(SAGUN) Program ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORT

Strengthened Actions for Governance in Utilization of Natural Resources (SAGUN) Program

ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORT

October 2007 - September 2008

Seedling production under active forest management program by Siddhibinayak CFUG, Banke. 2008. Photo: MRM

SUBMITTED TO:

THE UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT Maharajganj, Kathmandu, Nepal

SUBMITTED By:

CARE NEPAL In partnership with WWF Nepal, RIMS-Nepal and FECOFUN

Kathmandu, Nepal P.O. Box 1661; Phone # 5-522800; Fax # 5-521202 Email: [email protected] NOVEMBER 2008

Annual Performance Report 2008 i List of Abbreviations

AFA Admin and Finance Assistant AFO Assistant Forest Officer AGLO Assistant Governance and Livelihood Officer AWP Annual Work Plan BZ Buffer Zone BZUG Buffer Zone User Group CBO Community Based Organization CF Community Forestry / Forests CFO Community Forestry Officer CFUG Community Forestry User Group CIK Contribution in Kind CO Country Office CoP Chief of Party CPD Conservation Program Director CSO Civil Society Organization DDC District Development Committee DFO District Forest Officer/Office DNPWC Department of National Park and Wildlife Conservation DoF Department of Forest DPC District Program Coordinator EC Executive Committee F&A Finance and Administration FECOFUN Federation of Community Forest Users, Nepal FOP Forest Operational Plan GA General Assembly GLO Governance and Livelihood Officer GoN Government of Nepal GPAS Governance and Policy Advocacy Specialist HH Household IEC Information, Education and Communication IGA Income Generating Activity IO Information Officer IP Implementing Partner KCAP Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Program LDO Local Development Officer LNGO Local NGO LNP Langtang National Park LRP Local Resource Person LSGA Local Self Governance Act LSIS Livelihood and Social Inclusion Specialist M&E Monitoring and Evaluation MG Mothers’ Group MoF Ministry of Finance MoFSC Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation NEC National Executive Committee NFE Non-Formal Education NGO Non-Governmental Organization NP National Park NPC National Program Coordinator NPO National Program Officer NRM Natural Resource Management NSO Nepalgunj Support Office

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NTFP Non-Timber Forest Product OVI Objectively Verifiable Indicator PFO Program Field Officer PHPA Public Hearing and Public Auditing PI Performance Indicator PIMS Project Information Management System PM Project Manager PM&E Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation PMT Project Management Team PO Park Office/ Program Officer PPC Policy and Program Coordinator PRA Participatory Rural Appraisal PSP Private Service Provider PSU Program Support Unit PWBR Participatory Well-Being Ranking RBA Rights Based Approach RIMS Nepal Resource Identification and Management Society Nepal RMDM Research Monitoring and Documentation Manager RPC Regional Program Coordinator SAGUN Strengthened Actions for Governance in Utilization of Natural Resources SC Saving and Credit SO Specific Objective SP Supporting Partner SPNP Shey Phoksundo National Park TL Team Leader ToT Training of Trainers UG User Group USAID United States Agency for International Development VDC Village Development Committee WAF Women Advocacy Forum WDO Women Development Office WG Women’s Group WM Women Motivator WWF World Wildlife Fund

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Table of Content

1. Introduction ………………………………………………………………………1 1.1. Vision...... 1 1.2. Overall Objective...... 2 1.3. Specific Objectives ...... 2 1.4. Target Audience...... 2 2. Program Progress………………………………………………………………....2 Objective 1...... 3 Objective 2...... 13 Objective 3...... 19 Objective 4...... 35 3. Prospects for next nine months program ...... 42 4. Environmental Compliance ...... 43 5. Branding and Marking Plan:...... 43 6. Financial Status...... 43 7: Table- 4. Summary of overall expenditure of SAGUN Program Year 2 ...... 45 8. THEMATIC stories ...... 47

Annexes

Annex -1: Progress against Annual Plan Annex -2: Progress against M & E Plan

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Executive Summary

The USAID supported ‘Strengthened Actions for Governance in Utilization of Natural Resources’ (SAGUN) Program was implemented from November 2002 to September 2006 with an extension of three months until December 2006. Initially, the Program had included four components: Forestry and Buffer Zone; Irrigation; Partnership for Hydropower; and, Policy Advocacy Campaign (PAC), and the Program was in operation in 24 various districts of Terai, Middle Hills and High Mountain regions. After 3 months extension, Irrigation; Partnership for Hydropower components had been phased out and the Program has been further extended for another 21 months starting from January 2007 with the primary purpose of consolidating the achievements of the Program, replicating the lessons learned and successes in selected new areas and further refining and streamlining the livelihood improvement and bio-diversity perspectives. The focus in SAGUN extension program has been in the forestry sector so as to continue existing activities in the Forestry and Buffer Zone Component and also expanding the best practices in the adjoining new districts. Currently, the Program has been in operation in Kailali, Bardia, Banke, Lamjung, Gorkha, Dhading; buffer zone areas of Shey-Phoksundho National Park and Langtang National Park; Kanchenjunga Conservation Area; three regional units of FECOFUN located in Itahari, Pokhara and Banke; and in Kathmandu since January 2007. The implementing partners in the SAGUN Program include CARE Nepal that works to improve governance and livelihoods, and bio-diversity conservation activities in the CFUGs of Banke, Bardia, Kailali, Gorkha and Lamjung districts; RIMS Nepal implements similar activities in Dhading, WWF Nepal implements biodiversity conservation, livelihoods improvement, strengthen governance and policy advocacy activities in the buffer zones of the two protected areas- She-Phoksundho National Park (SPNP) and Langtang National Park (LNP); and, in Kanchenjunga Conservation Area (KCA). The FECOFUN implements policy advocacy related activities in three regions through the regional units located in Itahari, Pokhara and Nepalganj. It also implements national level activities through the Central Office in Kathmandu.

The overall objective of the SAGUN Program is 'to ensure that natural resources in selected areas of Nepal are managed in a democratic and sustainable way; that the performance of selected institutions is improved to meet the principles of good governance; that the benefits from natural resources are dispersed in accountable and transparent ways and that the benefits and other earned revenues are equitably distributed to the local communities both directly and through sustainable livelihoods so that the democratic process for conflict resolution and peace-building in the country is supported'.

This Annual Performance Report covers the period from October 2007 to September 2008. The report has been prepared reflecting the achievements, progresses, major lessons learned and challenges in Year - 2 of the 21 months extension period of the program.

A number of activities related to strengthening governance, livelihoods improvement, biodiversity conservation and policy advocacy were implemented. The major activities conducted were participatory governance assessment of UGs, Governance Literacy Classes, orientation of FOP/constitution to UG members, active forest management, small scale community grant program and orientation training on LIP preparation and development under strengthened governance and livelihoods improvement program. Support to CFUGs for biodiversity monitoring, and identification and initiation of bio-diversity conservation inside forest areas, community based livestock insurance scheme and herder’s education and awareness programs were the major activities under biodiversity conservation. The policy advocacy campaign component implemented activities like issue based interaction workshops; and training for CSOs, political parties and GLAs on advocacy; interaction and debate among policy makers, CSOs and rights holders; and support to issue based campaigns.

Annual Performance Report 2008 v In addition, two review/reflection meetings of the Program conducted during this year provided a good opportunity to the program staff to have critical discussions, review of the progress, issues and challenges in order to have common understanding on future program implementation strategies among the partner organizations. The active participation of Cognizant Technical Officer from USAID and Assistant Country Director from CARE Nepal provided opportunity to have strategic guidance and fresh impetus for the Program team to move the Program more effectively in the future.

In general, after the Constitution Assembly Election, the overall working environment for program implementation has been improving in the SAGUN Program districts. However, the frequent demonstrations and road blockades organized by the political parties and transportation entrepreneurs against the government’s decisions to raise fuel prices and transportation fare have adversely affected some of the program activities. During this reporting period, the Program also witnessed severe budgetary implications due to the plummeting US dollar. For this, consultations with sub-grantee partners were made to explore possible solutions and take precautionary measures in order to avoid future overspending of the project fund. To off set this deficit partly, CARE Nepal also managed to provide US$ 16,000 as an additional budget to cover the operational cost deficiency of the program. In addition some CARE Nepal SAGUN Program staffs were phased out according to the Exit Plan. Eventually, the annual work plan (AWP) of the 21 months extension of SAGUN Program was revised in consultation of USAID in order to respond to the emerging budgetary implications and achieve intended wider objective of the program despite all these difficulties. Similarly, follow up and documentation of the achievements of the Program were successfully completed with the help of a documentation consultant.

The major achievements during the reporting period of the Program are summarized below:

1. Program implementation during the second year of the 21 months SAGUN Program extension was successful to institutionalize good governance practices in natural resources management like public hearing and public auditing (PHPA), Participatory Well-Being Ranking, Participatory Governance Assessment (PGA), and to instill democratic values within and beyond the boundaries of community forestry. 2. A total of 2786 events (113% of total planned events) of 61 different activities (98% of total planned activities) were conducted against the plan of 2475 events of 62 activities. A total of 265,941 program participants including 124,990 (47.0%) women, 25,154 (9.46%) Dalits, 122,911 (46.22%) marginalized Janajati s (MJJ) and 71,302 (26.81%) poor have benefited from the Program. The significant increase against the target is primarily due to increasing demand for governance activities by the UGs. The Program was very successful to reach a total of 1,213 CSOs including CFUGs, BZ CFUGs and Conservation Area User Committees (CAUC) through different activities implemented during the reporting period and improve internal organizational capacity. 3. Public Hearing and Public Auditing (PHPA) is an effective tool for the institutionalization of ‘good governance’. This practice has bridged the gap between service providers and receivers through increased transparency and accountability among various stakeholders. During this reporting period, a total of 565 events of PHPA were conducted in the program districts against the target of 547. A total of 45,237 participants including 20,428 women, 4,727 Dalits, 21,345 MJJs and 13,753 poor participated in the PHPA events. A total of NRs. 623,288 including last years committed, and this year NRs. 349,477 (15.33%) was recovered out of NRs. 2,280,276 misused fund. Further, commitment to repay Rs. 1,807,560 was made by EC members and general users from 96 UGs.

4. The Program conducted Participatory Well Being Ranking (PWBR) in 166 CFUGs covering a total of 14,458 households which included 7,637 MJJs and 1282 Dalits

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households. The result of the PWBR depicted that about 16.44 % (2,377 households) fall under the category of well-off; 35.22% (5,092 households) in medium; and, 48.34% (6989 households) fall in the poor category. Based on the result of the PWBR, the program provided some special support such as agro-based, forest-based and off-farm income generating activities to the poor households. Likewise, some resourceful CFUGs agreed to support poor households by mobilizing their group fund in pro-poor activities as well as distributing forest products in an equitable basis. This proves the process of PWBR has been valuable in making user groups accountable to the poor households.

5. The program successfully managed to conduct Participatory Governance Assessment (PGA) at user group, CSO and GLA levels. A total of 191 UGs conducted PGA against the target of 176. A total of 7,044 participants including 3,539 women, 934 Dalits, 3,190 MJJ and 1,914 poor participated in the assessment process. From the assessment, it has been revealed that out of 191 UGs assessed 2 (1%), 29 (15%), 112(59%) and 48 (25%) no. of UGs fall under the category of poor, medium, good and very good respectively. Similarly, the program was well facilitated to introduce PGA process in Civil Society Organizations including local NGOs and FECOFUN. All together 8 organizations, 4 local NGOs, one women’s advocacy forum and 3 FECOFUN district chapters and range-posts of Kailali, Bardia, Banke, Lamjung, and Dhading assessed their current governance status and followed up commitments made in the previous year. Among them 7 CSOs fell under "good" and one under "very good" category. During this reporting period, PGA conducted in two District Forest Offices helped the DFO staff to review their current governance status and prepare an action plan to improve their governance status.

6. A total of 157 Governance Literacy classes were completed in the 16 week curricula in the program districts. As a result a total of 4,293 participants including 4,218 (98.3%) women, 864 Dalits (20.1%), 1,712 MJJs (39.9%) and 1,546 (36%) poor were enrolled in the GLC classes. A total of 3,985 participants or 92.83% completed the course while some of the participants dropped out. All the women who attended the GLC have formed Women Advocacy Forums (WAF) at the local level in order to continue the process they learned during the 16 weeks. Most of women participants managed to conduct interactive meetings with the Constitution Assembly candidates to secure their rights to access natural resources.

7. Some major livelihood improvement activities like development and diversification of livelihood options of poor and ultra poor households were implemented in the program districts. These included skill based training to implement on farm and off-farm based IGAs, small scale community grant support and support for community based enterprise development for strengthening livelihoods assets for poverty reduction, training on linkage to markets and private sector, impact assessment of LIP and implementation and active forest management for optimized biomass extraction for livelihoods. As a result, a total number of 21,445 beneficiaries including 10,681 women, 2,943 Dalits, 10,840 MJJs and 8,657 poor have participated in various activities related to livelihoods improvement. A total of NRs. 1,904,150 has been mobilized for livelihood improvement program, which includes a grant from program partners equivalent to NRs. 933,000 and matching fund from CFUGs/group equivalent to NRs. 971,150. 8. The forest users have actively carried out active forest management activities under limited technical support from SAGUN Program staff and LRPs, which shows the active forest management skills development among the user groups. It is also one of the reasons for increasing active forest management area in comparison to the planned target.Total forest area managed under the active forest management is 49,096 hectares, against the target of 38,000 hectares. Thinning, pruning, weeding, singling and cleaning were the major silvicultural operations carried out as part of active forest management prescribed

Annual Performance Report 2008 vii

in the FOPs. A total of 11,750 forest users including 6,714 women, 1,610 Dalits, 5,068 MJJs and 4,483 poor took part in the management activities. 9. A total of 32,388 mt of biomass was harvested against the target of 33,501 mt. from active forest management. This constitutes 9,470 mt. timber, 1,289 mt. poles, 12,445 mt. fuelwood, 4,408 mt. thatches, 3,911 mt. fodders, 864 mt. NTFPs. All CFUGs who practiced active forest management have distributed the forest products on equitable basis according to the household needs and socio-economic condition of the CFUG members. The progress is slightly less against the target. The reason for such less achievement is self limitation by the CFUGs for harvesting timber in the Terai districts due to potential risk of illegal harvesting by poachers as a result of unstable political situation. 10. Protected Areas, their buffer zones and community managed forests are constantly facing threats for biodiversity conservation including over-exploitation of forest products and the illegal trade of wild animal products and plants, over grazing, deforestation, encroachment of forest area, forest fires, and unsustainable harvesting of timber and non- timber forest products. In order to address these issues, a total number of 28 (165%) events under 5 different activities have been conducted against the target of 17 events under the bio-diversity conservation component of the program. A total number of 2,374 beneficiaries including 964 (40.6%) women, 230 (9.7%) Dalits, 894 (37.7%) MJJs and 393 (16.6%) poor participated in various biodiversity conservation activities conducted in this during this reporting period include participatory biodiversity monitoring in CF, identify and initiate management in forest areas, development/update of snow leopard habitat map (GIS based) and herder's education awareness program. 11. In addition, the program assistance to build internal organizational capacity of community forestry user groups including buffer zone user groups and conservation area user councils; and their national, district, and sub-district level federations on good governance, livelihoods improvement, biodiversity conservation and policy advocacy helped to reduce these threats in one form or another. 12. A total of 309 advocacy campaigns were conducted at the local and district level (306), regional level (2) and national level (1). Local level advocacy campaigns were conducted by the participants of the governance literacy classes; and CFUGs themselves with the leadership of FECOFUN, and Women Advocacy Forum. The advocacy campaigns included demonstrations, policy dialogue, mass rally, signature campaign, door to door visit, counseling, interaction and lobbying with political parties, public hearing, and delegations. 13. In addition to the planned activities, a number of non-targeted activities have been accomplished. These include sharing of SAGUN learning at national and international forums, contribution in revision of community forestry guidelines to the Department of Forest, policy maker's visit to the program area, and documentation and dissemination of program processes, key lessons, and support to emergency relief activities in Bardia and Kailali districts.

