IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i12p7391-d840699.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Climate Policy Reform in Nepal through the Lenses of the Institutional Analysis and Development Framework

Author

Listed:
  • Minna Havukainen

    (Department of Sustainability Science, School of Energy Systems, Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology, P.O. Box 20, 53851 Lappeenranta, Finland)

  • Mirja Mikkilä

    (Department of Sustainability Science, School of Energy Systems, Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology, P.O. Box 20, 53851 Lappeenranta, Finland)

  • Helena Kahiluoto

    (Department of Sustainability Science, School of Energy Systems, Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology, P.O. Box 20, 53851 Lappeenranta, Finland)

Abstract

Successful climate change mitigation requires the commitment of rapidly developing low-income countries. Although most of them have strategies to tackle a fair share of the burden, implementation is low despite large amounts of international aid. We aimed to identify the dynamics underpinning their low implementation, using Nepal as a case study. Aid-dependent Nepal is vulnerable to climate change and committed to its mitigation while pursuing democracy and development. We applied an institutional analysis and development framework as well as an institutional grammar tool to analyze national climate policy. We found that the current national institutions did not enable effective climate change mitigation. Despite relevant political decisions being made, the arrangements were enacted slowly. Contrary to development issues, climate issues were not tackled across all of the relevant sectors, such as waste management, traffic, and agriculture, nor across governance levels, while there was little coherence between development and climate policies. Instead, community forestry was set in the main charge of climate actions, as explained by the history of development collaboration. Additionally, climate education was mainly addressed to local communities rather than to decision-makers. We conclude that building local institutions and funding addressed effectively, even to local actors, are key options to improve the implementation of the national climate strategies of Nepal and low-income countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Minna Havukainen & Mirja Mikkilä & Helena Kahiluoto, 2022. "Climate Policy Reform in Nepal through the Lenses of the Institutional Analysis and Development Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-21, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:12:p:7391-:d:840699
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/12/7391/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/12/7391/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Badeeb, Ramez Abubakr & Lean, Hooi Hooi & Clark, Jeremy, 2017. "The evolution of the natural resource curse thesis: A critical literature survey," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 123-134.
    2. Monasterolo, Irene & Roventini, Andrea & Foxon, Tim J., 2019. "Uncertainty of climate policies and implications for economics and finance: An evolutionary economics approach," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 177-182.
    3. Paavola, Jouni, 2007. "Institutions and environmental governance: A reconceptualization," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 63(1), pages 93-103, June.
    4. Katy Roelich & Jannik Giesekam, 2019. "Decision making under uncertainty in climate change mitigation: introducing multiple actor motivations, agency and influence," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(2), pages 175-188, February.
    5. Kalpana Khanal & Natalia Bracarense, 2021. "Institutional Change in Nepal: Liberalization, Maoist Movement, Rise of Political Consciousness and Constitutional Change," Review of Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 33(1), pages 145-166, January.
    6. Nigussie, Zerihun & Tsunekawa, Atsushi & Haregeweyn, Nigussie & Adgo, Enyew & Cochrane, Logan & Floquet, Anne & Abele, Steffen, 2018. "Applying Ostrom’s institutional analysis and development framework to soil and water conservation activities in north-western Ethiopia," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 1-10.
    7. Elinor Ostrom, 2008. "Doing Institutional Analysis: Digging Deeper than Markets and Hierarchies," Springer Books, in: Claude Ménard & Mary M. Shirley (ed.), Handbook of New Institutional Economics, chapter 30, pages 819-848, Springer.
    8. Kaoru Ogino & Mikiyasu Nakayama & Daisuke Sasaki, 2019. "Domestic Socioeconomic Barriers to Hydropower Trading: Evidence from Bhutan and Nepal," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-19, April.
    9. Gabriela Iacobuta & Navroz K. Dubash & Prabhat Upadhyaya & Mekdelawit Deribe & Niklas Höhne, 2018. "National climate change mitigation legislation, strategy and targets: a global update," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(9), pages 1114-1132, October.
    10. Marian Leimbach & Anastasis Giannousakis, 2019. "Burden sharing of climate change mitigation: global and regional challenges under shared socio-economic pathways," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 155(2), pages 273-291, July.
    11. Lien, Aaron M. & Schlager, Edella & Lona, Ashly, 2018. "Using institutional grammar to improve understanding of the form and function of payment for ecosystem services programs," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 31(PA), pages 21-31.
    12. Cole, Daniel H., 2017. "Laws, norms, and the Institutional Analysis and Development framework," Journal of Institutional Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 13(4), pages 829-847, December.
    13. Anish Shrestha & Samata Baral, 2018. "Socioeconomic Factors Affecting Awareness And Adaption Of Climate Change: A Case Study Of Banke District Nepal," Earth Sciences Malaysia (ESMY), Zibeline International Publishing, vol. 2(2), pages 20-24, January.
    14. William Solecki & Cynthia Rosenzweig & Shobhakar Dhakal & Debra Roberts & Aliyu Salisu Barau & Seth Schultz & Diana Ürge-Vorsatz, 2018. "City transformations in a 1.5 °C warmer world," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 8(3), pages 177-181, March.
