Yearly Archives: 2016

Home Garden Project Phase – IV is a SDC funded project being managed by LIBIRD. The project is being implemented by Rupantaran in 4 districts – Bardiya, Dang, Rolpa and Salyan from November 2014 till January 2018. Rupantaran Nepal, as a resource partner, is contributing to Rupantaran NGO providing technical support for the effective implementation of the project.

The home garden refers to traditional land use system around a homestead, where wide varieties of vegetables, fruits, fodder, medicinal plants, fish, poultry and livestock are maintained by the household members and the products thus generated are primarily intended for family consumption. Home garden plays important role in the fulfilment of Families’ nutritional needs along with the instantaneous source of family income through surplus production. Basically, it has been focused for resource poor and DAGs.

The project has anticipated achieving the goal through two distinct outcomes. Outcome 1: Small holders and disadvantaged groups adopted home garden for improved family nutrition and increase income from surplus production and Outcome 2: Government agencies and non-government organizations internalized home garden as a targeted programme to SHDAGs for nutritional improvement.

Rupantaran Nepal performed a baseline and KAP survey for child centered climate change adaptation project under the financial assistance of Plan Nepal from March 2013 to September 2014. The project sites were located in Sunsari and Morang districts of the eastern- inner Tarai region of Nepal.

The main objectives of the baseline and knowledge attitude practice (KAP) survey were to:

1. Assess and compile socio-economic condition in project area

2. Assess impact of disaster and climate change on children

3. Assess knowledge of local people, youth and children on climate change and identify the practices and attitudes towards climate change adaptation

4. Prepare climate change impact/disaster risk map of the project area

The progress of the project activities were timely reported to the client through the organization of joint meetings. The feedback received during such meetings was considered to enrich the project activities. A draft report was submitted to the finding agency upon the successful completion of project activities and analysis. Finally, a final report incorporating feedback from the funding agency was submitted at the end of the project.

Involvement of women, marginalized and disadvantaged people

It was ensured by identifying the most vulnerable wards in the project VDCs and concentrating the project activities in those wards and ensuring the proportional involvement of people of different castes and sexes in the project activities.

Rupantaran Nepal in collaboration with Government of Nepal and support from Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) implemented “Improved governance for effective timber monitoring and traceability of
Shorea robusta in Nepal” under the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade programme of
European Union (EU FLEGT). The project was implemented in Nawalparasi and Rupandehi districts from
July, 2014 to September, 2016. The aim of the project was to promote good governance and increase
transparency of production and trade of Shorea robusta by developing a control system covering timber
supply, Chain of Custody and independent monitoring and building necessary capacities of different
stakeholders. In this project, Rupantaran Nepal worked closely with Department of Forest (DoF) by
formulating project advisory committee (PAC) led by the Director General (DG) and by forming technical
working group in the chairmanship of Deputy Director General along with Civil Society Organizations
(CSOs) and identified key stakeholders of timber sector. The output based progress of this project is
presented as follows:

Output 1: Control system for improved transparency in Shorea robusta production and trade
developed;

Reviewed of existing legal and regulatory framework and identified the existing elements and gaps
together with 7 critical control point
 Technical working group (TWG) consulted with local stakeholders and visited existing Shorea robusta
harvest and trade process sites in Pre-selected CFUGs and CFM in Kapilvastu and Rupandehi.
 Drafted the control system covering transparent timber supply, Chain of Custody and independent
monitoring for timber produced by CFUGs and CFM based on desk and field level reviews
 Developed Independent Monitoring Guideline by technical working group to track the transparent
monitoring of timber trade especially Shorea robusta.
 Organized National Consultation workshop on control system for transparent production and trade of
Shorea robusta and received feedback and updated the control system
 Undertook the peer review of Final review consolidation of control system assuring Shorea robusta
supply chain, Chain of Custody and monitoring guidelines.