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Progress against the USAID’s Performance Indicators Baseline Progress Performance FY08 Key Indicators Remarks Year Value FY07 Target Progress The achievement is increased due to Number of FUGs using USG assistance additional coverage providing support to 01 to improve internal organizational 2006 2138 869 1000 1174 the whole in Dhading and near by capacity CFGUs of other districts as well. The achievement is slightly increased due to the additional campaigns conducted by the GLC participants. Number of CSO advocacy campaigns 02 2006 157 222 267 309 Similarly, FECOFUN conducted supported by USG additional campaigns by leveraging resources from FECOFUN district chapters and other CSOs. Number of participants in USG-funded Number of participants increased due to programs supporting participation and the increased number of advocacy 03 inclusion of traditionally marginalized 2002 197,910 199,250 292,910 265,941 campaigns by leveraging resources with ethnic minority (Dalits and Janajati) FECOFUN district chapters, CSOs and and/or religious minority groups other programs of CARE Nepal. Women 124,990 (47%) Dalits 251,54(9.46%) Marginalized Janajatis (MJJs) 122,911(46.22%) Poor 71,302 (26.81%) It is increased than the projected target as Hectares of forest area (CF, BZCF, CA) the estimation was done without 04 under improved management as a result 2002 3028 36925 38000 49,095 inclusion of active forest management of USG assistance areas of Gorkha and Lamjung, and rest part of the expanded areas. Amount (MT) of biomass harvested on sustainable basis due to active forest 05 2006 28351 25565 33501 32,388 management in the target area (CF, BZCF, Conservation Area)

Annual Performance Report 2008 ix Hectares of forest areas of biological significance (CF, BZCF, Conservation 06 16264 Area) under improved management as a result of USG Assistance

Number of people with increased This figure includes Subsidy in forest economic benefits derived from products, Grant/LIP and Loan for IGA, 07 sustainable natural resources management N/A 8082 School support for children and and biodiversity conservation as a result Employment generated from forest. of USG assistance(households)

Number of people trained in natural resource management and/or biodiversity 08 N/A 1643 conservation as a result of USG assistance Number of women and traditionally marginalized ethnic minority (Dalits and 09 2006 13,499 Janajati) groups in leadership positions (Total) Women 37% 3844(40% 40 5977 (44.28%) Dalits 5% 1043(11%) 7 1422 (10.53%) Marginalized Janajati (MJJs) NA 4163(43%) 25 6264 (46.40%) Poor 14% 2146(23%) 20 2985 (22.11%) Number of Groups conducted public 10 565 hearings and public auditing Total amount of misused fund recovered 11 as a result of PHPA activity support from 623288 SAGUN (Rs.) Number of groups conducted General 12 909 Assembly each year

Annual Performance Report 2008 x

Number of groups allocated funds to 13 support pro-poor activities in their 273 community Number of groups conducted 14 191 participatory governance assessment Number of FUG’s overall internal 15 490 governance has been improved Number of plans, policies and/or regulations related with democratic The policies are: KCA Management governance of forest resources improved Regulation 2064, Revision of royalty 16 3 (new, modified/revised and/or specific rate of Resin, and Three Years Interim provisions implemented for the first time) Plan (Forestry Sector) as a result of USG assistance

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1. Introduction

The 21 months SAGUN Program has been in operation in Kailali, Bardia, Banke, Lamjung, Gorkha, Dhading; buffer zone areas of Shey-Phoksundho National Park and Langtang National Park; Kanchenjunga Conservation Area; three regional units of FECOFUN located in Itahari, Pokhara and Banke; and in Kathmandu since January 2007. The implementing partners in the SAGUN Program include CARE Nepal that works to improve governance and livelihoods, and bio-diversity conservation activities in the CFUGs of Banke, Bardia, Kailali, Gorkha and Lamjung districts; RIMS Nepal implements similar activities in Dhading, WWF Nepal implements biodiversity conservation, livelihoods improvement, strengthen governance and policy advocacy activities in the buffer zones of the two protected areas- She-Phoksundho National Park (SPNP) and Langtang National Park (LNP); and, in Kanchenjunga Conservation Area (KCA). The FECOFUN implements policy advocacy related activities in three regions through the regional units located in Itahari, Pokhara and Nepalganj. It also implements national level activities through the Central Office in Kathmandu.

Program implementation during the second year of the 21 months SAGUN Program has remained smooth. However, the Program was disturbed for some time in Banke, Bardia and Kailali due to an unstable political situation. This Annual Performance Report (APR) covers the period from Oct. 2007 to September 2008. An in-depth consultative and interactive process has been adopted during the preparation of the APR and the check-list included in the cooperative agreement has been strictly followed.

1.1. Vision SAGUN Program envisions that good governance practices are internalized by natural resource management groups at all levels, supporting a code of conduct of equity in access to and benefits from local forest resources, specifically benefiting women, Dalits, poor and other marginalized people. There will be institutionalization of pro-poor initiatives in local resource management groups through increasing allocations and focused livelihood development. There will be increasing productivity of natural resources under local management that is transparent and sustainable, directly supporting poverty alleviation and national economic growth while substantially reducing threats to biodiversity at local and regional scales. Partnerships in natural resource management will resolve conflicts locally and nationally and thus contribute to re- establishing peace in post-conflict Nepal.”

Annual Performance Report 2008 1 1.2. Overall Objective The overall objective of the SAGUN Program is 'to ensure that natural resources in selected areas of Nepal are managed in a democratic and sustainable way; that the performance of selected institutions is improved to meet the principles of good governance; that the benefits from natural resources are dispersed in accountable and transparent ways and that the benefits and other earned revenues are equitably distributed to the local communities both directly and through sustainable livelihoods; so that the democratic process for conflict resolution and peace- building in the country is supported'.

1.3. Specific Objectives The specific objectives of the proposed SAGUN are:

a. To further strengthen and institutionalize governance and technical capacity in terms of transparency, participation, equity and accountability in the functioning of User Groups and other relevant institutions.

b. To enhance and diversify livelihood options for the poor for their economic empowerment - through focused livelihood development and increased access and control over forest resources, with special reference to women, Dalits and poor.

c. To conserve and sustainably manage biodiversity by reducing threats to biologically significant areas through strengthened people-centered approaches.

d. To enhance skills of users and their representatives to advocate for their own rights and concerns over natural resource management, and to establish engagement among stakeholders at all levels.

1.4. Target Audience The primary beneficiaries of the SAGUN Program include the local Forest User Groups, including Community Forestry User Groups, Buffer Zone User Groups, Conservation Area Management Councils, Amchi Networks, District Advocacy Forums, Women Advocacy Forums formed in the areas of the existing SAGUN Program.

SAGUN Program is also supporting NRM federations and associations at the district and national levels who have been working on enhancing policy advocacy skills and awareness among users. The target audience also includes selected Local Resource Persons (LRPs), civil society organizations and marginalized Janajatis (MJJs)1 who are depending upon forest resources for their livelihoods. In addition, Government Line Agencies (GLAs) is also targeted in some of the components of governance strengthening and policy awareness programs for increased sensitization on governance and inclusion aspects.

• 2. PROGRAM PROGRESS The Program progress report consists of two parts - narrative and quantitative. Quantitative progress with progress against the annual plan, quality indicators and remarks for significantly over/under achievement has been presented in Annex-1. Progress against M&E plan has been presented in Annex-2.

1 Marginalized Janajatis mean socially and economically disadvantaged and politically under represented 59 Janajati groups identified by the task force on classification of indigenous nationalities. SAGUN Program focuses on all these groups except Newar and Thakali in the advantaged group.

Annual Performance Report 2008 2

During the second year of the 21 months SAGUN Program, a major thrust of implementation remained in the execution and consolidation of field level activities. The annual work plan of program has been revised to adjust the budget deficit due to US$ exchange loss and all USAID’s comments have been incorporated and approval from USAID has been received for the implementation of the AWP. This progress report is based on the revised AWP.

During this reporting period, a total of 2795 events (113% of total planned events) of 61 different activities (98% of total planned activities) were conducted against the plan of 2475 events of 62 activities. A total of 265,941 program participants including 124,990 (47.0%) women, 25,154 (9.46%) Dalits, 122,911 (46.22%) marginalized Janajatis and 71,302 (26.81%) poor have benefited from the Program. The Program was very successful to reach a total of 1,213 CSOs including CFUGs, BZ CFUGs and Conservation Area User Committees (CAUC) through different activities implemented during the reporting period and improve internal organizational capacity.

In the second year of the Program, 309 advocacy campaigns were conducted at the local and district level (306), regional level (2) and national level (1). Local level advocacy campaigns were conducted by the participants of the governance literacy classes; and CFUGs themselves with the leadership of FECOFUN, and Women Advocacy Forum. The advocacy campaigns included demonstrations, policy dialogue, mass rally, signature campaign, door to door visit, counseling, interaction and lobbying with political parties, public hearing, and delegations. The Program progresses for the reporting period are as follows:

Objective 1: To further strengthen and institutionalize governance and technical capacity in terms of transparency, participation, equity and accountability in the functioning of User Groups and other relevant institutions.

2.1.1 . Program Progress towards Objectives A total number of 1696 (110%) events under 27 different activities were conducted against the target of 1530 events under this objective. During the reporting period, governance strengthening activities were implemented by all partners across all programmatic sites. A total number of 181,044 persons including 91,620 women (50.6%), 19,383 (10.7%) Dalits, 97,077 (53.6%) MJJ and 62,189 (34.4%) actively participated in the governance strengthening activities.

Major activities implemented under this specific objective include participatory governance assessment(PGA) of user groups; Constitution/FOP Orientation and renewal expired FOP and constitution; group and financial management training; governance, GED, social inclusion and peace building training to UGs; public hearing and public auditing (PHPA); participatory well- being ranking (PWBR); and governance literacy classes (GLC), orientation workshop to UGs on service delivery system of CSOs and GLAs; CF management training; social campaign for WDP/WAF and leadership training. Highlights of progress of key activities are given below:

2.1.2. Participatory Governance Assessment Participatory Governance Assessment (PGA) is a participatory tool to assess the good governance status of different organizations including CFUGs, CSOs and GLAs. The assessment is done against four pillars of governance viz. transparency, participation, accountability and predictability, which further consists of a range of sub-indicators at 4 levels. The status under each category is measured as poor, medium, good and very good. The objective of this activity is to identify the current governance status of the concerned stakeholders and to prepare the action plan for further improvement of internal governance.

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The strengths of PGA include sensitization of service providers including executive committee members of UGs and CSOs and government agencies to be accountable in their roles and responsibilities to the right holders/service receivers with their improved governance status. During this reporting period PGA was conducted in Users Groups, Civil Society Organizations (CSO) and Government Line Agencies (GLA).

a. Users Group level

In the UGs, this activity was conducted in Kailali, Bardia, Banke, Lamjung, Gorkha and Dhading districts, and KCA. During this reporting period, a total of 191 UGs conducted PGA against the target of 176. A total of 7,044 participants including 3,539 women, 934 Dalits, 3,190 MJJ and 1,914 poor participated in the assessment process. General users, members of executive committees, SAGUN staff, Local Resource Persons (LRPs) and in some cases, EC members of the neighboring CFUGs also actively participated in the PGAs. From the assessment, it has been revealed that some groups are very good in participation while they were relatively poor in accountability or predictability. Similarly some groups were found to be relatively poor in active participation but good in terms of accountability or transparency. The results of the PGA from the districts illustrated that out of 191 UGs assessed 2 (1%), 29 (14%), 112(60%) and 48 (25%) no. of UGs fall under the category of poor, medium, good and very good respectively (Please refer the Diagram-1 below). The major strengths of PGA are: 1) it helps to clearly identify current governance status, 2) it is a self evaluation, which helps CFUGs to move ahead with preparing concrete governance improvement plan, and 3) it is a tool that helps to institutionalize other tools of good governance such as PHPA, PWBR and LIP. Diagram-1

Governanceve na ce statuss a u of f CFUGsCFU

10% 2% 23% 1% 14% 25%

65% 60%

Poor Medium Good Very Good Poor Medium Good Very Good in 2007 in 2008

In 2002 there were 427 CFUGs most of them were very weak and poor in governance. Now we are working with 1110 CFUGs

The assessment identified the following improved areas in the governance, some issues and challenges: • Prepared annual plan for systematic implement of FOPs and other community development activities with innovative ideas, • Increased transparency and accountability of budget and decision making process, including implementation of good record keeping system, • Conducted EC meetings regularly with active participation of EC Members and fulfill the responsibility as mentioned in FOPs by general users and ECs, • Increased inclusive and meaningful participation of poor, women, Dalit and MJJ to participate in different capacity enhancement activities, • Increased institutionalization of Public Hearing and Public Auditing (PHPA) as a regular UG activity and audit through Registered Auditor,

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• Increased inclusive representation of women, poor, Dalit and MJJ in executive committees, • Reshuffling of executive committees to make them more inclusive, • UGs have planned to mobilize group fund in pro-poor activities specially focusing on poor, women, Dalits, MJJ ’s well-being, • Practice of equitable forest products distribution through providing forest products especially timber in subsidized rate to ultra poor households, • Developed linkage and coordination with different line agencies and organizations for implementing different programs in the community and leverage resources, • CFUGs have regularized improved forest management activities, • Circulation of decisions made by the ECs among the general users by different means including posting notices in the public places, • Periodically monitored the prepared action plans.

Issues and challenges

• Because of budget deficit due to exchange loss some targets for PGA were reduced. As such the sample size for PGA is smaller than the first year, • Follow up of commitments made by UGs after PGA , • Low participation of women, Dalits, MJJs and poor were observed in this process due to lack of proper communication about assessment and awareness about its importance, • In some cases, members of executive committee have been found exaggerating about their governance status to show that the group has better governance status.

At the end of PGA, CFUGs prepared action plans to improve CFUG's governance status.

b. Civil Society Organization level

The SAGUN Program successfully facilitated the introduction of the PGA process in Civil Society Organizations including local NGOs and FECOFUN. During the facilitation of PGA the SAGUN program used the PGA tool. Altogether 8 organizations, 4 local NGO, one women advocacy forum and 3 FECOFUN district chapters and range-posts of Kailali, Bardia, Banke, Lamjung, and Dhading assessed their current governance status and follow up commitments made in the previous year. Among them, 7 CSOs fell under "good" and one under "very good" category. It is clearly noticed that the PGA process has empowered the participants especially the general members who have had the opportunity to openly interact about their own institution and prepare action plans to improve governance status of their respective organizations. A total of 143 participants including 61 women, 39 Dalits and 34 MMJs took part in 8 events of the assessment process. The following are the outcomes from the PGA: • FECOFUN district chapter Lamjung reassessed the Governance status and prepared an action plan to prepare the annual work plan, prepare the financial and personnel management guideline, maintain updated CFUGs database in district office, and to conduct the district office systematically • Likewise other CSOs prepared and implemented an inclusive annual work plan to conduct: regular audit of the financial transactions, wider dissemination of program plans and budget, develop linkage with other Photo 1: A CSO member member organizations like DDC, VDCs and NGOs, demonstrating PGA matrix,Dhading develop alternative leadership, prepare and

Annual Performance Report 2008 5 implement the code of conduct and orient on vision, mission, goal and objectives of the organization, and conduct office management systematically.

c. Government Line Agency level During this reporting period SAGUN Program in Lamjung and Banke managed to conduct PGA to find out the governance status of District Forest Offices. A total of 52 participants including Forest Guards, Forest Assistants, Rangers, Administration and Finance staffs, Assistant Forests Officers and District Forest Officers and staffs of SAGUN Program participated in PGA program. The main objective of the PGA was to identify the current governance status of District Forest Offices and state commitments for improvement. This event was facilitated by Acting Team Leader/GPAS and District Program Coordinators using PGA tool. PGA Guidelines with matrix was prepared by GPAS in consultation with and support from program staffs and concerned DFOs. The matrix is based upon Governance Act, Right to information Act, Three years Interim Plan, Civil Service Act and Regulation, Working Procedure of Department of Forests, Local Self Governance Act. The following are the processes applied in the PGAs:

• Meetings with DFO staff in various occasions about strengthening actions for governance, • Familiarization of PGA tool, • Fix the data and invite participants from Range Posts and DFOs, • Assess the current status of governance through intensive discussion in each of the indicator in a participatory process, • Identify the current status and gaps based on consensus among the participants, • Prepare an action plan with commitment to address the gaps and improve the governance status and deliver the services effectively.

The following are the issues discussed during the PGAs:

• Regularly update Citizen’s Charter, display it in the appropriate place,, • Share the Overall program activities and budget formally with relevant staff, however some participants disagreed with this statement, • All relevant government policies, acts, regulations and directives are not shared on time with relevant program staff. This has made the field staff less confident about their dialogue with community as well as other stakeholders, • Though District Forest Office has participated actively in PHPA organized by other stakeholders, they have not initiated such practices on their own organizations, • All staff/program staff meeting is not regularly held in District Office, • District Forestry Plan has just completed its five years term and now it needs to be updated in line with the District Periodic Plan of DDC.