    15. Thomas Hale & David Held, 2018. "Breaking the Cycle of Gridlock," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 9(1), pages 129-137, February.
    16. Jon Hovi & Hugh Ward & Frank Grundig, 2015. "Hope or Despair? Formal Models of Climate Cooperation," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 62(4), pages 665-688, December.
    17. Harald Winkler & Niklas Höhne & Guy Cunliffe & Takeshi Kuramochi & Amanda April & Maria Jose Villafranca Casas, 2018. "Countries start to explain how their climate contributions are fair: more rigour needed," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 18(1), pages 99-115, February.
    18. Michaël Aklin & Matto Mildenberger, 2020. "Prisoners of the Wrong Dilemma: Why Distributive Conflict, Not Collective Action, Characterizes the Politics of Climate Change," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 20(4), pages 4-27, Autumn.
    19. Dorji Yangka & Vanessa Rauland & Peter Newman, 2019. "Carbon neutral policy in action: the case of Bhutan," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(6), pages 672-687, July.
    20. Chhetri, Bir Bahadur Khanal & Johnsen, Fred Hakon & Konoshima, Masashi & Yoshimoto, Atsushi, 2013. "Community forestry in the hills of Nepal: Determinants of user participation in forest management," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 6-13.
    21. Laudari, Hari Krishna & Aryal, Kishor & Maraseni, Tek, 2020. "A postmortem of forest policy dynamics of Nepal," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Hunjra, Ahmed Imran & Azam, Muhammad & Bruna, Maria Giuseppina & Taskin, Dilvin, 2022. "Role of financial development for sustainable economic development in low middle income countries," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 47(PB).
    2. Nate Kauffman & Kristina Hill, 2021. "Climate Change, Adaptation Planning and Institutional Integration: A Literature Review and Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-28, September.
    3. Namujju, Lillian Donna & Acquah-Swanzy, Henrietta & Ngoti, Irene F., 2023. "An IAD framework analysis of minigrid institutions for sustainable rural electrification in East Africa: A comparative study of Uganda and Tanzania," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    4. Abdu, Nizam & Tinch, Elena & Levitt, Clinton & Volker, Peter W. & Hatton MacDonald, Darla, 2022. "Illegal firewood collection in Tasmania: Approaching the problem with the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    5. Edouard Mien & Michaël Goujon, 2022. "40 Years of Dutch Disease Literature: Lessons for Developing Countries," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 64(3), pages 351-383, September.
    6. Christopher Hassall & Michael Nisbet & Evan Norcliffe & He Wang, 2024. "The Potential Health Benefits of Urban Tree Planting Suggested through Immersive Environments," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-12, February.
    7. Górriz-Mifsud, Elena & Olza Donazar, Luis & Montero Eseverri, Eduardo & Marini Govigli, Valentino, 2019. "The challenges of coordinating forest owners for joint management," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 100-109.
    8. Lamperti, Francesco & Bosetti, Valentina & Roventini, Andrea & Tavoni, Massimo & Treibich, Tania, 2021. "Three green financial policies to address climate risks," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    9. Ritter, Hendrik & Zimmermann, Karl, 2019. "Cap-and-Trade Policy vs. Carbon Taxation: Of Leakage and Linkage," EconStor Preprints 197796, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    10. Mehmet Balcilar & Daberechi Chikezie Ekwueme & Hakki Ciftci, 2023. "Assessing the Effects of Natural Resource Extraction on Carbon Emissions and Energy Consumption in Sub-Saharan Africa: A STIRPAT Model Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-23, June.
    11. Ran, Qiying & Yang, Xiaodong & Yan, Hongchuan & Xu, Yang & Cao, Jianhong, 2023. "Natural resource consumption and industrial green transformation: Does the digital economy matter?," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    12. Tadadjeu, Sosson & Njangang, Henri & Asongu, Simplice A. & Kamguia, Brice, 2023. "Natural resources, child mortality and governance quality in African countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    13. Calzada Olvera, Beatriz & Iizuka, Michiko, 2020. "How does innovation take place in the mining industry? : Understanding the logic behind innovation in a changing context," MERIT Working Papers 2020-019, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    14. Barrak Algharabali & J. S. Butler & Stacy Closson, 2021. "The Oil Curse Validated: Evidence from Eurasia and Latin America," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 11(3), pages 494-501.
    15. Tong Zhang & Chaofan Chen, 2018. "The Effect of Public Participation on Environmental Governance in China–Based on the Analysis of Pollutants Emissions Employing a Provincial Quantification," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-20, July.
    16. Gani, Azmat & Scrimgeour, Frank, 2014. "Modeling governance and water pollution using the institutional ecological economic framework," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 363-372.
    17. Joyeeta Gupta & Aarti Gupta & Courtney Vegelin, 2022. "Equity, justice and the SDGs: lessons learnt from two decades of INEA scholarship," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 22(2), pages 393-409, June.
    18. Luigi Romano & Marcello Ruberti, 2019. "Focus on the Performances of the Most Advanced Italian Thermoelectric Power Plants," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 9(5), pages 264-273.
    19. Xiaojun Zhang & Weiqiao Wang & Yunan Bai & Yong Ye, 2022. "How Has China Structured Its Ecological Governance Policy System?—A Case from Fujian Province," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(14), pages 1-22, July.
    20. Ishak, Phoebe W. & Gradstein, Mark, 2021. "We Don't Need No Education: The Effect of Persistent Income Shocks on Human Capital," VfS Annual Conference 2021 (Virtual Conference): Climate Economics 242368, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:12:p:7391-:d:840699. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.