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The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has approved almost Rs 5 billion in grants to help Nepal reduce the growing threat of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs).

The 42nd Board Meeting of the GCF held in Papua New Guinea on Tuesday approved the grant assistance while recognizing Nepal's project entitled 'Protecting livelihoods and assets at risks from Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) and climate change-induced flooding in glacial river basins of Nepal’.

GCF's alternate board member on behalf of LDCs Dr Sindhu Prasad Dhungana, who attended the GCF meeting in Papua New Guinea, confirmed that the decision was made to approve a $36.1 million grant to help Nepal protect lives and livelihood from the risks of GLOFs. Nepal's proposal for the project was unanimously approved in the GCF Board Meeting, Dhungana shared.

He said the GCF Board Meeting endorsed 17 projects of the total 19 proposals including that of Nepal.

UN agencies have identified the GLOFs as the major and accelerating climate risk in the Himalayas. "The approval marks a new chapter in how Nepal prepares for climate threats, shifting from reacting after floods to preventing them before they happen. Led by Nepal’s Department of Hydrology and Meteorology in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the new project will benefit over 2.2 million people living in Koshi and Gandaki river basins," according to UNDP Nepal.

Dhungana shared that the seven-year project is expected to be a model project to reduce the growing threat of glacial lake outburst floods.

The project aims to catalyze future public and private investment in climate risk reduction, setting an example that other high mountain countries can follow, with an additional $14 million in co-financing from the Government of Nepal, UNDP and Independent Power Producers' Association Nepal.

According to UNDP Nepal, the key components of the seven-year project include expanding and upgrading hazard monitoring and early warning systems; reducing water levels in four high-risk glacial lakes (Thulagi, Lower Barun, Lumding Tsho, and Hongu 2); strengthening riverbanks and flood-prone areas through reforestation and protective infrastructure such as check dams and vegetative gabion walls; and helping national and local authorities, first responders and communities to plan and prepare for future risks.

Likewise, UNDP has welcomed the opportunity to partner with the Government of Nepal to tackle some of the most urgent and complex climate risks facing mountain regions. “Supported by the Green Climate Fund, this initiative represents a long-term investment to protect lives and strengthen resilience where it matters most. It is climate action that is both grounded and game-changing, Kyoko Yokosuka, said UNDP Resident Representative in Nepal.

Kamal Ram Joshi, Director General of Department of Hydrology and Meteorology hoped that this project will help protect vulnerable Himalayan communities by strengthening local capacity and safeguarding lives, livelihoods, and infrastructure.

Saying that 21 glacial lakes are at high risk of outbursts in Nepal, Joshi mentioned that the CGF grant was a great achievement since it supports our efforts for risk management. The stakeholders have described this project as a significant milestone in Nepal's efforts to strengthen climate resilience.

US President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that Israel has agreed to the terms of a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, urging Hamas to accept the proposal to avoid further escalation.

Trump said the deal, mediated with support from Qatar and Egypt, aims to halt hostilities while efforts continue to end the conflict permanently. “It won’t get better — it will only get worse,” Trump warned Hamas via his Truth Social account, according to Firstpost.

The announcement comes ahead of Trump’s upcoming meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House next week. Meanwhile, Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer held talks in Washington with senior US officials, including Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, focusing on the Gaza ceasefire and regional security, Firstpost reported.

Under the aegis of its India-Nepal Centre and in association with Visa Inc and Banking, Finance and Insurance Institute of Nepal (BFIN), the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) organised “India-Nepal Fintech Summit 2025” on 30 June at New Delhi. Participated by the leading policymakers and industry leaders from both India and Nepal, the Summit hosted meaningful dialogues to come forward for further enhancing India-Nepal bilateral cooperation in the financial technology (fintech) domain. This also paves the way of recognising Community Engagement, Social/Financial/Digital Inclusion & Diversity and Social Impact as major transformational attributes of payment innovation drive.