After assessment of the DFOs, the participants made the following commitments:

• All policies, acts, regulations and directives of Nepal Government will be maintained in district office and sent to all Range Posts on time, • Citizen Charter will be updated making it simple and posted on the notice-board of the District Forest Office, • Program staff will meet regularly on the second day of each month, • Arrange complaints letter box at District Forest Office and operate properly • Field staff will take and submit monthly attendance during monthly staff meeting, • Assigned tasks will be completed prescribed time,

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• Job description of each and individual staffs will be prepared and maintained in district office.

This activity remained very impressive as it sensitized DFO staffs on the governance perspective. Most of the participants appreciated this governance assessment process as it helped them to clarify their roles and responsibilities authorized by different policies, acts, regulations and procedures. At the end of the program participants expressed their commitment to continue this exercise on their own in the following years to improve their internal governance and build up their team.

2.1.3 Participatory Well-being Ranking Participatory Well-Being Ranking (PWBR) tool has been used by the program from its’ very beginning. The main objective of the activity was to identify the poor users in the CFUGs and facilitate the groups to initiate pro-poor activities to address needs and concerns of the poor. The users of the CFUG are empowered to develop criteria for categorizing the households into different groups, i.e., well-off, medium, poor and/or ultra-poor. Usually, the criteria developed by the users for the PWBR were: (1) land holing and availability of food-grains, (2) no. of livestock (3) education level (4) employment (government, NGO, INGO, overseas, India), (5) business (6) family size (7) physical properties owned (houses, machines, tractors, buses, trucks, taxis etc.), and (8) social status and recognition.

The PWBR was conducted in a participatory manner involving all user group members of different status, which was highly practical in identifying the poor households including their needs and concerns. Most importantly, the PWBR result was highly useful in supporting the poor households to promote and practice equitable benefit sharing process and increasing representation of the poor in decision making bodies such as executive committees of the CFUGs. Being a very useful tool to strengthen governance in NRM, the DoF has incorporated PWBR into the CF Operational Guidelines in 2005, which has helped CFUGs to institutionalize it.

During this reporting period, the Program conducted PWBR in 166 CFUGs from Lamjung, Dhading, LNP-BZ area and KCA, covering a total of 14,458 households which included 7,637 MJJs and 1282 Dalit households. The result of the PWBR depicted that about 16.44 % (2,377 households) fall under the category of well-off; 35.22% (5,092 households) in medium; and, 48.34% (6989 households) fall in the poor category.

After PWBR, there is sensitization on the need for implementing pro-poor activities in the CFUGs. It is also easier for them to implement these activities after the poor users are clearly identified. Based on the result of the PWBR, the program has provided some special support such as agro-based, forest-based and off-farm based income generating activities. Likewise, some resourceful CFUGs agreed to support poor households by mobilizing their group fund in pro- poor activities as well as distributing forest products in an equitable basis.

Issues and Challenges

• There is increased tendency of the UG members to put more members in the poor category with the hope of getting project and group support, • In some CFUGs, presence of poor household representatives was low during the PWBR exercise. It is because of lack of proper communication and lack of awareness of PGA among the poor households. • The PWBR has increased the expectation of the poor in terms of getting support to improve their livelihoods. However, there is less opportunity to invest resources to the poor users, particularly in the less resourceful UGs. Hence, there may be growing frustration among the poor for not receiving support even after being identified as poor.

Annual Performance Report 2008 7 2.1.4. Governance Literacy Class Among SAGUN program activities, Governance Literacy Classes (GLCs) have demonstrated as one of the most effective forum and mechanism for empowerment of the poor and women to claim their rights and fight against social injustice at the local and regional level, and increase their knowledge and awareness on good governance and other functional knowledge. To implement this activity effectively, special curricula were designed and developed by the SAGUN Program Team in consultation with the local people and it has been used as a resource material in the governance classes. These courses include health, environment, natural resources, civic education, rights of WDPs, human rights and peace building, governance, advocacy and other pertinent aspects for women's empowerment. The classes run for one day each week in which the participants focus on one subject and analyze pertinent issues surrounding the context. They prepare the advocacy plan accordingly and conduct advocacy Photo 2: Governance Literacy Class at Bungkot campaigns in other days for 16 weeks. Gorkha. Photo: TP During this reporting period, a total of 157 classes/centers have completed the 16 week curricula in Kailali Bardia, Banke, Lamjung, Gorkha, Dhading and Kanchenjunga Conservation Area. A total of 4,293 participants including 4,218 (98.3%) women, 864 Dalits (20.1%), 1,712 MJJs (39.9%) and 1,546 (36%) poor were enrolled in the GLC classes. A total of 3,985 participants or 92.83% completed the course and while some dropped out. The main reasons for drop outs are workload at home, lack of cooperation from family, out migration after marriage, pregnancy.

All the women who attended the GLC have formed Women Advocacy Forums (WAF) at the local level in order to continue the process they learned during 16 weeks. In Lamjung, Gorkha and Dhading, a network of these local forums as District Women Advocacy Forums (DWAF) have been formed likewise while these local level WAFs were affiliated with already existed DWAF in Banke, Bardia and Kailali districts which were also partners of GLC implementation.

The GLCs were facilitated by locally hired resource persons. A total of 84 facilitators including 69 women, 16 Dalits and 38 MJJs facilitated the GLCs. Usually a GLC was attended by 25-30 participants and ran for 16 weeks. Each week the participants discussed relevant issues like women’s empowerment, legal provisions in community forestry, user’s group fund, women advocacy forums, social discrimination, family planning, sexual and reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, etc. Each week the participants identified an important issue and prepared advocacy plans and advocated for positive changes. The major issues raised and the outcomes of the Governance Literacy Program are as follows: a. Women related Issues • Eliminate domestic violence against women, • Equal remuneration for the same work, • Eliminate the chhaupadi practice, • Increase women’s access to the VDC budget and to other service providers, • Women’s reproductive health and increase access to health services and information, • Felicitation of single women (widows) and increase social acceptance of their re-marriage, • Eliminate the Chhutiya practice prevailed in Tharu community. b. Social and Discrimination Related Issues

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• Caste discrimination and the elimination of untouchablity, • Eliminate the Jirayat and Bethbegari practices, • Effective educational management, • VDC support in the campaign to register births, deaths and marriages and issue citizenship certificates, • Sanitation of public places at village, • Control gambling and alcohol consumption. c. Community Forestry Related Issues • Implement pro-poor livelihood activities and equitable forest product distribution programs, • Increase women’s representation in EC’s key positions, • Conduct public hearing and public auditing (PHPA).

As a result of mass empowerment through the literacy classes, the participants of the GLC have collaborated with relevant stakeholders and advocated to sort out the issues. The major outcomes of the GLCs are as follows:

• Commitment from local stakeholders, including contractors, to pay equal wages for equal works in agricultural, brick making and other labor with the effort of the GLC participants. As a result, Rs 80-120 are paid to both men and women workers on equality basis. • 24 women got citizenship certificates from the name of their husbands, 182 children received birth registrations, 6 couples got their marriages registered, 3 death certificates were issued and 1 Photo-3 : Women Advocacy Forum members are person was registered as a migrant participating in the interaction meeting with CA candidates in Lamjung, in Bardia. Photo; MRM • Twenty nine women managed to continue to live in their homes during their menstruation period (Chau) against traditional discriminatory practices, otherwise women have to stay separately in a small and dirty hut (Chaupadi Goth). 5 women in Godavari(Kailali) destroyed chhaupadi huts in order to end this harmful tradition, • Women received VDC funds of Rs. 398,000 for women empowerment activities. Most of the VDCs have allocated between NRs 5,000 and 80,000, • The participants of the GLC formed local level advocacy forum in each of the GLC centers aiming to continue the advocacy functions regularly. Representatives from each centre form a district level advocacy forum. Three such district level advocacy forums were formed in Lamjung, Gorkha and Dhading districts during this reporting period, • All the district level Women Advocacy Forums have establish their link with national level women networks and popular education networks and engaged in interaction with CA members. • One of the major outcomes of the GLC is to create awareness among the local people about the Constitutional Assembly Election – its concept, importance and process, and getting commitments from the candidates to ensure the rights of women, Dalits, MJJs and poor in the forthcoming constitution of Nepal,

Annual Performance Report 2008 9 • Dalits and poor children in particular were not or rarely attending school in the 11 centers. The women met with the children and their parents and started campaigning on the issue. 6 centers together provided funds to buy pens, notebooks and uniforms for 7 ultra poor children, • 47 households have installed improved cooking stove after participating in the GLC, • A total 1195 households constructed pit-latrines to improve the household sanitation and hygiene, • GLC graduates of three CFUGs in Dhading stopped eating of carcass, • A total of 61 single women were felicitated with red colored Tika and clothes, and one single woman who remarried was also felicitated to promote this practice, • Balighare Pratha (Patron client relationship system) as part of a feudal system was abolished and an reasonable remuneration was fixed for different items that were produced by the poor blacksmiths in Lamjung district, • 32 GLC participants celebrated International Women's Day with a campaign to ensure women’s rights.

2.1.5. Public Hearing and Public Auditing (PHPA): PHPA is totally a participatory process in which general members critically discuss, question and examine the activities planned and implemented by EC members as well as the fund mobilized for different activities such as pro-poor, community forestry and community development activities over a period of time. Therefore, PHPA has been very instrumental for ensuring rights of all user groups in the collective management of natural resources as well as for maintaining transparency in different activities of the EC. Photo 4: PHPA by CBOs at Raha VDC, Dolpo

During this reporting period, a total of 565 events of PHPA were conducted in the UGs in Kailali, Bardia, Banke, Lamjung, Gorkha, Dhading, SPNPBZ, LNPBZ and KCA against the target of 547. A total of 45,237 participants including 20,428 women, 4,727 Dalits, 21,345 MJJs and 13,753 poor participated in the PHPA events. The process of PHPA is gradually becoming institutionalized in the UGs as they have build up their confidence and begun to practice it on their own. Some of the common concerns raised by the Photo 5: PHPA in Sital Chaya CFUG, Banke participants during the PHPA include: district. Photo: LNA

• Equitable distribution of forest products, costs and benefits, • Timely renewal of forest operational plan and constitution, • Wider circulation of major decisions made by the UG Committee, • Subsidized rate of interest for the poor households, • Reshuffle of inactive EC members and make EC more inclusive with representation of women, Dalits and MJJs, • Mobilization of group fund for pro-poor activities, • Address illegal collection of forest products,

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• Repaying of loan both by the general members and executive committees, • Transparency in group fund mobilization, • Regular punishment for the illegal collection of forest products, • Implementation of pro-poor activities, • Recovery of misappropriated fund and fund committed for recovery.

Major outcomes of the PHPA

• 196 UGs have reshuffled their executive committees with increased representation of women, Dalit and poor. As a result, representation of women, Dalits, and poor increased from 46.9 to 48.85%; 9.7 to 11.24 % and 26.4 to 3074 % respectively, • One of the significant achievements of the PHPA is its contribution towards anti- corruption drive in the CFUGs. The persons who have misused the fund are publicly questioned, asked to repay or to face appropriate action. As a result of PHPA, both EC and general members either repay or make a commitment to refund the misused fund in an appropriate timeframe agreed by the general assembly. A total of Rs. 623,288 including last years committed, and this year 349,477 (15.33%) was recovered out of Rs. 2'280,276. Further, commitment to repay Rs. 1807560 was made by EC members and general users from 96 UGs, • A total of Rs. 2,844,222 has been allocated to 1002 poor households in 100 UGs in pro- poor activities, • Increased transparency of budget and programs by the executive committees, • Increased awareness on the roles and responsibilities of the EC members and general users, • Regularization of EC meetings, • Improved financial record keeping system, • Amendment of group constitutions by some groups after conducting the PHPA to make them inclusive and pro-poor.

2.1.6. FOP Renewal A total of 126 FOPs out of a total target of 116 FOPs and the constitution were revised and renewed in Gorkha, Lamjung, Dhading Districts, SPNP BZ and LNP BZ during this reporting period. A joint effort was made by the Local Resource Persons (LRP), District Forest Office and SAGUN Team in order to prepare and revise the FOPs and the constitution from the SAGUN Program perspective, resulting in more progressive FOPs from governance, livelihoods and biodiversity conservation point of view. Silviculture operations like natural regeneration, thinning, pruning and sustainable harvesting of forest products were included in the FOPs. The revised FOPs have mandatory provisions of PHPA, PGA, PWBR and other important provisions of representation of women (at least 33%), Dalits, MJJs and poor in key decision making positions and allocation of 25% of the total group fund for pro-poor activities. In addition, provisions such as subsidy to poor households in forest products (timber, fuelwood, fodder and poles), scholarships to poor students, and grant for income generating activities to poor users were also included in most of the revised FOPs. Such participatory FOP preparation has helped to increase ownership feeling of FOPs among women, Dalit, MJJs and other socially marginalized groups.

2.1.7 Capacity Building Program for CFUGs through Training/Workshops A total of 407 (109%) events of 9 different types of capacity building activities against the target of 372 were conducted in the program areas. These capacity building activities includes training and workshops on group and financial management, good governance, GED, social inclusion and peace building, orientation to UGs on service delivery system of CSOs and GLAs, constitution

Annual Performance Report 2008 11 and FOP orientations, training on fund mobilization, livelihood improvement plan (LIP) preparation, community forests management, leadership development, exposure visit and study tour to the women, Dalits, MJJs and poor members of CSOs and CFUGs. These capacity building activities were implemented at field as well as district levels, which remained highly interactive and practical. Program staffs, LRPs, partner staff, and GLAs staff facilitated these capacity building activities. Duration of capacity building training and workshop ranges from one day to three days. The target participants selected for capacity building based on field experiences of partners, LRPs and program staffs. All these activities were completed with post evaluation and preparation of action plans in order to translate their learnings from the capacity building into actions.

After completion of the capacity building activities, CSOs and CFUG members have developed understanding on the concepts of governance, GED, social inclusion, sensitized on their (users) rights, service delivery mechanism of various CSOs and GLAs, good governance, GED and social inclusion. In addition, these participants managed to identify various issues for advocacy and developed their action plans for improvement of their actions and strengthen accountability of the service providers and responsibility bearer. Similarly, the workshops on service delivery mechanism provided a good forum for the representatives of different service providing institutions with users/right holders to share information about their programs, budget and service delivery mechanisms of their organizations. Altogether, 15,103 users participated in the above capacity building activities including 8,933 (59%) women, 2,190 (14.5%) Dalits, 7,710 (51%) MJJ and 4,688 (31%) poor. These data shows an encouraging level of participation of these target groups of the program in the capacity building training.

2.1.8. Social Campaign During the reporting period, 16 events of social campaign were conducted to empower women, Dalits, poor and MJJs for imparting their knowledge and awareness on different issues- environmental awareness, social discrimination, rights on Constitutional Assembly, etc in Kailali, Lamjung and Dhading districts and SPNP BZ, LNP BZ and KCA. In all these events altogether 2248 participants including 1622 women, 308 Dalits, 359 MJJ and 309 poor participated in the campaign. The main events included in the campaigns are: workshop on Constitution Assembly (CA); social campaign on the access of women in forest, environment, education, income and employment opportunity on the occasion of 98th Women's day through lok geet ( folk songs) and baktitwakala (Elocution program) competition; raising awareness among the women, Dalits, poor and MJJ on the importance of sanitation and hygiene; radio program on Teej Geet competition on raising awareness on "Girls trafficking Photo-6: Social Campaign on CA at Maidi VDC. Photo: and HIV Aids" with support of Radio RIMS team Dhading in partnership with RIMS Nepal SAGUN Program, Students Partnership Worldwide (SPW), United Mission to Nepal (UMN); and awareness program on the role of women in community development. These events were conducted in collaboration with CSOs, VDCs, local NGOs, and INGOs of the area. As a result most of the participants identified their roles, responsibilities, opportunities and constraints in the participation of community development activities.

