EU provides grant worth Euro2m (Rs 210m ) to develop sustainable construction practices in ten districts

The European Union (EU) has provided Euro 2 million (around Rs 210 million) to Deutsche Management Akademie Niedersachsen (DMAN, Germany) to implement the project ‘Vertical Shaft Brick Kiln and other Sustainable Construction Practices, SCPs’ under the EU SWITCH - Asia Programme: Sustainable Consumption and Production.
The EU grant covers 90 per cent of the project cost while the remaining part is being borne by the consortium partners DMAN, Federation of Nepal Cottage and Small Industries (FNCSI) and Skat Foundation, Switzerland.
The project is being implemented in the central part covering ten districts. “It aims at promoting energy efficient and environment friendly production methods,” said the EU office in Kathmandu.
The 40-month project aims to tackle global warming and environmental degradation and is planned as the continuation and scaling up of activities under the former Swiss-funded VSBK/CESEF Project Nepal.
The reduction of environmental degradation will be achieved through interventions at the grassroots level in the construction business focusing on supply chain actors including production and construction workers, technicians, engineers, architects and entrepreneurs like contractors, construction materials producers and real estate developers.
The project will address both the supply and demand sides of the construction business. A further component will be to support Government Institutions to develop Green Building Policies, further underlining sustainable construction practices.