmental and social (E&S) risks and impacts with measures designed to avoid, minimize, reduce and mitigate the adverse environmental and social risks and impacts. 

Among the standards considered are assessing and managing environmental and social risks and impacts from project/business, integrating in development financing, banking and financial institutions, private equity and venture capital, sustainable investing, proactively engaging stakeholders and devising framework to identify and realize value creation opportunities. (RSS)