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Objective 2: To enhance and diversify livelihood options for the poor for their economic empowerment - through focused livelihood improvement and increased access to and control over forest resources, with special reference to women, Dalits and poor

The major outcomes from the program have clearly shown that improved livelihoods component has close linkages to increase meaningful participation of the women, Dalit, poor and MJJs and strengthen governance in natural resource management including bio-diversity conservation and empower them for their economic rights. Hence, livelihoods improvement has been as one of the key components of the program. During this reporting period, some major livelihood improvement activities like enhance and diversification of livelihoods options of poor and ultra poor households which include skill based training to implement on farm and off-farm based IGAs, small scale community grant support and support for community based enterprises development for strengthening livelihoods assets for poverty reduction, support for revolving fund and saving/credit cooperatives, implementation of IGAs, baseline survey of poor households, guidelines for LIP development, orientation training on LIP preparation, training on linkage to markets and private sector, impact assessment of LIP and implementation and active forest management for optimized biomass extraction for livelihoods were implemented in the program districts. As a result, a total number of 983 (115%) events under 15 different activities have been conducted against the target of 853 events under this objective within the allocated budget. A total number of 21,445 beneficiaries including 10,681 women, 2,943 Dalits, 10,840 MJJs and 8,657 poor participated in various activities related to livelihoods improvement. A total of NRs. 1,904,150 has been mobilized for livelihood improvement program, which includes grant from program partners equivalent to NRs. 933,000 and matching fund from CFUGs/group equivalent to NRs. 971,150. The following are the activities implemented and outcomes of the component:

2.2.1. Small Scale Community Grant Support for Strengthening Livelihoods Assets of the Poor Livelihoods improvement activity was implemented through approved livelihoods improvement plans (LIPs); mobilization of revolving fund, community based enterprise development, skill based training, strengthening of ongoing IGAs. The main objective of LIP is to enhance and diversify livelihood options of poor households for their livelihood improvement through implementation of different livelihood improvement activities and increase access to and control over forest resources in collaboration with CFUGs/UGs and mobilization of LRPs.

Above mentioned livelihoods improvement activities were conducted in Banke, Bardia, Kailali, Gorkha, Lamjung, Dhading districts, LNP BZ, SNP BZ and KCA. The CFUGs/UGs are increasingly providing matching funds to support the poor households identified through PWBR. A total of 280 poor households from 49 CFUGs were provided support for specific planned activities at household level while 279 households of SNP BZ, LNP BZ, and KCA were also supported through various livelihoods Photo 7: A poor household generating income improvement activities both at household and through blacksmith work Birkhepani CFUG, group level. Gorkha.

Annual Performance Report 2008 13 The major activities conducted at household level includes on-farm and off-farm based IGAs i.e. goat and buffalo raising, piggery, poultry, pigeon farming, rickshaw pulling, tailoring, cosmetic shop, grocery, bicycle repairing, vegetable production, tea shops, iron workshop(Aran), carpentry, meat shop, hatchery, knitting and weaving etc. The group level activities were; resin tapping, broom grass cultivation, revolving fund, water mill, chiraito cultivation; training on enterprise development of Seabuckhtorn juice, market linkage/entrepreneurship development of Charaito. Support was also provided for physical infrastructures development i.e. trail maintenance, school building renovation; construction of sub-health post, tourists check-post and police posts in KCA. The amount of grant has been managed from SAGUN program partners matching fund, matching fund from UGs. The total fund mobilized for planned household level activities are presented below (Table-1). In Kailali, Bardia, Banke, Lamjung and Gorkha this fund was mobilized for LIP, where as in Dhading and LNP BZ, fund was mobilized partly for LIP and partly for IGAs, and establishment of revolving fund. Table 1: Small scale community grants livelihood program Districts No of Total no of Fund from CFUGs households CARE,RIMS Matching fund Total fund and WWF in from UGs in mobilized in NRs. NRs. NRs. Banke 9 62 190,000.00 449,000.00 639,000.00 Bardia 5 31 150,000.00 190,000.00 340,000.00 Kailali 6 34 150,000.00 135,000.00 285,000.00 Gorkha 5 31 150,000.00 52,000.00 202,000.00 Lamjung 3 20 90,000.00 28,000.00 118,000.00 Dhading 16 71 140,000.00 27,650.00 167,650.00

LNP BZ 5 31 63,000.00 89,500.00 152,500.00 49 280 933,000.00 971,150.00 1,904,150.00

While selecting the households for livelihood improvement activities, priority was given to Dalit, single women, poor and MJJ of the user group as identified by PWBR. The following are some of the initiations to enhance IGAs in the Program areas: a. Support to community based enterprise development During this reporting period, enterprise like Bamboo goods production and marketing in Bardia; Chiraito in LNP BZ, development of Seabucktorn juice in SPNP BZ, water mill and raisin tapping in Dhading were supported.

Bamboo goods production and marketing has been managed by NTFP cooperative in partnership with four CFUGs involving 15 poor households in Bardia. These households have been weaving bamboo crafts like: Doko, Chhitwa/Chhitni, Kokro, Chhatri, Dhakiya, Dalo, Java, Tokari etc which are marketed by the Cooperative. The average income generated by poor household is NRs. 2,000 per month.

In KCA, as part of enterprise development of NTFP, Kutki (Neopicrorhiza Photo 8: Essential oil enterprise in Ghunsa schrophulariiflora), Chiraito (Swertia chirayita), Lauth Salla (Taxus baccata), Essential Oils (Juniper, Anthopogon, etc.), semi-processed bark of Argeli - Edgeworthia gardenerii) market linkage was developed between the producers/collectors, and buyers/herbal companies i.e. DABUR Nepal; Mahabir Shree International, Kathmandu;

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KANPOU Nepal; HPPCL, etc. As result of this, 50 Kg of Juniper oil at the rate of NRs. 2300.00 has been sold by producers and market information system has been regularized in partnership with Taplejung Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Similarly, as part of market linkage/entrepreneurship development, Chiraito production and marketing in LNP BZ production of Seabuckthorn juice in SPNP BZ was supported. There were altogether 66 participants including 27 women and Dalits. In LNP BZ, a nursery with an annual capacity of more than 300,000 seedling production of Swertia chirayita was established. Seeing the potential market of this medicinal plant in national and international market, farmers of the buffer zone are motivated to cultivate this plant in their farm land benefiting 130 poor households. Royalty Rate Doubled In Dhading, community based Resin tapping is one of the potential forest based income resin tapping has been supported generating activities in the mid-hills of Nepal. SAGUN through review and interaction of Program in Dhading started community based resin network and materials like nitric tapping program for livelihood support of poor users of acid and sulphuric acid were CFUGs adopted for the first time in Nepal. The project provided. A total of 32484 Kgs of facilitated the community people to lead from collection Resin has been collected. Support to marketing of resin product. Because of the SAGUN for improved Ghatta (water mill) Program support, the communities were able to sell the benefited 41 poor households. resin product at the rate 25/kg which is a breakthrough in

the resin market. Prior to the project inception, CFUGs

were getting Rs 3/kg from the contractors. b. Skill based training to implement IGAs This pilot project provided strong field-based evidences A total of nine poor women and for policy advocacy to increase the royalty rate of resin. Chepang men of Lamjung and SAGUN team jointly with FECOFUN raised this issue for Dhading were supported to policy review. The government has recently revised the enhance their skill to improve royalty rate of forest products. The rate for resin has been their livelihoods i.e on Bee increased from Rs 3/kg to Rs 6/kg. This would bring a Keeping, Poultry farming and great return to the communities. It has been considered as tailoring. After completion of one of the achievements of SAGUN Program in policy training, these participants were supported with bee hives, sewing machine and poultry pet to bring their skill into action for their livelihood improvement.

Opportunity • Linkages with organizations like VDCs, Cooperatives for resource leverage and traders and herbal companies for market linkage, • Identification of potential areas for more income generation, • Creation of conducive environment for health improvement • Equitable distribution of benefits and costs, subsidy in forest products • Good forum for learning and experience sharing Threat: • Increased work load to women to some extent • Susceptible to diseases affecting livestock health

2.2.2. Capacity building activities. Capacity building activities include orientation training on LIP preparation and development, training on linkage and market development. These capacity building training were conducted for Executive members of CFUGs and LRPs and other stakeholders. A total of 54 events against the target of 43 were completed in Kailali, Bardia Banke, Lamjung, Gorkha, and Dhading districts, SPNP BZ, LNPBZ, and KCA. In orientation training on LIP preparation and development the

Annual Performance Report 2008 15 participants were provided with concept of LIP, sustainable livelihoods framework with knowledge on livelihoods assets. The participants managed to visit the poor households and planned to implement LIPs to have thorough interaction with the household members, for deeper understanding of their socio-economic conditions, situation of domestic violence, potential livelihoods options etc. The interaction with the household members provided a good opportunity for the participants to exercise jointly on the process of LIP preparation and discuss on the issues and concerns. After completion of the training, 48 CFUGs level LIPs and 3 project (SNP BZ, LNP BZ and KCA) level LIPs were prepared to contribute and institutionalize the livelihood improvement process. Similarly, orientation training on market linkage enabled collectors, producers and entrepreneurs to enhance market information and develop linkages with traders and herbal companies. A total of 5695 participants including 2846 women, 804 Dalits, 2817 MJJs and 2527 poor households participated in those capacity building activities.

Photo 9: A poor user group member of Sittal Photo 10: Bamboo Good Produced by Sittal Chaya Chaya CFUG is weavubg bamboo basket, Banke CFUG, Banke 2008.

2.2.3. Active Forest Management During the reporting period, 31 events of CF Management training to LRPs and CFUGs were conducted. Similarly, GLC participants were also oriented on CF management and its benefits to users. This activity led to accomplish 509 events of active forest management by 638 CFUGs of Kailali, Banke, Baridya, Gorkha, Lamjung, Dhading districts, buffer zones of SPNP, LNP, and KCA with active support of LRPs and program staff. A total of 11,750 forest users including 6,714 women, 1,610 Dalits, 5,068 MJJs and 4,483 poor took part in forest management. As a result, a total of 49,095 hectares forest area have been actively managed to increase biomass productivity and fulfill the basic requirements of timber, poles, fuel wood, thatches and fodder. Activities like thinning, pruning, weeding, singling and cleaning were the major silvicultural operations carried out as part of active forest management prescribed in the FOPs.

During the reporting period, a total of 32,388 mt of biomass was harvested against the target of 33,501 mt. from active forest management. This constitutes 9,470 mt. timber, 1289 mt. poles, 12,445 mt. fuelwood, 4,408 mt. thatches, 3,911 mt. fodder and 864 mt. NTFPs. All CFUGs who used active forest management have distributed the forest products on equitable basis as per households need and socio-economic condition of the CFUG members. For example, poorer households were provided with more fuelwood to meet their requirements.

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2.2.4. Impact Assessment of LIP implementation A baseline survey was conducted in 2007 in 45 CFUGs covering 287 poor households in Banke, Bardia, Kailali, Gorkha and Lamjung districts. The main objective of the survey was to fix baselines on the existing status of livelihoods i.e. human, physical, natural, social and financial and the ability of poor/ultra poor households to cope up and resist with risks, vulnerability and hazards prior to implementation of LIPs. In this reporting period, as a follow up of the baseline survey, an impact assessment of LIP implementation was conducted covering 39 households as sample out of 287 households. The followings are some major outcomes of the assessment: Photo 11: Fuelwood production under Active Forest • Institutional Affiliation: Affiliation Management, Banke CFUG CFUG. of poorer households with Saving Credit group has increased from 24% to 51%; with Women’s' group increased from 3% to 41%; with Mothers' group increased from 8% to 23%; affiliation with Land Rights' Forum has also increased from 1 % to 10%; affiliation with Women Advocacy Forum has increased from 1% to 15%. Similarly, affiliations of poorer households with new groups like poor people’s forum and Rickshaw union have been initiated to secure and promote their rights. • Access to service providers: Poorer households' access to VDCs increased from 54 % to 92%. Access to resources like scholarship, stationery, dress from CFUGs and schools increased from 2% to 69%. Similarly, their access to Agricultural Service Centers and Livestock Services Center increased from 3% to 13% and 8% to 13 % respectively for input supply and technical support. • Reduction in discrimination in labor wage rates of men and women: During baseline study average labor wage rate difference between men and women in construction work and agriculture were: NRs. 95, and NRs. 46 respectively which were reduced to NRs. 60 and NRs. 33 respectively. • Status of physical asset: There is improvement in construction and repairing of physical assets: 13% households constructed new house while 36% had repaired old houses. Likewise, 18% households have drinking water facility in place while 15% households have electricity connected. During baseline survey 31% households had their electricity connected from their neighbors, 41.8% had access to water supply and house construction/maintenance had not taken place. • Status of IGAs: Average income of poor household prior to LIP implementation was NRs. 23,851 per year. The average annual income through LIP implementation alone within 15 months (January 2007 to June 2008) is NRs. 27,624. Among IGAs the most successful ones are grocery, tailoring carpentry, poultry, rickshaw and hair cutting. • Loan repayment: LIP implementing CFUGs have disbursed support fund to poor households for LIP implementation in the form of grant, partial grant and loan without interest and flexible time. Study found 16 % households have partially returned their loan to CFUGs. The provision of loan by CFUG to poor household increased from 4.7% to 92 %. Prior to LIP implementation, 66% households had loan with only 1% paying it off; loan paying has been done by 38% households after LIP implementation. • Equitable distribution of forest product: With LIP implementation 67% households got 100% discount in different forest products, 15 % households got 50 to 80% discount while 28 % households get 1 to 49% discount. During baseline survey 100% discount was levied only on grass with 16 % households access.

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The changes of livelihoods status of poor households are also result of GLC which are conducted in some areas where LIPs have been implemented.

Findings and learning from this assessment are very crucial because they navigate to increase effectiveness of livelihood program. Therefore, these findings will be incorporated in the SAGUN extension period for designing appropriate interventions.

2.2.5. Problems and Challenges The lengthy preparatory phase, the process of selecting viable income generating activities that were able to generate quick returns, making CFUG members comprehend overall concept of LIP was very time consuming. Once the LIPs were implemented, problems such as illiterate households not being able to follow their LIPs and business schemes and some of them showing poor commitment towards the program were among the issues faced. Further details of the challenges that were encountered are as follows:

• Because of limited resources, it was only possible to select a few households for the LIP program. As a result, tensions developed between CFUG members and non-beneficiary poor households where numbers of poor households was very big within the CFUGs.

• Since the financial situation of the CFUGs in the hilly districts are relatively weak as compared to other CFUGs of Terai districts, the task of accumulating sufficient funds for the LIP initiative and distributing funds for LIP implementation was big a challenge for the program.

• Many households set up retailshops and meat shops but since most of the customers ended up making purchases on credit, this had an effect on the profitability of the activities.

• Some LIP household members selected for LIP intiatives left Nepal to work in overseas which prevented LIPs from being implemented as planned. Sometimes, a PWBR ranking exercise had to be conducted again in order to select poorer household for replacement. Obviosuly, this caused some delay in program activities in some areas.

2.2.6. Lessons learned

• With limited resources available, the LIP program did not allow for large initiatives. Although the households and CFUGs were limited to small activities, those that worked hard and followed their LIP and business schemes were neverthelss able to show good results.

• Income generating activities that generate quick profits were found to be more effective than more drawn-out ventures. Such activities also boosted the confidence of the LIP simplementing households who have emerged as examples for other households to try and emulate.

• The same CFUGs that used to implement high-interest loans under their poverty reduction programs have been agreeable to implementing the interest-free LIP initiative, following several rounds of discussion and awareness-raising sessions with SAGUN staff. This is considered to have been a major achievement in terms of increasing CFUG accountability towards poor people, broadening their understandings of livelihoods and consensus-building across the CFUGs.

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• Since the program worked through the group fund, this generated a sense of ownership among the CFUGs who maintained an active interest in LIP developments and achivements throughout the process.

• Several households paid back their loans on time, which strengthened feelings of trust between them and other CFUG members. As the households became freed of their loans, the CFUGs too realized the need to reexamine their perceptions about the poor and became more motivated to further facilitate programs such as this in the future.

• By providing selected households with additional IGA related trainings and facilitating their increased interaction with services providers in the future and the effectiveness of the LIP- supported initiatives is very likely to increase.

Objective 3: To conserve and sustainable manage biodiversity by reducing threats to biologically significant areas through strengthened people-centered approaches.

A total number of 28 (165%) events under 5 different activities have been conducted against the target of 17 events under this objective. A total number of 2,374 beneficiaries including 964 (40.6%) women, 230 (9.7%) Dalits, 894 (37.7%) MJJs and 393 (16.6%) poor have participated in various activities related to biodiversity conservation.