Speaking on the occasion, Amb Dr Shankar Prasad Sharma, Ambassador of Nepal to India, said: “Nepal has made impressive progress in FinTech, driven by the growing need for mobile banking and digital services. There's strong momentum, but to move forward, we must act quickly-beyond signing MOUs-to implementation. Coordination between ministries is crucial, and improving systems for digital service exports, taxation, and international payments will help us unlock our full potential.”

Amb Munu Mahawar, Additional Secretary (North), Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, said: “India and Nepal share a very special relationship, rooted in history, culture, and a unique treaty framework. We deeply appreciate PHDCCI India-Nepal Centre for its constant support in promoting India-Nepal economic ties. With Nepal's special access to the Indian market and our shared commitment, I'm confident our partnership will continue to grow and flourish in the years ahead.”

Anand Jha, Vice President (Head of Government Engagement: India & South Asia), Visa Inc, said: “The idea for this seminar stemmed from my visit to Nepal, where I saw a real need for guidance and mentorship. Startups don't need rocket science-they need the right mentor and direction. Nepal, especially in the digital payments space, has a huge untapped market for fintech innovation. India has walked a similar path, and thanks to bold private initiatives and institutional support like Startup India.”

Vaibhav Taranekar, Vice President (Client Services), Visa Inc, said: “Fintech is now an integral part of the financial ecosystem across South Asia. While many initially believed they could operate alone, today, everyone wants to be part of the fintech experience. The biggest transformation has been in empowering merchants optimizing their digital footprint, made possible only through fintech. Its success lies in the spirit of collaboration that has turned fintech into a true support system.”

The “India-Nepal Fintech Summit 2025” was chaired by Amb Manjeev Singh Puri, Chair, India-Nepal Centre, PHDCCI & India’s Former Ambassador to Nepal and moderated by Atul K Thakur, Secretary, India-Nepal Centre, PHDCCI. Among others, it was addressed by: Md. Alam Ansari, Deputy Director (Startup India), Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India; Dr Jatinder Singh, Deputy Secretary General, PHDCCI; Anukool Bhatnagar, Adviser, India-Nepal Centre, PHDCCI & Former MD & CEO, Nepal SBI Bank Ltd (NSBL); Jyoti Prakash Gadia, Co-Chair, BFSI Committee & Managing Director, Resurgent India Ltd; Diwas Sapkota, CEO, Fonepay; Pranaya Rajbhandari, CEO, FOCUSONE Payment Solutions (MOCO – Digital Wallet); Dr Binod Atreya, Managing Director, Banking, Finance and Insurance Institute of Nepal (BFIN); Dushyant Thakor, Deputy Executive Director, World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA); Dr Seema Sharma, Professor (Economics), Department of Management Studies, IIT Delhi; Dr Jayanthi Ranjan, Vice Chancellor, Sharda University (Agra); Dr Deepak Tandon, Senior Professor (Finance), Jaipuria School of Business; Shishir Sinha, Associate Editor, The Hindu Business Line; Shashvat Singh, Senior Fellow, India Foundation; Aniruddha Shanbhag, Director, Koan Advisory Group; Mahesh Kumar Agrawal, Bihar State Coordinator, Seema Jagran Manch; Atul Koirala, Board Member, BP Koirala India-Nepal Foundation & Techno-Entrepreneur; Bikas Rauniar, Executive Director, Interstate Multi Modal Transport (P) Ltd

India and Nepal have made significant strides in fintech collaboration, particularly through the integration of India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) with Nepal's payment systems. This partnership aims to enhance cross-border digital transactions, promote financial inclusion, and strengthen economic ties between the two nations. In June 2023, the National Payments Corporation of India’s international arm (NIPL) and Nepal Clearing House Limited (NCHL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to integrate India's UPI with Nepal's National Payments Interface (NPI). This has eased the cross-border fund transfers and merchant payments between the two countries, however, recognising the challenges are important for broader fintech collaboration. Nepal lacks a comprehensive regulatory framework and a strong investor network to fully support fintech growth. Still, the nation has laid important groundwork that could enable fintech innovations to play a pivotal role in driving broader economic progress in the years ahead. Beyond digital payments, India and Nepal should explore collaborations in other fintech areas with focus on expertise and scale for payment innovations including Electronic Real-Time Payments, Investment Banking and Fintech Ecosystem Development.