Output 2: Control system for improved transparency in Shorea robusta production and trade
piloted and consolidated and stakeholder capacity strengthened:

 Identified 4- CFUGs and 2 CFMs in project district for the piloting of control system and piloting
conducted on control system. In the process of piloting; local media, government stakeholders- DFO
staff, CSO representatives FECOFUN and ACOFUN and adjoining CFUs and CFM were invited so
that they could replicate piloting initiative in other CFUGs as well.
 Conducted 6 events of awareness raising training to 281 CFUGs and CFMs users and executive
committee. The events were of grand successful to raise awareness on chain of custody of timber,
traceability of legal timbers and advantage of implementation of the control system within CFUGs and
CFUGs. Likewise, 2-awareness raising events were organized and representative of neighboring
CFUGs within the VDCs were invited and ensure their participation.
 Updated the drafted timber supply and CoC systems based on experiences gained during the piloting
phase and desk review was shared among the technical working group.

Output 3: Project results disseminated though the development of extension and training
materials and study tours;

 Produced various extension/training materials which included project leaflet, poster of chain of
custody and control system and traffic lights of control system.
 Produced a documentary with covering the FLEGT concept and learning of piloting of transparent
timber supply and chain of custody, legal timber and training manuals of control system

Output 4: Monitoring, evaluation and visibility framework developed:

 Organized a project inception workshop with the European Union Delegation and Food and
Agriculture Organization representatives responsible for FLEGT activities as well as with relevant
stakeholders. Total 28 forest sector stakeholders were attended.
 Organized National dissemination workshop in Kathmandu at the end of the project in 30 September,

2016. A pen drive with all manuals, documentary, posters, and leaflet has been distributed to all
      participants.

The project took more than expected due delayed in the endorsement process and PAC formulation. The
SHs participants who were attended in the final workshop has highly appreciated the implementation of
this project though there was limited knowledge and readiness of the forest sector stakeholders within the
country. The lesson of the project was the readiness of local stakeholders in transparency in supply
chain of Shorea robusta was a pertinent issue and its governance process was found always critical.

Rupantaran Nepal was involved in MSFP from March 2013 in the five mid-western districts of Nepal. This
programme was implemented with the financial aid of MSFP Services Support Unit (through Embassy of
Switzerland in Nepal and remained till July,2016 . The key aimed of the programme was to improve the
livelihoods and resilience of poor and excluded people in Nepal. The core programme were implemented
in 23 districts of 6 lots. Rupantaran Nepal implemented MSFP programme in 5 districts of Rapti- Rolpa,
Dang, Pyuthan, Salyan and Rolpa (lot-V). The summary of overall achievements in lot-V were;
 Installed 881 improved cook stoves and Bio-gas plant which use less fuel, are efficient in terms of
time and labor and undertook perception survey toward improved cook stove
 Piloted and tested for Payment of Environment Services mechanism in 36 CFUGs of two VDCs and
accredited Plan VIVO certification, Supported more than 13,070 poor and vulnerable HHs to improve
their livelihoods with preparing Livelihoods Improvement Plan.
 Facilitated preparation of 51 LAPAs and its implementation support in collaboration with different
service providers and project/ programme. Likewise, 574 Community-based Adaptation Plan
prepared, integrated into operational plan and implemented
 Created Employment opportunity to 2223 personnel (Total 600,210 person days) through 68 Forest-
based Enterprise Development and developed market linkages of their product
 Built capacity of 27239 Forest Managers on GESI, SFM, Governance and Climate Change
Adaptation through training, coaching, mentoring and technical backstopping support.
 Completed Plantation in 190.6 Hector degraded and open land within CFUGs and LFGs and
conducted active forest management in 8614hector of CFUGs
Beside these progress, Rupantaran Nepal has commission various study to document the good practices
and learning which includes value chain analysis of selected forest based product, effect of migration in
forestry: A case of Rapti, documentation of climate change and mitigation, GESI, enterprises, governance
and sustainable forest- achievements, learnings, challenges and way forward.

Rupantaran Nepal outsourced to deliver climate change adaptation (CCA) with an aim to enhance
knowledge and skill of District Environment, Energy and Climate Change Coordination Committee
(DEECCCC) members on climate change adaptation and LAPA implementation and Climate Change and
GESI training. This assignment was conducted in June- July, 2016 in the Rolpa, Rukum, Mugu, Bardiya,
Kalikot and Dang districts and total 8 events of training were delivered.
Out of 8 events, 5 trainings were focused on the climate change adaptation and implementation of the
LAPA with aimed to enhance knowledge and skill of District Environment, Energy and Climate Change
Coordination Committee (DEECCCC) members on climate change adaptation and LAPA implementation.
3 events were focused on the climate change and GESI with aiming to enhance knowledge and skill of
District Environment, Energy and Climate Change Coordination Committee (DEECCCC) members on
GESI and Climate Change.
Both trainings were designed flexible package to tailor to DEECCCC member’s experiences, level and
customized based on the district context, issues and need. For this training, RN prepared power
presentations and a collection of climate change policies, strategy, guideline, manuals and reference
document and provided to all participants in USB drive.
The assignment activities were timely and effectively completed. Total 187 participants were attended in
these 8 events of training.