Major activities conducted under this objective during this reporting period include supporting CFUGs to conduct biodiversity monitoring in CF, identify and initiate management in forest areas, development/update of snow leopard habitat map (GIS based) and conduct herder's education awareness program. Major highlights of the progress are presented below:

2.3.1. Support CFUGs to Conduct Biodiversity Monitoring in Community Forests It has been widely realized that biodiversity within community forests has been conserved and species richness has been increased as a result of community based forest management. Forest users are also becoming aware about the biodiversity status of their forests and need for conservation which has been reflected in the FOPs. Participatory biodiversity monitoring (PBM) is one of the important tools designated

Photo 12: CFUGs registering biodiversity, to build upon and strengthen existing community based monitoring of biodiversity in CF areas. As such these guidelines have been concentrated to provide better methodology, to identify and assess the status of floral and faunal species and its habitat, ecosystem and its threats and overcome strategy. It gives a systematic idea for what to measure (criteria and indicators), who will do it and how to measure and analyze them (methods, tools, frequency Photo 13: CFUG members in CF monitoring bio- and analysis. The criteria focus on key diversity, Kanchenjungha biodiversity features (e.g. species, habitats,

Annual Performance Report 2008 19 ecological functions/ecosystem) and value types (high nature conservation, socio-economic and cultural values) of CF, PAs and conservation area.

During this reporting period PBM has been conducted in 21 CFUGs in Kailali, Banke, Bardia, Lamjung, Gorkha and Dhading districts, where CFUGs have been provided with necessary skills in biodiversity monitoring. Similarly, PBM was conducted in 3 BZCFUGs of SPNP and LNP buffer zones and KCA to cover different ecological/topographical zones to understand dynamics, issues and challenges of biodiversity monitoring/conservation. Participatory biodiversity monitoring inside community forest was conducted by CFUG members with the support of LRPs. For this, one local resource person was hired to conduct regular biodiversity monitoring. Permanent transect lines and sample plots have been marked in all the CFs. Then each CFUG was provided with the community biodiversity register developed by the Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation for the PBM information collection. A total of 1,518 users including 555 women, 113 Dalits, 709 MJJs and 320 poor took part in the monitoring process. The participating members of CFUGs were also oriented on standard guidelines such as monitoring techniques, formats and reporting methods, and transects line and permanent plots were established as part of the orientation program. After completion of PBM, outcomes of the monitoring were shared among executive committees and users. So far, the CFUGs have managed to record the following floral and faunal species and changes in biodiversity in the SAGUN program districts, PAs and conservation area:

In Gorkha, 9 Species of mammals, 24 Species of birds and 56 floral species were found in Amdanda CFUG. Similarly, 16 Species of mammals, 30 Species of birds and 68 floral species were found in Palung Gaira CFUG.

In Kailali biodiversity was monitored in Dewariya CFUG, to date the following changes have been observed so far: 1. Bird species has been increased from 20 to 23. The three new species were owls like Lato kohsero/Ullu, Huttityau and Kokalet. It was assumed that these owl species were observed due to seasonal migration in the area. 2. There is no any change in wild animals. Eight different species of wild animals were recorded during the first year of participatory biodiversity monitoring. 3. The tortoise (Kachhuwa) species have been increased from three to four.

• In Banke, 7 species of wild animals, 8 species of birds were recorded in Mahila Upakar CFUG and 9 species of wild animals, 8 species of birds were recorded in Chauri Danda CFUG respectively.

• Like wise, in Bardia 8 species of birds and 6 species of wild animals were recorded in Ayodhya Phanta CFUG and 3 species of wild animals, 14 species of birds were counted in Radha Krishna Ram Janaki CFUG.

• In Lamjung, Chautari CFUG, Duradanda recorded 10 species of wild animals, 24 species of birds and 2 reptiles were observed during the participatory biodiversity monitoring. Similarly, in Shreejan CFUG, 5 wild animals, one reptile and 20 birds were noticed.

• In Dhading district, the outcomes from PBM are still in the process of documentation.

• In SPNP BZ, which represents unique and vast collection of rare and endangered floral and fauna species of the Trans Himalayan Ecosystem, the User Groups developed and implemented Community-Based Bio-diversity Monitoring plan to track the changes in biodiversity status ensuring people’s participation in sustainable resource use, which also helped the UGs providing a platform for negotiation on access and intellectual property rights of biodiversity. The PBM plan was focused on key biodiversity features (species, habitats,

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ecological functions/ecosystem) and types (high nature conservation, socio-economic and cultural values) of SPNP. Snow leopards, Musk deer, Blue sheep Yarchakumbhu, Jatamasi, Pachaunle are in priority list of the plan.

In KCA, the CFUG, forest watchers and LRPs carried out PBM as shown in Photo-13 with support of SAGUN Program. Some of the CFUGs like Dorangyabo-Phalekabas, Lungthung, Patale recruited the Forest Guards (Ban Heralu) for regular monitoring of the forests.

In conclusion, PBM has seen by the user groups as a promising concept in supplementing monitoring by specialists for a number of reasons, and is mainly defined through its output as product and process. This process is faster, easier, cheaper, and sustainable than traditional scientific monitoring. Also increase in awareness and sense of ownership among local resource users and become empowered. Likewise, this process provides a platform of negotiations on access and rights of local community on bio-diversity. Therefore some CFUGs have also developed a mechanism to share information from PBM during their UG’s monthly meeting. Dewariya CFUG in Kailali district has managed a meeting every three months interval specially to share the PBM results among general users.

2.3.2. Initiatiation of Active Forest Management Active forest management has been identified and initiated as one of the ways to conserve biodiversity inside the forest at landscape level in SPNP BZ in Dolpa, LNP BZ and KCA. There are many degraded range and pasture lands both in BZ areas and KCA. The restoration of these degraded sites need an intensive care and this can be achieved successfully through the promotion of indigenous knowledge of the community. A total of 185 hectares of forest has been identified and managed under this active forest management. A number of silviculture operations and management activities such as thinning, cleaning, pruning, selection felling, equitable sharing of benefits and resources, in-situ and ex-situ conservation and management of NTFPs, and forest protection were conducted. As a result, Grihalaxmi sister group of Chala in Pahada VDC have been actively involved in the protection of 50 hectares of degraded Seabuckthorn forest for regeneration and restoration of the forest. Livestock grazing have been strictly prohibited and the cut down of the trees for fuel wood and other general purpose have been controlled by the sister group. Apart form the restoration of the degraded site, it was anticipated that this would support 64 HHs through income generation activities.

In LNP BZ, Saubari buffer zone community forest of Laharepauwa VDC of Langtang National Park initiated to cultivate Charito inside the community forest. For this, members of community forests had sown seed of Charito through control burning in 20 hectares out of 141 hectares forest under the supervision of Park Ranger and community members.

Similarly in KCA, a seed fund was established under four CFUGs in order to initiate forests management practices and activities as identified. Major identified activities included the plantation and transplantation in the degraded areas within the community forests, forest monitoring, forest watcher etc. It is expected that this fund can be mobilized among the users in low interest rate (in income generation activities such as NTFPs, agro-forestry, piggeries, goat raising, etc.) and fund generated through interests can be used by CFUGs on regular forests monitoring and recruit a forests watcher. This kind of support has been instrumental in mobilizing the communities towards regular forests monitoring and implementation of activities as identified by the action plan. This support activity is expected for better community management of over 5,000 ha of community forests areas. Details of seed fund for Community Forests Management support to CFUGs is in Table-2

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Table 2: Details of seed fund for Community Forests Management support to CFUGs

SN CCFUG Address Area (Ha.) HHs Seed Remarks Fund 1. Sumdho Lelep – 8 (Gyabla 5018.9 21 41,000 Forest Hanspokhari and Lhose) management and monitoring 2. Dobate Lelep – 1, 2 & 3 187.9 51 45,200 Forest management and monitoring 3. Lukumba Tapethok VDC - 6 442 31 30,000 Forest Phulbari management and monitoring 4. Guranse Lelep – 1 22.9 102 35,000 Forest management and monitoring TOTAL 5671.7 205 1,51,200

2.3.3. Development/update of Snow Leopard Habitat map (GIS-Based) In LNP, Snow leopard inhabits the main Himalayan chain along the Tibetan border in Nepal. Based on its potential habitats there are reports on the species occurrence inside and outside of many others Protected Areas (PAs). Snow leopards are protected by the National Park and Wildlife Conservation Act 1973. It is listed as endangered species in IUCN Red Data Book and Appendix I category of the CITES. This study is conducted with an aim to find the presence/absence of Snow Leopard in Panch Pokhari Valley in Sindhupalchowk of LNP BZ and also to identify opportunities/challenges on conserving Snow Leopard. During the study, the total of 26 transect were placed covering a total distance of 9.39 km. Livestock depredation pattern was also studied in three villages, namely, Tembathan, Dipu and Tega involving 53 HHs. Neither Snow Leopard signs nor incidence of livestock depredation were found during the study. Intense hunting by the people of Tembathan, Dipu, Bhotang and Tega villages, lack of park authorities, lack of conservation measures and low level of awareness, lack of social norms relating to wildlife conservation are some of the conservation challenges noticed in the Panch Pokhari Valley. Though Snow Leopard was not found during the study period there are chances that it re- inhabits the area, but this will require massive conservation efforts from concerned authorities.

In KCAP, Snow leopard monitoring was conducted by 6 SLCC members and local experts established eleven transects in Ghunsa valley for 13 days. The analysis of the monitoring data revealed that the sign density of snow leopard was found to be 5 per square km on the basis of 11 transects monitoring. Subsequently after the monitoring, six LRPs from Ghunsa, Walangchung Gola and Yamphudin were trained to survey and monitor snow leopards, their prey species, poaching activities, SLIMS and objectives of its implementation in the area. During the survey, a team also captured a photograph of Photo 14: Snow Leopard spotted in the transect snow leopard in Lhonak area shown in the Photo survey in Ghunsa 14. In addition to this study, database and mapping

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of critical forest area in the LNPBZ has been prepared, forest classification database of the SPNP BZ and the KCA has been reviewed and updated, and forest cover change has been determined in the KCA.

2.3.4. Establish Community Based Livestock Insurance Scheme Protected and conservation areas are prone to high incidences of livestock depredation causing human to take actions such as retaliatory killing. Such actions could be potential hazard for long term biodiversity conservation. Livestock insurance scheme has been taken as a step towards the mitigation of human wildlife conflict. It is expected that once the communities receive compensation through this insurance scheme, threat to wildlife will be comparatively reduced. During the reporting period, Community Based Livestock Insurance Scheme was continued in the upper Dolpa district where main occupation of the people was livestock rearing. Unfortunately, people were facing a significant economic loss every year due to snow leopard depredation. The community–based livestock insurance scheme was initiated in Saldang VDC, Dolpa, where the depredation rate was found to be higher next to in Vijer VDC. The main objective of the insurance scheme was to compensate the locals affected, who were suffering economic loss due to wildlife damage. In the initial stage, local communities were made aware on importance of snow leopard conservation and the insurance scheme. As a result, a total of 150 households in the VDC have registered their cattle for insurance. The scheme was managed by the Saldang SLCC. The SLCC has collected the premium fund from all the households as the registration charge of the cattle. The interest that was generated from the capital fund and the premium generated would be provided as the insurance of the livestock. Under this scheme all the cattle were registered except goat, sheep and horse. For the efficient operation of the scheme, the SLCC had developed guidelines in consultation with the Program. SPNP will be monitoring overall activities of the scheme.

2.3.5. Conduct Herder’s Education and Awareness Programs Human-wildlife conflict is pronounced in SPNP and KCA due to favorable habitat of wild animals like snow leopards. Realizing the fact that increasing human-wildlife conflict might threat the existence of snow leopard in future, the following herder’s education and awareness programs were conducted in the SPNP and KCA:

• In Dolpa, a 10 days training for herders was conducted targeting two groups of herders who migrate from upper Dolpa to lower part during the winter. It focused on sensitizing the herders from predator rich pastures and oriented them to guard of livestock effectively. The total of 19 herders participated in the training which was facilitated by a community mobilizer of NMCP. There were 5 women and all are from MJJs and poor background. • In KCAP, three orientation programs were organized for the herders of Gyabla, Ghunsa/Phale, and Yangma while a 2 weeks long mobile herder's education classes were conducted in Yamphudin sector of KCA focusing on pastureland management and, management and sustainable harvest of medicinal and aromatic plants. During the orientation, conservation related videos were also shown, where possible and clarified their role in controlling poaching/hunting activities of Wildlife and NTFPs/MAPs, and conservation of snow leopard and relevancy of Livestock Insurance Scheme (LIS) to minimize human wildlife conflicts. Altogether 51 herders (14 women and all MJJs) Photo 15: Upper Dolpo women participating on participated and benefited from the program. In herder education program. addition, livestock veterinary health camp was conducted in five centers of KCA in co-ordination with the District Livestock Service Office and local vet technicians. The camp were fruitful which provided veterinary services to more than

Annual Performance Report 2008 23 2,500 livestock and 1,000 domesticated birds of over 250 HHs of Lelep, Walangchung Gola and Yamphudin VDCs.

However, according to a researcher from IoF the awareness campaign launched by KCA for the conservation of wild animals is not being effective. Villagers of four VDCs of the KCA are killing some endangered wild animals due to the increased threat from the wild animals. Therefore the researcher has suggested a need of proper program with incentives along with the awareness campaigns among the locals to encourage them to protect the endangered wild animals. (Source: The Kathmandu Post, 27 Oct. 2008. Vol. XVI No. 248.)

2.3.6. Major threats to biodiversity conservation and initiatives to reduce the threats in SAGUN Program area SAGUN assistance to reduce threats associated with biodiversity conservation and forests management, including tropical and sub-tropical forests in Nepal include over-exploitation of forest products and the illegal trade in wild animal products and plants, over grazing, deforestation, encroachment of forest area, forest fires, unsustainable harvesting of timber and non-timber forest products, and political and social conflicts related with access and control over forest resources. These are serious concerns in the management of parks, buffer zones forests, and community forests in Nepal. The high degree of poverty of forest users, hunger, and illiteracy, lack of awareness on health, sanitation and environmental issues, rapid population growths among rural communities poses further threats to tropical and sub-tropical forests management and biodiversity conservation in Nepal.

The SAGUN program assistance to build internal organizational capacity of community forestry user groups including buffer zone user groups and conservation area user councils; and their national, district, and sub-district level federations on good governance, livelihoods improvement, biodiversity conservation and policy advocacy helps to reduce these threats in one or another form. The following Table-3A, 3B, and 3C present the assessments of threats to Biodiversity Conservation in the three ecological zones of Nepal and measures adopted under the SAGUN Program and leverage from partners/donors:

Table 3A: Threats to Biodiversity Conservation in the High Himalayas, and Measures adopted under the SAGUN Program and leverage from partners/donors

Major Threats Measures Changes/ Outputs Unsustainable / over Initiation of active forest People have started harvesting harvesting (timber, management practices, forest products (timber/ firewood and NTFPs) incorporating the provisions firewood) as per approved forest of pro-poor silviculture operational plan and estimated operations in the FOP in volume / biomass. Scientific and order to promote sustainable rotational harvesting of NTFPs harvesting of forest products has been initiated with its as per the prescription of cultivation at private and in the forest inventory and proper degraded CF area allocated to the zoning of PAs poor for their livelihoods improvement, which has also Inventory of commercially helped to biodiversity threatened and important conservation. There is reduced NTFPs and development of firewood consumption as a result NTFPs Action Plan – of adoption of improved incorporating the same in alternative energy technologies. FOP Enhanced capacity of the CFUG members on forest management Development of practices inducing them towards participatory bio-diversity active CF management.

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monitoring guidelines, its orientation to the CF users and its implementation by them.

In-situ and ex-situ conservation of NTFPs,

Active mobilization of community based anti- poaching operation units and Forest Watchers.

Orientation training on forest management and monitoring to the Forest Watcher, herders, CFUG members, hoteliers, etc.

Promotion of alternative energy and efficient energy technologies such as micro- hydro, ICS, solar lighting panels, metal stoves, back boilers, solar hotpots, etc. in order to minimize firewood consumption

Development and mobilization of Local Resource Persons to facilitate sustainable harvesting practices Illegal poaching and Formation, institutionalization Increased participation of local hunting, illegal trade and mobilization of community people against illegal poaching/ based anti-poaching operation hunting and biodiversity units, wildlife monitoring, monitoring resulting to reduced preparation of forest number of such illegal activities classification and desktop like use of snares, traps, etc. monitoring database (GIS- Delineated the critical areas for based), development/ update of restoration, protection and snow leopard map (GIS-based), management of forest as part of informants network established improvement of wildlife habitat. and strengthened, enforcement People have started realizing of wildlife and forest Acts and increased bird and animal by-laws, cross border dialogue diversity in the CFs. and co-ordination, orientation training on CITES, wildlife monitoring to enforcement staff, local communities, police and army people Human-wildlife conflict Assessment of trend, extent of Conflict minimized. People started (due to crop and human wildlife conflicts, getting compensation for the loss livestock depredation of their crop and livestock as well and other incidents) Mapping of depredation as in human casualties / injuries,

Annual Performance Report 2008 25 hotspots, which has motivated them to support biodiversity (wildlife) Initiation of community based conservation activities livestock insurance schemes in high settlements where the case of livestock depredation is severe,

Establishment of bio and stone fencing in order to control entry of wildlife,

Promotion of unpalatable but economically beneficial crops such as Chiraito, broom grasses, cardamom, etc.

