Background
Green economy results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities (UNEP, 2010). In its simplest expression, green economy is a low-carbon, resource efficient and socially inclusive system. In a green economy, growth in income and employment are driven by public and private investments that reduce carbon emissions and pollution, enhance energy and resource efficiency, and prevent the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services.
The present scenario of disorganized developmental processes and the unmanaged urbanization, especially in developing countries, have brought a transitional phase, which needs to be addressed by the different aspects of green growth worldwide. The Small Earth Nepal (SEN), in collaboration with the Consortium for Capacity Building (CCB) at the University of Colorado at Boulder, USA and with the support of the AsiaPacific Network for Global Change Research (APN), and technical assistance from the Central Department of Environmental Science (CDES), Tribhuvan University and the Agriculture and Forest University (AFU) in Nepal organized a national-level program entitled the “Graduates’ Workshop on Green Economy” in Kathmandu, Nepal on 28 July 2013. The workshop provided a platform to early career researchers to present their research findings and share their work to the scientific community, academicians and their colleagues. The workshop included keynote speeches, paper presentations, as well as poster presentations. A panel discussion was also organized to address the emerging issues of green economy and the role of young researchers on addressing those issues.
The Small Earth Nepal (SEN) was awarded with a project from APN under its CAPaBLE program to conduct the workshop and other activities in the Asia Pacific region.