Nepal and the United Kingdom have signed two separate memorandums of understanding (MoUs) related to approximately Rs6.5 billion in grant support.

According to the Ministry of Finance, the first MoU pertains to the Resilience, Adaptation, and Inclusion in Nepal (RAIN) programme, with funding of £38.5 million (approximately Rs6.5 billion), while the second concerns the Samartha programme—Enhancing Gender & Human Development Outcomes Through Systems Strengthening—with £38.8 million in support (approximately Rs6.58 billion).

“These programmes are aimed at strengthening the capacities of local governments and communities most affected by climate change, as well as building human capital and improving the delivery of basic services in Karnali, Lumbini, and Madhesh provinces,” the press release issued by the Ministry of Finance stated.

The agreement was signed by Dhani Ram Sharma, joint secretary at the finance ministry, and Pippa Bird, development director and deputy ambassador at British Embassy in Kathmandu, at a programme organised in Kathmandu on Wednesday.

The RAIN programme is a six-year initiative to be implemented by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) and the Ministry of Forest and Environment (MoFE) to strengthen disaster risk management and climate change adaptation. It will be implemented in Karnali, Lumbini, and Madhesh provinces.

Similarly, Samartha is a seven-year programme designed to enhance the systems and capacities of provincial and local governments to expand access to and deliver quality social services, with a particular focus on the education and health sectors. It will be implemented by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) and the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), the release stated. Samartha will operate in the Lumbini and Madhesh provinces.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Sharma said that the programmes will be crucial in advancing Nepal’s socio-economic landscape, with a particular focus on sustainable development goals (SDGs).

“This cooperation will be crucial in advancing Nepal’s socio-economic landscape, with a particular focus on SDGs and the objectives outlined in the 16th Periodic Plan, including social services, climate resilience, and human capital development,” he said.

Likewise, Bird affirmed the UK’s continued support for Nepal. “These programmes will build resilience to natural disasters and climate change and improve the delivery of basic services to the most vulnerable,” she said.