Establishment of relief fund to address conflict issues such as human casualties/ injuries, livestock and crop depredation, etc. Over-grazing Pastureland / Rangeland People started pasture Management Plan developed management and control of slash and implemented and burn, rotational and controlled grazing, which has Herders encouraged / motivated also contributed to bio-diversity to adopt rotational grazing conservation. practices and keeping productive livestock Minimum impacts on Rangeland eco-system Livestock veterinary health camps

Pastureland infrastructure developed to enhance rotational grazing

Herder's education and awareness campaigns

Forest Fire / Slash and Construction/maintenance of Reduced forest fire incidents, burn farming system fire line slash and burn farming system thereby improved forest Mobilization of Community management Based Anti-Poaching Operation Units/ members/forests watchers in dry seasons

Traditional slash and burn farming system is discouraged by introducing terrace improvement and cattle shed improvement

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Conservation education campaign (pestering, news airing on effect of fire on biodiversity through media)

Contradiction of Issue based interaction at Issue brought into public as one traditional rights and district level the major threat to bio-diversity / official rights forest conservation urgently to be (Kipatiyas) – Ownership Advocacy campaigns addressed pluralism Consultation with the Kipatiyas and political parties as well as local community members Unsustainable tourism Introduction of alternative People have started energy technologies and environmental friendly tourism measures such as micro-hydro, practices (e.g., using alternative kerosene depots, etc. energy sources instead of firewood) Mobilization of eco-youth clubs, mother groups for Enhanced capacity of local garbage and solid waste guides, porters and hoteliers on management, base-camp clean sustainable eco-tourism up campaigns management

Tourism Management Action Plan developed and implemented

Capacity building training focused to eco-tourism such as home stay, guide, porter

Information dissemination on sustainable eco-tourism through extension materials such as brochures, hording boards, leaflets, flyer, etc. Colonization of alien / Implementation of site level Reduced numbers of invasive invasive species range land management plan to species encourage endemic grasses with replacing invasive/unpalatable weeds/shrubs such as Berberis, Lantana, white clover etc

Political and social Participatory governance Improved governance status of conflicts related with assessment, public hearing and the UGs. natural resources public auditing (PHPA), budget People have started to discuss/ management audit for increased equitable advocate community issues with access of women, poor, Dalit the involvement of all and MJJs to available stakeholders at the community resources, participatory and and district level which has inclusive decision making helped to minimize tension and

Annual Performance Report 2008 27 techniques, policy advocacy. conflicts at local level promoting Livelihood support for poor good governance at the group households. level. UG constitution revised from People have their individual governance perspective. livelihoods improvement plans which has helped them to improve their livelihood condition

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Table-3B: Threats to Biodiversity Conservation in Mid-hills, and Measures adopted under the SAGUN Program and leverage from partners/donors

Major Threats Measures Changes/ Outputs Unsustainable Initiation of active forest People have started harvesting forest harvesting (timber, management practices, products (timber/ firewood) as per firewood and NTFPs, incorporating the provisions in approved forest operational plan. other commercially the FOP to promote sustainable Scientific harvesting of NTFPs has important/threatened harvesting of forest products as been initiated with its cultivation at plants such as pine per the prescription of forest private and in the degraded CF area timber, orchids, etc.) inventory including in-situ and allocated to the poor for their ex-situ conservation of NTFPs livelihoods improvement which has and conservation of biodiversity also helped to biodiversity richness. (e.g. prohibited to kill wild animals and birds, retention of There is reduced firewood old decayed trees). Development consumption as a result of adoption and mobilization of Local of improved alternative energy Resource Persons to facilitate technologies. Enhanced capacity of sustainable harvesting practices the CFUG members on forest management practices inducing them Development of participatory towards active CF management. bio-diversity monitoring guidelines, its orientation to the CF users and its implementation

Orientation training on forest management and monitoring to Forest Watcher, CFUG members etc.

Promotion of alternative energy technologies such as micro- hydro, ICS, bio-gas, solar lighting panels, etc. in order to minimize firewood consumption

Development and mobilization of Local Resource Persons to facilitate sustainable harvesting practices Over-grazing Revision of FOP includes strict People started stall feeding and control of grazing in most of the keeping small number but improved CFs; awareness through livestock workshops and governance literacy classes

Multi-purpose nurseries for fodder/ forage promotion established Forest fires Revision of FOP includes strict People have started constructing fire rule for controlling forest fire; lines and unite to control forest fires awareness through workshops if there is any, and helped to protect and governance literacy classes the forest and unique flora and fauna there

Annual Performance Report 2008 29 Construction/maintenance of fire line

Conservation education campaign (pestering, news airing on effect of fire on biodiversity through media) Encroachments, Advocacy campaigns Reduced encroachments and (intensive agriculture, boundary disputes fragmentation, Participatory boundary surveys boundary disputes, and delineation for land etc.) demarcation

Sensitization training and awareness campaigns Development works Advocacy on compliance of Mitigation measures and strict (Road construction, environmental protection laws follow up of EIA guidelines high-tension lines, (such as implementation of effectively implemented hydro-power) mitigation measures as identified by EIA)

Issue based interaction Shifting cultivation Promotion of CF and leasehold Reduced shifting cultivation forestry and alternative practices livelihoods promotion activities (farm, off-farm and forest based IGA)

Political and social Participatory governance People have started to discuss/ conflicts related with assessment, public hearing and advocate community issues with the natural resources public auditing, budget audit for involvement of all stakeholders at management increased equitable access of the community and district level women, poor, Dalit and MJJs to which has helped to minimize available resources, tension and conflicts at local level participatory and inclusive promoting good governance at the decision making techniques, group level policy advocacy. Livelihood support for poor households; People have their individual input for revision of CF livelihoods improvement plans guidelines to make it pro-poor. which has helped them to improve UG constitution revised from their livelihood condition. governance perspective.

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Table 3C: Threats to Biodiversity Conservation in Terai, and Measures adopted under the SAGUN Program and leverage from partners/donors

Major Threats Measures Changes/ Outputs Forest fires Revision of FOP includes strict People have started constructing fire rule for controlling forest fire; lines and unite to control forest fires if awareness through workshops there is any, and helped to protect the and governance literacy classes forest and unique flora and fauna.

Construction/maintenance of fire line

Mobilization of CBAPOs members/forests watchers in dry seasons

Conservation education campaign (postering, news airing on effect of fire on bio-diversity through media)

Unsustainable Initiation of active forest People have started harvesting forest harvesting (timber, management practices, products (timber/ firewood) as per firewood and NTFPs) incorporating the provisions in approved forest operational plan on the FOP, to promote sustainable sustained yield basis. Scientific harvesting of forest products as harvesting of NTFPs has been per the prescription of forest initiated with its cultivation at private inventory including in-situ and and in the degraded CF area allocated ex-situ conservation of NTFPs, to the poor for their livelihoods and conservation of biodiversity improvement which has also helped (e.g. prohibited to kill wild to increase biodiversity richness animals and birds, retention of old decayed trees).

Inventory of commercially threatened and important NTFPs and development of NTFPs Action Plan – incorporating the same in FOP

Development of participatory biodiversity monitoring guidelines, its orientation to the CF users and its implementation

Active mobilization of community based anti-poaching operation units and Forest Watchers

Orientation training on Forest Management and monitoring to Forest Watcher, herders, CFUG members, hoteliers etc.

Annual Performance Report 2008 31 Promotion of alternative energy technologies such as bio-gas, ICS, solar hotpots, etc. in order to minimize firewood consumption

Development and mobilization of Local Resource Persons to facilitate sustainable harvesting practices

Promotion of off-farm income generations schemes for poor users depending upon firewood collection and sale Illegal poaching and Formation, institutionalization Increased participation of local people hunting and mobilization of community against illegal poaching/ hunting and based anti-poaching operation biodiversity monitoring. units, wildlife monitoring, preparation of forest classification People have started realizing and desktop monitoring database increased bird and animal diversity in (GIS-based), development/ the CFs. update of Tiger, Rhino, etc. (GIS- based), informants network established and strengthened, enforcement of wildlife and forest law, cross border dialogue and co-ordination, orientation training on CITES, wildlife monitoring to enforcement staffs, local communities, police and army.

Participatory biodiversity monitoring Human-wildlife Assessment of trend, extent of Conflict minimized. People started conflict (due to crop human wildlife conflicts, getting compensation for the loss of and livestock their crop and livestock as well as in depredation and other Mapping of depredation hotspots human casualties / injuries, which has incidents) motivated them to support in Establishment of trench, biodiversity (wildlife) conservation biofencing, watch tower activities. (Machhan), electric fencing, etc. in order to control entry of wildlife

Promotion of unpalatable but economically beneficial crops/NTFPs such as Mentha, Camommile, lemongrass, citronella, palmarosa, Asparagus, Acorus, Turmeric, Ginger, etc.

Establishment of relief fund to address conflict issues such as human casualties/ injuries, livestock and crop depredation,

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etc. Over-grazing Revision of FOP includes strict People started stall feeding and control of grazing in most of the keeping small number but improved CFs; awareness through livestock. workshops and governance literacy classes Forest boundary Revision of FOP includes strict Increased awareness about the encroachment rules to stop encroachment; importance of forest protection, awareness through policy reduced encroachment, provision of advocacy, issue based interaction rewards and punishments in the programs and campaigns CFUG constitutions/ FOP. Illegal logging due to Policy advocacy for handing over Reduced incidents of illegal logging, low handing over rate of more forest area to local periodic media coverage on forest and of CFs communities, media awareness, biodiversity related issues, pressure to issue based interaction programs NPC to have provision of more CF and campaigns handover and preparation and revision of FOPs, agreement with government for continuing CF handover in Terai. Political and social Participatory governance People have started to discuss/ conflicts related with assessment, public hearing and advocate community issues with the natural resources public auditing, budget audit for involvement of all stakeholders at the management increased equitable access of community and district level which women, poor, Dalit and MJJs to has helped to minimize tension and available resources, conflicts at local level promoting Participatory and inclusive good governance at the group level. decision making techniques, policy advocacy. Livelihood People have their individual support for poor households; livelihoods improvement plans which input for revision of CF has helped them to improve their guidelines to make it pro-poor. livelihood condition. UG constitution revised from governance perspective.

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2.3.7. Major Issues and Challenges

• Encroachment of forest areas by migrants, squatters/landless and creep encroachers (adjacent to forests areas) taking advantage from political turmoil, conflicts and social dynamics is one of the major issues and challenges in mid-hills and Terai • CFUGs within the PAs are constrained by adequate technical support, particularly for biodiversity conservation and forest management due to the lack of sufficient technical staffs, particularly in the high mountain PAs. • Land ownership issue (Kipat system) has become a very serious threat to biodiversity conservation in KCA, especially in Yamphudin VDC, which has hindered handing over of CFs to the community. • Human-wildlife conflict has gradually been increased due to crop and livestock depredation by wildlife resulting in increasing threat to wildlife killing. Mitigation measures and schemes needs to be introduced in order to minimize such conflicts and address people’s livelihood thereby conservation of wildlife. • Illegal cross-boarder poaching and hunting still exists in PAs both in Mountain (Tibet/Sikkim) and Terai (India) • Due to increasing price and attraction of Yarchagumba (Cordyceps sinensis) in Dolpa, conservation, cultivation and marketing of other NTFPs is less preferred by communities.

2.3.8. Lesson Learned

• It is learned that when communities are well organized, empowered with the recognized rights and responsibilities, they are able to safeguard / conserve the CF areas and bio-diversity resources, and exclude outsiders (encroachers, poachers, illegal collectors of NTFPs/MAPs) leading to sustainable forest management and bio-diversity conservation. • Livestock insurance scheme has been a good approach to stop killing of snow leopard in revenge by the herders. However, strategies for mitigation and compensation measures should be introduced to address the needs and demands of the poor brought due to human wildlife conflicts, particularly due to crop depredation. • Series of advocacy campaigns at different level against encroachment and illegal harvest of forest products have discouraged the encroachers / illegal harvesters / poachers to stop such illegal activities. For instance, sweeping up of encroached forests areas (by so called landless/ squatters) from Indraeni CF of Dhading and Dandakhola national forests of Nawalparasi. This has multiplier and spill over effects in other CFs of the country as well.

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Objective 4: To enhance skills of users and their representatives to advocate for their own rights and concerns over natural resource management, and to establish engagement among stakeholders at all levels.

A total number of 88 (117%) events under 14 different activities have been conducted against the target of 75 events under this objective. In addition 309 advocacy campaigns, 14 episodes of media advocacy, and 5 case studies were completed. Major activities conducted under this objective include issue based interaction, media awareness workshops, production and dissemination of IEC materials, interaction and debate among policy makers, CSOs and rights holders at different levels, support issue based campaigns and media advocacy. A total number of 61,078 beneficiaries including 21,725 (35.6%) women, 2598 (4.3%) Dalits, and 14,100 MJJ participated in various activities related to policy advocacy. The following are some major achievements of policy advocacy:

• SAGUN Program Advocacy Component successfully facilitated dialogue between political parties, CSOs, and policy makers through FECOFUN on the emerging issues related to community forestry in Terai and its modality. As a result, the MoFSC withdrew the decision of not handing over CFs in Terai and inner-Terai; and negotiation between CF and CFM successfully took place for sustainable and equitable forest management in the Terai districts. It is predicted that such withdrawal of MoFSC’s decision would benefit about 2000 registered CFUGs who are waiting for CF handing over for over eight years • Contribution to political parities to discuss on and follow-up of agenda of community rights on NRM in their manifestos through organizing interaction meetings and seminars. • Good governances practices such as PHPA has expanded in some of the CFUGs of Kaski, Dang, Morang, Chitwan, Sunsari, Dhankuta, Salyan and Kapilbastu districts, where Strengthen of Governance Component of SAGUN program has not been directly implementing. As a result out of 1571 CFUGs of these districts 145, 79 and 15 CFUGs have been managed to grab key positions of their executive committee by women, Dalits and free boned labors respectively and lead by them. • Contribution to Task force which was formed by Government for restructuring of forestry sector from governance, social inclusion, and local CFUG’s capacity building perspectives. • After series of consultations among the policy makers and traders, GoN managed to increase the selling price of resin NRs.2 to NRs 6 per kg. This was remained unchanged for last 10 years and it has been creating very low profit to the CFUGs, who are introducing resin tapping as one of their IGAs. Similarly, FECOFUN Bardia with support of SAGUN program has managed to raise minimum selling price of Sal timber from NRs. 250 per Cu.ft to NRs. 450 in the district in consultation with CFUGs and stakeholders concerned. Such increase in selling price of Sal timber has increased the profit for the CFUGs while selling timber outside their CFUG. • By this reporting period over 767 CFUG have been affiliated / renewed membership to FECOFUN with the support of the SAGUN Program. • FECOFUN has conducted series of campaigns against national and community forests encroachment. As a result,, the encroachers of Indrayani CF Dhanging and Danda khola Nawalparshi moved away from the CF..

Further, Local level issues are regularly identified and initiated on a regular basis by Women Advocacy Forums and CFUGs at community. WAF district network and FECOFUN district chapters have been initiating the advocacy campaigns at district level. The following are the activities implemented and outcomes of the component:

Annual Performance Report 2008 35 2.4.1. Issue-Based Interaction at Different Levels The activity placed enough emphasis for the arrangement of adequate numbers of issue based seminars/workshops at different level to develop a common understanding and get support of various stakeholders to the policy influence process. As a result, a total 19 events completed in Western, Mid-Westerns, Eastern and Central units of the components and SPNP BZ, LNP BZ and KCA where 1470 participants including 420 women, 118 Dalits and 656 MJJ attended. These events provided an important opportunity for interaction between various stakeholders with focus on the following specific policy issues of community forestry, buffer zones and protected areas: • Park People Conflict (LNP BZ) • Implications on Natural Resources and Human Life due to the proposed Koshi High Dam in the Eastern region. • CF handover in Terai districts and equitable benefits sharing to distance users in the Western region) • Natural Resources Management in federal system in the center region.