The policy recommendations of the Summit shall support the ongoing efforts to make the payment systems between India and Nepal smooth and thus making the businesses and lives reaping their benefits for greater common good.

Russia has imposed restrictions on 15 European media outlets in response to EU sanctions on several Russian publications. The Russian Foreign Ministry said the move was a countermeasure to the EU’s 16th sanctions package introduced in February.

The ministry stated that the restrictions target media accused of spreading disinformation. It added that the decision may be reconsidered if the EU lifts its ban on Russian media, according to Xinhua.

US President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order lifting most sanctions on Syria, marking a significant shift in US policy following the ouster of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

The order ends five previous executive sanctions and authorizes relaxed export controls and foreign aid to Syria. However, sanctions will remain in place against Assad, his associates, and entities linked to terrorism, human rights abuses, and chemical weapons, according to Xinhua.

The Treasury Department issued a general license allowing transactions with Syria’s interim government and state-owned enterprises. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been tasked with exploring sanctions relief at the UN and reviewing Syria’s terror designations.

The Trump administration said it will continue monitoring Syria’s progress on normalization with Israel and counterterrorism efforts, Xinhua reported.

Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba has called on the international community to support sustainable agricultural systems for Nepal and countries with similar topographies, as well as climate finance for the Himalayan region.

Addressing the 44th General Assembly of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) held in Rome on Monday, she urged for ensuring grant-based international climate finance for Nepal, particularly for the mountainous regions, which are suffering from the impacts of climate change.

"The mountainous region of Nepal and countries like Nepal are the most vulnerable due to the climate crisis. However, these areas have been neglected in climate finance and adaptation efforts. It is essential that all those concerned over this issue pay attention to it," Minister Rana said.

Stating that the agricultural sector is the backbone of the economy, she mentioned that agriculture contributes 23 percent to Nepal's gross domestic product and that nearly two-thirds of the population depends on agriculture.

She also made it clear that the role of agriculture is crucial in food security, nutrition, poverty alleviation, and rural development.

Minister Rana stated that the goal of creating a hunger-free world by 2030 is still unfulfilled and it is being challenged by pandemics, climate crises, economic instability, and geopolitical tensions.

She stated that sustainable and resilient mountain agriculture promotion is essential not only for our livelihoods but also important for the planet's biodiversity, food security, and the ecological balance of the Earth.

"We are seeking collaboration to expand farmers' access to early warning systems. In the context of increasing climate risks, we expect stronger collaboration with FAO for the promotion of sustainable mountain agriculture. Additionally, Nepal has expressed the expectation of sharing experiences and knowledge about successful practices to increase the participation and leadership of women and youth farmers," reiterated Minister Rana, expressing Nepal's desire to expand successful and innovative agriculture practices as the 'four better' approach.

It is high time we wondered why our natural eyesight is hard to maintain today. According to “A systematic review and meta-analysis in Nepal” published in Nepal Journal of Ophthalmology, 8.4 percent of children suffer from refractive errors, with myopia present in 7.1 percent. It’s alarming how many children are losing their ability to see clearly before they even reach adulthood. The issue is wide ranging, from children to the elderly, showing up as myopia, hypermetropia, presbyopia and other related conditions. According to WHO, at present at least 2.2bn people around the world have a vision impairment.

The school’s role in a healthy vision

Schools should conduct regular free eye checkups, treat any errors and make accommodations in the learning environment accordingly. Proper and stable lighting should be managed in the classroom avoiding glare and dim lights. Likewise, classroom boards should be placed at a healthy distance, comfortable and clear to see. Seating arrangements should be designed accordingly. Yellow pages textbooks and copies should be encouraged as they reflect less light and provide more eye comfort. Textbooks, even for higher grades should have a large font and a clear contrast which reduces eye strain. 

In New Zealand up to date policies and practices to manage health and safety risks around the use of digital devices for students and staff is required under the health and safety work act 2015. Nowadays, classrooms are equipped with smart screens and projectors. While they can be great learning resources they must not be the alternative to physical learning tools as they contribute to increased screen time. Nepal should be in line with New Zealand and create a certain daily time limit.