Rupantaran Nepal was actively engaged in the project “Enhancing Climate Change Resiliency of
Identified Climate Vulnerable Communities through Sustainable Management of Natural Water
Bodies (Ponds)” funded by UNDP-Small Grant Project (SGP) in Rampur VDC of Dang district. The
project aimed to enhance climate change resiliency of identified climate vulnerable communities through
sustainable management of natural water bodies of Rampur VDC, Dang. The project was implemented
from May, 2014- April, 2016 (2 Years). The project covered the capacity building on climate change
adaptation of stakeholders and communities, restoration of the natural water pond, implementation
climate smart agriculture technologies to improve farming system and income, conservation of the
biodiversity through forest fire control, controlling alien species and organic farming and promotion
renewable energy (Biogas and Improved Cook Stove). Rupantaran Nepal was acted technical
backstopping support and leverage financial resources to implement the project. The summary of the
progress were;

 Village Forest Coordination Committee (VFCC)- a multi-stakeholder mechanism was strengthened for
coordinated planning and implementation
 A basket fund was established within VFCC for implementation of rural energy initiatives, climate
change resource center and emergency responses
 1050 community households and almost every local stakeholders sensitized on the climate change
adaptation and mitigation
 Climate smart agriculture and water efficient technologies were demonstrated and promoted in
commercial agriculture
 2 public ponds were renovated and utilised it in multiple use commercial vegetable production, fish
farming and eco-tourism promotion and directly benefited 92 HHs through these intervention.
 Community forest users group prepared invasive species controlling plan and will be implemented
along with fire management activities
 Locally threatened bio-diversity species will be identified and FUGs prepare a plan and implement for
the protection of those species integrating into their periodic/annual operational plan
 Documented biodiversity status within two selected community forest group (CFUGs), published and
disseminated.

Rupantaran Nepal was outsourced to conduct Training of Trainers on Climate Change Adaptation and Gender and Social Inclusion to government and non-government officials for Adaptation for Smallholder of Hilly Areas (ASHA) programme funded by IFAD and implemented by Ministry of Forest and Environment (MOFE) from January- February, 2016. The assignments were located in Salyan, Rukum, Jajarkot and Dailekh of the Karnali province of Nepal.

The main aim of the training was to strengthen and enhance knowledge and skills to deliver the same nature of training in village level and contribute to facilitate in LAPA preparation and implementation processes with integrating GESI approach effectively. In order to achieve this aim, following specific objectives were set as mentioned below:

• Describe fundamental concept of climate change, climate change science, mitigation and adaptation
• Explain major impact of climate change on six thematic areas as identified by NAPA at three different scale
• Describe local, national and global level initiatives/efforts to response major impacts climate change
• State concept of mitigation and adaptation and describe principle and its steps of local adaptation plans for actions
• Explain fundamental concept of Gender and Social inclusion and address issues in LAPA preparation and implementation process
• Describe the needs, approaches and process of Enhanced LAPA preparation
• Explain and practice different participatory tools and techniques of vulnerability and adaptation capacity assessment for LAPA preparation process.
• Explain basic principles of Training and its methods to deliver effective training.

The assignment activities were successfully completed timely. Under this assignment, Rupantaran Nepal designed a concept note including curriculum matrix and agreed with the ASHA-PCU. Based on the curriculum, RN facilitated 4 events of residential training at Salyan, Dhailekh, Kalikot and Nepalgunj (for Rukum district). Total 120 government and non-government officials were trained on the climate change, vulnerability and capacity assessment, adaptation planning and budgeting, GESI and training facilitation techniques. RN adopted participatory and learner centered adult learning approaches and methods which had provided ample opportunities to share the experiences, knowledge and skills among the participant. The duration of the training was 5 days. Based on these events, RN prepared a training manual to facilitate village level similar training by mobilizing the trained human resource.