2.4.2. Media Awareness Workshop Three media awareness workshops were conducted during the reporting period. A total 121 participants including 23 women, 5 Dalits and 18 MJJ were attended in the workshop. Theses workshops were very effective to develop common understanding on pertinent issues of community forestry such as forest encroachment, effective constituent assembly election and provision of NRM in manifestoes of the political parties. During this reporting period, a awareness workshop was also carried out in collaboration with NEFEJ on the issues of forest encroachment in Dhanusa district, where government policy makers, journalists, CSOs and political parties representatives were present. This workshop was also found very useful in developing common understanding among the participants on the issues of forest encroachment and illegal felling of the timbers and its implications on the socio-economy and biodiversity conservation of the country.

Similarly media advocacy program were conducted in LNP BZ, SPNP BZ and KCA to share key experiential learnings on bio-diversity conservation and address key issues of bio-diversity conservation at local and national levels. These initiations were found very effective to raise awareness among the stakeholders about good governance and transparency in bio-diversity conservation.

2.4.3. ToT on Advocacy for LRPs and Advocacy Facilitator Local Resource Persons are the key facilitators to the community forestry movement at local level. A five days long training on RBA and advocacy was organized in Dharan for LRPs and advocacy facilitators to enhance their facilitation skills through RBA model and approaches. Altogether, 23 LRPs including 10 women and 9 MJJ representing from 9 FECOFUN district chapters of the Eastern region attended in the training.

2.4.4. Training for CSOs, Political Parties and GLAs on Advocacy The Advocacy Component of the program conducted a total of two major events on advocacy training at its central and three regional units for CSOs, GLAs and major political parties concerned. These trainings were attended by 52 participants 25 women, 7 Dalits and 12 MJJ. During the trainings the political parties including CSOs and GLAs expressed their commitment to work together in solving district level issues. The training served as a good forum to provide opportunities to enhance the skills and knowledge of advocacy on right based approaches.

2.4.5. Awareness workshop on importance of federations and networking Three awareness workshops were conducted in Bardia, Salyan, Lamjung districts and SPNP BZ, LNPBZ and KCA. A total of 389 participants including 151 women, 75 Dalits and 177 MJJ and 63 poor representing from different CFUGs, CSOs, federation and networking attended the

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workshops. The workshop helped to empower the users for their access to buffer zone, improve relationship among CFUGs, civil society networks and FECOFUN. As the results of the workshop, more than 767 new CFUGs were affiliated with FCEOFUN during the reporting period.

2.4.6. Interaction and debate among policy Main highlighted emerging issues makers, CSOs and right holders at different level during the period: A total of six events of interactions and debates were conducted for KCA and four different Controversial decision of MoFSC in places of Teari and mid-hills regarding illegal stopping CF handing over in Terai and inner trade of sandal wood, forest encroachment, illicit Terai, natural resources management in felling of timber and others, where 264 federal system, NRM issues and political participants including 61 women, 15 Dalits and manifestos of CA elections, Compulsion of 102 MJJ participated. The events also played IEE and IEA in CF, Government decision to key roles in bringing community forestry issues legalized feeling and trading of Bombax into the national arena and helped in making ceiba (simal) and its implication to common understanding among the various biodiversity conservations. stakeholders. As the results of the interactions/debates and meetings in, MoFSC has decided to handover of state forest as CF and register CFUGs in Terai and Inner Terai districts, encroachers were left the Indrayeani CF of Dhanding and Dandakhola forest areas of Nawalparasi and collaborative forest management Groups and FECOFUN unanimously agreed to work together for strengthen community rights on forest resources. Similarly, one of the interaction meetings in KCA came up with a decision to deter the redwood smugglers and called the District Administration, Police Office, Journalists, political parties and CSOs to stop those illegal activities.

2.4.7. Preparation and implementation of the issues based advocacy plans at all level As planned, two workshops on this regard were carried out in both center and regional level (Mid- West region) on identified key issues of community forestry. Representatives of political parties, CSOs, and other concerned organizations participated in the campaigns and expressed their solidarity on securing people rights over the local resources. A total, 102 participants including 33 women, 10 Dalits and 8 representing different CSOs, GLAs and stakeholders attended in the workshop. Revision and up date of the advocacy plans of different level considering with emerging issues were main results of the workshops.

2.4.8. Production and dissemination of IEC materials For wider disseminations of program learning and advocacy initiatives, IEC materials were collected, produced/ purchased and disseminated to local people during the period. Calendars, monthly magazine (Hamro Ban Awaj) and concepts notes of Terai and Inner-Terai forest management were produced and disseminated. Other IEC materials such as comparative analysis of political manifestoes of CA election with respect to sustainable NRM, NTFPs management & its legal and policy issues were collected and shared among the stakeholders concerned during the reporting period. It helped to disseminate learning from policy advocacy at a wider scale including national and international levels. In SPNP Dolpa, 600 copies of “Phoksumdho” Newsletter were printed as usual and distributed among various target audiences.

2.4.9. Support Issues based campaign As planned, four issues based social campaigns including one bio-diversity conservation issue at KCA were conducted at Lamki, Kailali, Kaski and Hetauda and 80 additional other campaigns related with sustainable NRM were conducted at the four centers of the policy advocacy units with support of local CSOs and district FECOFUNs. In addition, 226 advocacy campaigns were completed by GLC participants in Kailali, Bardia, Banke, Lamjung, Gorkha, Dhading districts and WWF working areas for women’s rights and empowerment, against caste and social discrimination, equitable distribution of forest products and benefits derived from CF etc. A total

Annual Performance Report 2008 37 of 58,640 persons including 20,997 women, 2,368 Dalits, and 13,107 MJJs participated in the program. Most of the campaigns were focused on the emerging issues related to community forestry and social justice. Representatives of political parties, CSOs, GLAs and NRM related net works/federations participated in the campaigns and express their solidarities on the moment of the FFECOFU/CFUGs for securing community rights over natural resources. The campaign held in Hetunda has played crucial role in developing common understanding among the CSOs, donor organizations (CARE- Nepal, LFP, TAL and SNV) GLAs including others NRM related networks/federations. It also helped to create conducive environment in working together for governance, livelihoods and biodiversity conservation.

Activities such as, corner assembly, counseling, cycle rallies, delegation, discussion/ dialogue , door to door visit, interaction programs, lobbying with political parties, mass demonstration, distribution of pamphlets and posters, public hearing were the majors activities under this campaigns. Similarly, in Taplejung district HQ – Fungling, an issue based interaction was organized by Federation of Nepalese Journalists addressing on the Tourism promotion in Taplejung/KCA and control of illegal trade of wildlife and NTFPs, and the role of concerned agencies/local communities. Two papers were presented by the experts on these issues and floor was opened for discussion. A total of 27 participants (27 men, 13 MJJ) were present in the program represented by Government officials, security officers, and representatives of the political parties, CSOs, journalists and KCAMC members. The forum agreed on common efforts to open Taplejung/KCA for Free Individual Trekkers (FIT) and control of illegal harvest and trade of wildlife and NTFPs in the district.

2.4.10. Media advocacy Media advocacy has gained momentum during the period. This activity was completed in SPNP BZ, LNP BZ and FECOFUN areas. The media highlighted local issues and amplified at national level and helped to develop wider understanding among the stakeholders and public audience for policy influence. During the period, media mainly covered to policy issues of different levels such as CF hand over in Terai and Inner Terai, NRM in federal system, internal governance within the CFUG, forest encroachments, illegal felling and trading of timbers. A total of 14 episodes, which are 10 and 30 minutes long documentary film on forest encroachment in Dhanusa district and its implication was effectively broadcasted in TVs by Image channel and Akhaijhyal covering the issue of enhancing access of poor and marginalized community in the natural resources and specific coverage on the forest encroachment and illicit felling of timber. Similarly, SPNP BZ, SAGUN program in collaboration with BBC Nepali service, Avenues Television and Kantipur TV broadcasted an awareness raising program on impacts of renewal energy. The program highlighted on impacts of solar and micro hydro scheme in bringing behavioral and attitudinal change among local people. In Langtang district, the program has been producing Public Service Announcement (PSA) on conservation slogans like “SAVE PANDA for OUR FUTURE'. It is expected that airing PSA will support increase positive attitude of local people of Langtang National Park Buffer Zone area.

2.4.11 Case Study/ Lesson Learned Documentation A total of five case studies were documented during the reporting period. In KCA, a case study on Kipat system was collected, compiled and disseminated at wider level both in terms of advocacy and lesson learned. Two case studies from LNP BZ documents best practices from Thulo Syabru VDC highlighting initiatives of local community in combating poaching of wild animals and illegal harvest of plant resources from Langtang National Park at the local level and the SAGUN Extension Program’s initiative to improve livelihoods of local community of Bhorely VDC. Two case studies were conducted in SPNP BZ; first one was the analysis of the status of biodiversity conservation in SPNP BZ and its buffer zone, and the second one was analysis of current status of women, and poor’s participation in conservation and community development activities of the program.

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2.4.12. Issues and Challenges • The unpredictable security situation due to the fluid political situation was major challenge to implement the activities at expected level. Frequent highways blockade and strikes affected smooth functioning and implementation of the activities including staff movement. The weak security situation affected the movement of the participants for training and workshop.

• Advocacy is related to the political and social dynamics. Due to the fluid political situation and changing social dynamic new issues are emerging day to day. These important emerging issues and their implications to the policy have challenged already planned activities for advocacy.

2.4.13. Lesson Learned The concept and strategies adopted by the Program have demonstrated the way to bond meso and micro level linkages of issues. Additional support to strengthen such initiations has a good prospect in future.

2.5. Progress towards Non-targeted activities: In this reporting period, the following additional activities, which are not-targeted in the AWP have been conducted in order to amplify the impacts and lessons learned from the program to a wider audience and stakeholders:

2.5.1. Review/Reflection Meeting of the SAGUN Extension Program SAGUN Program managed to conduct two consecutive review and reflection meetings with the following main objectives: • Discuss on the major Program outcomes and critical issues/challenges to develop common understanding on possible ways out to institutionalize the outcomes of SAGUN Program • Share the SAGUN Program experiences, issues and lessons so far learned, and document these key experiential • Finalize the exit strategy, and • Explore future opportunities to continue the existing SAGUN Program partnership

Officials from USAID, CARE Nepal Country Office, CARE Nepal/SAGUN Program, WWF Nepal, FECOFUN and RIMS Nepal participated in the meeting. Major key issues and challenges discussed in the meeting are:

• Encroachment of the community forests in the Terai and need for more collaborative efforts with other agencies; • How to make the activities of the CFUGs more pro-poor, • How to make the biodiversity provisions more conspicuous in the FOPs, incorporate the group level LIPs in the FOPs to fit into the broader policy framework of the CFUGs, • How to consolidate and document the key outcomes of the program?. • What percentage of UG fund can be finally managed by the PVSEs, and on how much percentage of UG fund will the poor be major stakeholder? At the end of the meetings the participants managed to formulate appropriate strategies and action plans to address and sort out the above issues.

2.5.2. Policy Makers Visit to SAGUN Program Districts Distinguished Parliament members of Natural Resources Management Committee along with representatives from major political parties, senior government officials from DoF and MOFSC, executive members from central FECOFUN and journalists managed to visit Banke, Bardia and Kailali from 6-9 Jan. 2008. Later, the Minister of Forest also joined the visiting team in Kailali district. The field visit was jointly organized by FECOFUN, DoF and supported by NRM based

Annual Performance Report 2008 39 programs and programs including SAGUN program. The main objective of the field visit was to identify critical issues in NRM and find out solutions to resolve them in participatory manner. As planned, the visitors had managed to conduct very interactive meetings with local people, CSOs, district FECOFUN, representatives of ex-Kamaiyas and landless people, women empowerment groups, user group members of forest, water and land resources and identified critical issues like delay in hand-over of CF in Terai districts, forest encroachment, timber smuggling and governance in NRM. In conjunction with the interaction meeting the SAGUN program team managed to present major achievements and challenges faced by SAGUN program in the districts, and distributed SAGUN program CDs to the participants, which was highly appreciated by the visitors.

2.5.3. Documentation and Dissemination For last 21 months the SAGUN Program has accumulated vast experience related to governance, livelihoods improvement, biodiversity conservation and policy advocacy across various geographical regions. Documentation and dissemination of experiences and lessons learned is vital for appreciation of these outcomes by wider audiences; bring multiplier effect through replication of breakthrough achievements of the program. Therefore, following the decisions made by last review reflection meetings, the SAGUN program team formed a small core team consisting of four members - CoP, TL, RMDM, GPAS, LSIS, DPC-Banke/Bardiya, SAGUN team members managed to document the process, achievements and learning and hired a senior level documentation specialist for 3 months to edit and translate the documents into English. So far the program has managed to document the key impacts, experiential learning, issues and challenges in the form of thematic component process reports; thematic stories reflecting success and failures of the program; synthesis report which shows inter linkages, interdependence and effectiveness of among the four thematic components; and governance tools. The following are some of the topics of documentation: • Livelihoods Improvement Initiatives: Process and Good practices; achievements and outcomes • Governance Literacy in CFUGs: analytical process, Campaigns and Achievements • SAGUN Program: Initiatives, Process, Achievements and Lesson Learned • Process and Achievements of Advocacy Initiatives: Experiences of SAGUN Policy Advocacy Component FECOFUN • Good Governance tools: PHPA, PWBR and PGA and LIP • A synthesis report based on the SAGUN Program documents

2.5.4. Sharing of Program learning on governance and democracy with USAID and other distinguished visitors CARE Nepal, SAGUN Program managed to conduct interaction meetings with the USAID, Washington visitors to share SAGUN Program progresses on democracy and good governance in NRM. The distinguished visitors who attended the sharing meeting were David Garner, David Timberman and Professor Krishna Hachhethu, who were conducting a governance assessment for USAID Nepal. Subsequently after the first sharing meeting another meeting and a field visit to Dhading district were conducted with Dr. Partick Smith and the USAID team members who were assessing natural resources management focusing on biodiversity conservation and climate change situation in Nepal. According to the feedback, received from the visitors, both the meeting and the filed visit were very useful to meet the objectives of the visitors.

Similarly, as advised by CARE USA and USAID/Nepal, the CoP of SAGUN Program also managed to share key achievements and learning of the program in Woodrow Wilson Center, Washington D.C on 28 Feb 2008 through teli-conference. Received, two Japanese visitors: Dr. Tatsuro Fujikura, Associate Professor for Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies and Dr. Kichiji Yajima – the Research Fellow of Scientific Research from Centre for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto, Japan and managed to share major achievements and experiential learning from SAGUN Program. They were pursuing an action research on Participatory Natural Resource

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Management in Nepal and Bangladesh for environmental conservation in these countries. Two Ph.D. students: Bryan Bushly from East West Center, Hawaii, USA, and Samantha Satddon from Institute of Geography, University of Edinburgh, UK were also received and shared about key achievements and process of SAGUN program. Similarly, key achievements of SAGUN Program were shared with Dr. Clare M. Stiriling and team members from the Strirling Thorne Associates, Wales and Phil Frank, Poverty and Environment Coordinator from CARE International. As feedbacks all visitors were highly impressed from the SAGUN Program achievements.

Another initiation of SAGUN program is dissemination of its learning and key achievements to national and international audiences through web sites. The IT section of CARE Nepal with support of CoP, managed to up-date the web site of SAGUN program with its recent information. Address of the SAGUN Program web site is .

During this year, activities like sharing of lessons learned from SAGUN in national and international forums, participation in the interactive meetings organized by FECOFUN, contribution in the revision of the guidelines and so on took place which significantly contributed in the dissemination of best practices of SAGUN Program to the outside community.

2.6. Progress against M&E Plan The progress against various indicators as mentioned in the M&E Plan of the SAGUN Extension Program has been presented in Annex-2.

2.7. Overall Issues and Challenges

• One of the major challenges faced by the program is natural disaster like heavy flood in Banke, Bardia and Kailali districts in August 2007. Many people were displaced from their villages and some of their inter-cropping inside CFs under pro-poor program was totally damaged by the flood. It has disturbed SAGUN program like renewal of OPs, harvesting of forest products and livelihoods program to some extent.

• SAGUN Program has been witnessing severe budgetary implications due to heavy exchange loss of US Dollars. This has made revision of the second year work plan became imperative to respond to the emerging budgetary implications and achieve intended wider objective of the program. For this two Program Field Officers were retrenched, vacant positions of TL, RMDM and one District Program Coordinator and one PFO could not fulfilled, and the revision of AWP has been made in such a way to have less significant impact on the goal and objectives of the SAGUN Program.

• The overall working environment for implementing activities was also not conducive particularly in Terai districts due to Madhesi people’s movement and imposed decree of curfew during the second quarter of the second year of the program.