Schools should promote healthy habits among students which include eye exercise classes, regular breaks and outdoor time.

When screens become the babysitter

Screens today have become the babysitter. With busy schedules, parents find it easier to keep their child occupied with phones or tablets for hours than to engage or supervise them. Some may know its effect but they see it as the only choice. Even in other situations parents do not encourage non screen activities or limit screen time. Parents themselves remain frequently occupied in social media, setting a bad example. A study conducted in Pokhara published in the Journal of Nepal Health Research Council (2020), found that 48.6 percent of children aged five to nine had screen time exceeding two hours per day, the study highlighted parental behavior as a major contributing factor.

It is crucial to inform parents about the adverse effects of such a habit. Similarly, free community activities, classes and designated play space should be made available to engage in screen free alternatives. But it is also to be considered that even with parental discouragement; children remain glued to screens harming mental, physical and social well-being.

Countries such as China, Sweden and Singapore have already introduced legal rules limiting children’s screen time and device usage. In China, children under 18 are allowed only one hour of online gaming, and only on public holidays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Sweden and Singapore have age based screen time limits.  Nepal must also direct a clear law limiting non- educational and educational screen usage.

We, as a society must prioritize and protect our young generation. That is, the problem is not just limited to people of young ages but now rather a national health concern. Modern necessity and addiction is causing many to spend hours on the internet. Eye safety precautions are lowly maintained in risky jobs and it is treated as a mere problem. Eye problems in the elderly are often neglected and simply dismissed as a natural part of aging. There are various free awareness programmes and eye treatment being conducted in Nepal. Yet, many are unaware and awareness is not being effectively applied. Basic eye care and treatment are not reached in many places. There is still a lot more to be done in the sector of eye health and this is a call for action.

Uma Regmi

Grade X

Shree Bal Uddhar Secondary School

Budhanilkantha Municipality-10, Kapan, Kathmandu

Migration is the movement of people from one place to another. There are two types of migration: internal migration (within a country) and external migration (between countries). There are many causes of migration such as unemployment, climate change, lack of education, natural disasters, lack of health services, and water crisis.

Unemployment: Unemployment is a major cause of migration. People are having difficulty finding jobs. Because of unemployment, people are not getting money for food and clothes.

Lack of education: Lack of education is the major cause of migration. There are good facilities of education in every corner of Nepal. People are coming to Kathmandu from the village.

Lack of health services: Lack of health service is the major cause of migration. There are good facilities of health service in every corner of Nepal. There are no hospitals and health posts in many rural villages.

Climate change: Climate change is the major cause of migration. Due to climate change, there are many natural disasters like floods, landslides etc. So, people are losing their homes, so they migrate from one place to another place.

Natural disaster: Natural disaster is the major cause of migration. It is happening due to climate change. People are losing home due to food, landslides etc.

Water crisis: Water crisis is the major cause of migration. Many people are having difficulty drinking water. Due to climate change the earth is being dry day by day. But many people are wasting water.

There are many ways to solve the migration problem which I have described as follows.

Giving jobs to everyone:  The government should give jobs to everyone. It helps in the finance of our country. There are many benefits. They are reduced poverty and inequality, increased economic growth and improved social well-being.

Building more health posts in rural areas: The government should make more health posts in rural areas. It helps the health status of our country. There are many benefits. They are expand health post network, improve infrastructure and strength healthcare force.

Making industries out of resident areas: We should make factories out of residential areas because it will pollute the city badly. There are many benefits. They decrease noise pollution, save air from getting polluted in cities and decrease traffic.

Proper use of water: We should use water properly. And we should not waste water. Proper use of water is that we should not keep water in a bucket for a long time because it may lead to dengue, appropriate use of water and we should not overuse it.

Giving knowledge to people not to migrate: There are many people who migrate from one place to another place. We should tell them how much our country has lost due to migration.

Prabesh Bhattarai

Grade: VIII

Global Pathashala

Kaushaltar, Bhaktapur