Nepal Development Research Institute (NDRI), in collaboration with Tribhuvan University (TU), organized a dissemination workshop on March 15, 2024 as part of the Asia-Pacific Network (APN) funded project titled "Building Capacities for Climate-Resilient Water Resources Development under Climate Uncertainty." The workshop aimed to disseminate the project's findings, highlight key activities conducted throughout the project duration, and promote Climate Risk Assessment (CRA) at the national level.

The workshop had notable participation from various governmental entities, including the Water and Energy Commission Secretariat (WECS), the Department of Electricity Development (DoED), and the Department of Water Resources and Irrigation (DWRI). Academic and research institutions were also well represented, with attendees from the Institute of Engineering (IOE), Tribhuvan University (TU), Practical Action Nepal, Hydro Lab, and Jalsrot Vikas Sanstha (JVS). Additionally, notable associations such as the Independent Power Producers Association Nepal (IPPAN), Small Earth Nepal (SEN), and the Society of Hydrologists and Meteorologists (SOHAM) enriched the discussions with their valuable insights and expertise. 

In the opening session, Dr. Krishna Pahari, President of NDRI, welcomed the participants and provided an overview of NDRI. Dr. Shankar Shrestha, Executive Director of NDRI, elaborated on the project's scope and activities, including case studies, while Mr. Bharat Dhungana, Program Development Assistant at SEN, highlighted the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Workshop organized as a collaborative effort between NDRI and SEN to empower undergraduate and recent graduate students to enhance their research and presentation skills, under this project.  

During the Technical Session, Dr. Divas B. Basnyat, Lead, Water and Climate Program (WCP), NDRI delved into CRA and its practical applications. He outlined Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) and Shared  Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs), along with discussing the role of General Circulation Models (GCMs) and Regional Climate Models (RCMs) in climate research. Dr. Basnyat also highlighted differences between top-down and bottom-up approaches, emphasizing their significance in vulnerability assessment. He drew some examples from an ongoing project at NDRI. His presentation underscored four key messages regarding the climate risks associated with hydropower projects, alongside strategies for risk management and mitigation measures to address these challenges effectively. 

Following this, Mr. Dibesh Shrestha, the Lead Resource Person of the project from NDRI introduced the WECCS-Gen tool (developed by NDRI) and its inception, emphasizing the need for climate change scenarios beyond GCMs. He outlined differences between top-down and bottom-up approaches, highlighting the integration of bias correction and downscaling in the WECCS-Gen tool. He stressed the importance of climate stress tests in the bottom-up approach and explained how WECCS-Gen facilitates climate risk assessment. He provided a step-by-step demonstration of the tool's functionality, showcasing its use cases in both approaches and highlighting key terminologies and concepts. 

During the discussion, the resource persons answered queries related to the WECCS-Gen tool’s functionalities. The participants also thanked and congratulated NDRI for developing the WECCS-Gen tool.

Overall, the session concluded with an intensive discussion on the following: 

• Current understanding, practices, and capacity in CRA for water resources in Nepal,
• The application of tools of top-down (GCM-based) and bottom-up (Vulnerability-based) approaches, and 
• Prospects for future collaboration and opportunities.

In conclusion, the key suggestions and recommendations provided by the participants are outlined as follows: 

• Establishing a mechanism for sharing hydrological model analysis data with hydropower projects is crucial.
• Establishing a mechanism for sharing hydrological model analysis data with hydropower projects is crucial.
• Policy interventions are needed for integrating CRA into policy frameworks.
• Widespread dissemination and promotion of developed CRA tools are necessary to ensure their acceptability and sustainability. 
• Capacity building and training programs in CRA should be organized for practitioners and relevant consulting firms/organizations time and again.
• Engagement of academic institutions, including students, with the tool is important.
• Exploring dimensions emphasizing the potential of the CRA tools to be integrated into community practices.