• In Dolpa, the craze of Yarchakumbhu (Cordyceps sinensis) collection is ever increasing in recent years due to its high economic value and immediate benefit. Due to this it is becoming difficult for sustaining people’s participation in income generating activities and capacity building programs.

• Frequent demonstrations and road blockades organized by the political parties and transportation organizations against government’s decisions to raise fuel prices, bus and taxi fares have affected program activities to some extent at the fields.

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3. Prospects for next nine months program 3.1 Institutionalization of governance interventions in the expanded areas The process of governance institutionalization is firmly taking place in the Terai. More and more groups are coming up on their own to practice good governance practices. In the hills, the process is being practiced by many groups. It is expected that the institutionalization process will begin its process in the hills as well. For this The SAGUN Program has to continue to institutionalize governance interventions to strengthen CFUGs’ abilities to govern themselves and advocate for stronger policies to help protect forests and protected areas, as well as providing them with the necessary learning and tools to manage sustainable forest practices, improve their livelihood abilities and ensure the inclusiveness and equity of their groups.

3.2 Deeper engagement with CSOs and GLAs in governance issues and their capacity strengthening Strategic activities needed to be designed to bring deeper engagement with CSOs and GLAs in governance issues and their capacity strengthening in order to support CFUGs to more freely organize, advocate, and communicate with each other, government line agencies (GLAs), political parties, and local and national elected representatives. This will contribute to Nepal's emerging democracy through helping to establish a political culture that encourages and values citizen and civic engagement, empowers citizens to participate in decision-making on matters affecting them, and supports the mobilization of constituencies for reform.

3.3. Role of SAGUN Program to contribute to NRM related constitution building process from governance and pro-poor perspectives A number of livelihoods related activities have been initiated in the 21 months extension period of SAGUN Program. Further, consolidation of the experiences and replication of the good practices particularly in the new expanded districts is expected in the nine months extension of the Program.

3.4. Involvement and influence while formulating new policies, laws, acts, rules and regulation from governance and pro-poor perspectives.

Through gender education and support to different advocacy forums including women advocacy forums the blueprint to an “inclusive” “New Nepal” will be followed at local, district and national levels. Additionally, technical assistance aimed at improving advocacy skills, and establishing fair, transparent, and inclusive policies and procedures can help to build vibrant civil societies better able to press for accountability and democratic governance.

3.5. Documentation and dissemination of best practices and key learning Documentation of best practices and lessons learned on the linkages with and between FUG governance, livelihoods improvement, policy advocacy and biodiversity conservation and disseminated at all levels will help to disseminate key lessons learned to stakeholders and like minded organization to better enable them to replicate the positive achievements of the program and thus enable more communities to take sustainable control over their own forests, protected areas and future livelihoods. In addition, the lessons learned here will be made available to government agencies to better improve FOPs and other policies impacting on the biodiversity and livelihood of the country.

3.6. Integration of on-going SAGUN program with environmental justice Good governance would be very difficult to sustain without addressing environmental issues like climate change impacts on poverty reduction. Therefore, integration of environmental justice into the on-going SAGUN program could be one of the best options.

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4. Environmental Compliance During the implementation of the second year of the 21 months SAGUN Program, no activities have been implemented which have negative effects in the environment.

5. Branding and Marking Plan: Various strategies and action plans have been prepared to implement the Branding and Marking Plan. All equipments and vehicles are branded with USAID logo, and signboards of the Program have been marked with USAID CARE Nepal and sub-grantee partners’ logos as guided by the Branding and Marking plan.

6. Financial Status SAGUN Program has been witnessing severe budgetary implications due to heavy exchange loss of US Dollar. The total budget deficit due to exchange loss was calculated as US$ 142,426 for the period from January 2007 to September 2008 at the exchange rate of one US$ to Rs. 62.75 and the total loss on the budget allocated to the program activities being US$ 91,756. A number of meetings were held and communications made among the implementing partners and also with the USAID regarding the budget status and future steps to cope with the problem. A joint meeting was held on 21 February 2008 at CARE Nepal Office between the prime recipient- CARE Nepal and the donor - USAID Nepal to discuss on the exchange loss under SAGUN Program. The meeting concluded that the issue of exchange loss should be resolved within the limit of approved budget from USAID for the SAGUN Program. Revision of the Annual Work Plan has been made by considering this budget deficit.

During this reporting period, a total of US $ 60,400 has been spent. The overall burning rate of current SAGUN Program is 99.91% against the time elapse of 100%. However, the overall expenditure on activity cost is 102.05%. Summary of the financial statement is in Table – 4.

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7: Table- 4. Summary of overall expenditure of SAGUN Program Year 2

STARTING DATE: 01 JANUARY 2007 ENDING DATE: 30 SEPTEMBER 2008 , FUND CODE: NP 14706(USAID/N), REPORTING PERIOD: October 2007 – September 2008

EXPENSES BUDGET TOTAL EXPENSES OF EXPENSES AS OF S.N. DESCRIPTION AS OF BALANCE As BURN RATE BUDGET July'08-Sept'08 Sept'08 June'08 of Sept'08

US$ US$ US$ US$ US$

1 Staff Cost:

Salaries & Benefits:

a. National 420,738 349,114 56,101 405,215 15,523 96.31%

b. International 0 0 0 0 0.00%

Sub-Total of Staff Cost 420,738 349,114 56,101 405,215 15,523 96.31%

2 Program Support Cost 51,763 36,605 8,927 45,532 6,231 87.96%

3 Other Direct Costs: 84,455 80,528 7,040 87,568 (3,113) 103.69%

4 Procurement Costs 3,815 3,837 3,837 (22) 100.55%

Sub-Total of Direct Costs (2, 3 & 140,033 120,970 15,967 136,937 3,096 97.79% 4) 5 Activities Costs

a) CARE 248,201 254,674 9,103 263,777 (15,576) 106.28%

Annual Performance Report 2008 45 b) RIMS-Nepal 78,257 71,329 6,254 77,583 674 99.14%

c) WWF 213,305 182,295 35,138 217,433 (4,128) 101.94%

d) FECOFUN 49,571 36,240 9,905 46,145 3,426 93.09%

Sub-Total of Activities Costs 589,334 544,538 60,400 604,938 (15,604) 102.65%

6 Operation Costs of Sub-Grantees:

a) RIMS 95,899 86,515 10,869 97,384 (1,485) 101.55%

b) WWF 136,673 94,134 38,290 132,424 4,249 96.89%

c) FECOFUN 49,825 42,426 8,554 50,980 (1,155) 102.32%

Sub-Total of Sub-Grantees Costs 282,397 223,075 57,713 280,788 1,609 99.43%

TOTAL 1,432,502 1,237,697 190,181 1,427,878 4,624 99.68%

7 Indirect Costs Recovery 67,498 56,965 13,788 70,753 (3,255) 104.82%

TOTAL 1,500,000 1,294,662 203,969 1,498,631 1,369 99.91%

8 Matching Fund 375,000 561,190 19,930 581,120 (206,120) 154.97%

GRAND TOTAL 1,875,000 1,855,852 223,899 2,079,751 (204,751) 110.92%

TIME 100.00% ELASPED

Annual Performance Report 2008 46

8. THEMATIC stories

8.1. Thematic Stories from Governance Component

8.1.1. Kanchhi Goes Her Own Way

" Purnima Ghale Local Resource Person Warpak, Gorkha

Warpak VDC is among the poorest and most remote villages in Gorkha. This is where Kanchhi Ghale was born twenty nine years ago in her parents’ home in ward 8. Following the traditional rites of the Ghale community she married her maternal uncle's son in 2001.

At first the marriage went well. But after two years the two of them started to quarrel. Later her husband, Kancha, started chasing after other women and eventually got one of them pregnant. Kanchhi recalls, "When I found out what had happened I almost fainted with shock. I also sensed how my husband had stopped caring for me and was not all that surprised when he left me soon afterwards. By then I too was pregnant. To me this was an example of how much harm one woman can inflict on another.”

Kanchha left for Qatar in search of work. Three months after his departure Kanchhi gave birth to a baby girl. Unfortunately the baby fell sick after a month. Although Kanchhi tried her best, the baby did not recover and passed away after a month. “The Gods cursed me and took my child away”, she says bitterly. Two months later Kanchha’s second wife also gave birth to a baby girl. Kanchha stayed in Qatar for four years. During this time he sent his second wife money regularly but never once sent Kanchhi even a penny. When Kanchha returned in December 2007 he went straight to his second wife’s maternal home where she was staying and settled down there. He did not even bother to call on Kanchhi. Kanchhi waited for him to come but when he didn’t, she herself dropped in on him one day and asked him to come home. But even then he did not come.

Then Kanchhi made a decision. "I had heard that the women in my village had set up a Women Advocacy Forum (WAF). I decided to present my case to them". The WAF studied the case and decided to conduct a public hearing. It assembled witnesses to speak on behalf of both parties in an attempt to make a judgment on the case. After listening to all the testimonials, everyone present agreed that Kanchhi was innocent on all counts. Kanchha was fined a sum of Rs. 200,000 to compensate for the hardship he had inflicted on Kanchhi. He paid her the amount and also got a divorce. Now Kanchhi says, "I have been given the chance to go my own way. I would like to thank CARE Nepal, FECOFUN and WAF for providing me with support and helping me becomes courageous and strong." And with these words she has started a new life.

Annual Performance Report 2008 47 8.1.2. Kopila’s Story " Samjhana Pariyar Local Resource Person Arughat, Gorkha

When flower buds sense they are about to be plucked, how they must struggle to stay alive! This analogy seems relevant when listening to the story of Kopila (the Nepali word for flower bud).

Kopila Bhandari had not stopped enjoying her childhood when she was married off at the age of 16. Soon after the marriage her husband left for India in search of work and only returned after two years. Koipla gave birth to a daughter in 1999 followed by a son and another daughter. In the meantime, her husband started drinking alcohol ignoring her pleas for him to stop.

Life is tough when one is poor. Returning home in the evening after a hard day of labour to make dinner, feed the children, put them to sleep and then put up with one’s husband’s complaints and physical abuse would be difficult for anyone to deal with and it certainly was hard on young Kopila. But things only got worse. Her husband was hitting her and pushing her around more and more to the extent that sometimes he would chase her from the house. Often she was forced to spend nights in neighbors’ homes. She would stay up all night worrying about her children’s future and her personal safety.

Eventually, Kopila requested members of the community to intervene and talk to her husband and some of them agreed to come and help her out. They reprimanded her husband and even made him sign more than one commitment paper. At one point he was even put in jail. But his behavior towards Kopila did not change.

Around that time, Kopila came to know about the Governance Literacy Classes being run by two local Community Forestry User Groups (CFUGs), the Shitala group and the Shivashakti group. Twenty-five women from both groups had come together to form the Shivashital Women’s Advocacy Forum (WAF) to discuss and find solutions to local problems. These initiatives were being implemented by the CFUGs with support from the SAGUN Program of CARE Nepal and the Janapriya Women Group. The classes commenced in November 2007. Kopila began to wonder whether WAF might help her in her current plight.

She went to meet with WAF and laid out her case to them. WAF arranged for a meeting among members of the community including local intellectuals to discuss the matter. However, when they realized what the meeting was about the men that were present they were reluctant to get involved in what they termed was “a women’s affair”. Showing no concern for Kopila they walked out of the meeting. On seeing their reaction most of the women who were present followed suit saying that they were just ordinary villagers and did not feel there was much they could contribute. Finally, only the WAF members were left in the room. In contrast to the way the others had behaved, these women reaffirmed their commitment to help Kopila out.

The WAF then decided to meet with Kopila and her husband together. When they asked her husband why he constantly beat her up and shouted at Kopila he replied that she was not a good cook and behaved coldly towards him. Plus there was the influence of the alcohol. The WAF decided that the couple’s disputes could still be resolved. They made Kopila’s husband promise to amend his behaviour and treat Kopila with the respect she deserved. They also warned him that if he did not keep his promise, the WAF would call a public meeting of local intellectuals, police officers and other women’s groups at which he would be forced to register all of his property in Kopila’s name. Then the meeting ended.

Four days after the meeting WAF was evaluating its role in ending domestic violence in the community. The issue was being discussed during one of the GLC classes. Unexpectedly, Kopila

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arrived while the discussion was taking place. She listened in for a while and then spoke. "I did not expect my husband to change his ways just because WAF had told him to do so,” she said. “My husband is a stubborn man who does not fear anyone. Also, other women’s groups had spoken to him before and none of this had worked. I am surprised about how he has changed since the meeting with WAF. I feel WAF is different from other groups and has great potential to contribute to social change. That is why I would like to also become a member”. By this time Kopila was crying tears of gratitude and relief.

From that day onwards, Kopila joined the GLC classes. She expressed her commitment to help out other women who were being abused by their husbands. On seeing her resolve and courage, the other participants agreed to involve her in their advocacy work. In the meantime, Kopila’s husband transformed. He stopped drinking alcohol and helped out with household duties while Kopila attended her classes.

Kopila used to be fearful and sad but now she comes across as hopeful and strong. To end her story, she says, “We must raise a united voice against domestic violence in our society. Only this will help women like me who have had to endure injustice at the hands of their husbands. WAF must further intensify its current campaign to achieve greater impact in the days to come.”

Annual Performance Report 2008 49 8.1.3. Public Hearing and Public Auditing of a Road Construction Program

" Dewata Rijal Field Officer, Lamjung

With assistance from SAGUN Program and the FECOFUN, Lamjung, the Patlepani Community Forestry User Group (CFUG) in ward 1 of Udipur started to run Governance Literacy Classes (GLC) from December 2007 for a period of four months. The purpose of this initiative was to provide CFUG women members with conceptual and practical training on women’s rights and to develop their leadership skills. Although the program had been planned for 32 women, eventually only 24 women took part full-time. Among full time participants, 7 were Dalits and 2 were Marginalized Janajatis.

The classes were facilitated by a FECOFUN facilitator by the name of Yam Kumari Lohani. They were held once a week and various advocacy issues were discussed and evaluated. One issue was then selected for which an advocacy action plan was developed. The action plan was then implemented in the remaining days of the week.

Most of the issues the women selected were to do with women’s rights and local infrastructure development. These included the need to increase women’s representation in the CFUG Executive Committee (EC), reducing caste discrimination and gender-based wage discrimination, conducting a Public Hearing and Public Auditing (PHPA) of a local road construction program, ensuring that forest product distribution systems benefit poor and marginalized forest users, registering marriages, acquiring citizenship certificates, keeping the village environment clean, providing treatment for cases of uterine prolapse, making available temporary family planning methods, curbing domestic violence, revising CFUG constitutions and Forest Operational Plan and involving women in the Constituent Assembly. By implementing their advocacy action plans, the women have been able to record achievements on all of these issues.

One of the most significant among these was their ability to hold a PHPA of the Thulo-Dhimire Sano-Dhimire road construction program being implemented in the area. In the fifth week of classes in January 2008, the women selected the issue of “the unaccountable performance of the Executive Committee of the Road Construction User Group” and decided to arrange for a PHPA of the initiative. That same day they went to meet with the EC and invited them to attend a large public meeting to be called seven days later. At this meeting, the PHPA was performed. Local residents living close to the program, who were also the members of the Road Construction User Group, asked questions about the program and the EC responded to their concerns. In all, 68 residents attended the meeting including 30 women and most of them raised questions. Many of the questions were about finances. Of the 13 members of the EC, the President, Vice President, Treasurer and five others were present and answered the queries posed to them.

The President then presented a statement of income and expenditure to date. He informed that 2,025 meters of road had been constructed at Besisahar - Dumre covering the area from Dalal to Dhimire in ward 1 of Udipur VDC at a total cost of NRs. 1,906,216. This money had been provided by a donor agency, the Neighborhood Support Program, with whom an agreement had been signed. From December 2007 onwards for a period of three months, the construction work for 1,600 meters of road was contracted out to the Himdung Construction Company, Kathmandu, at a cost of NRs. 1,590,171.35. In accordance with the agreement signed with the Neighborhood Support Program, the Road Construction User Group had also deposited an amount of Rs. 500,000 in a new bank account which it opened at the Rastriya Banijya Bank branch at Beshisahar. According to the President, this amount of money had been spent in the following way.

Annual Performance Report 2008 50

Income and Expenditure Statement for the NRs. 500,000 deposited in the Bank • Provided to the Himdung Construction Company 400,000 • Spent on a Road Survey 44,550 • Spent on a Sign Board 2,000 • Spent on stationery 1,000 • Spent to open a new bank account 5,000 • Current bank balance 51,900 • Spent on phone bills 2,717 • Spent on snacks 700 • Spent on other stationery 490

Although the President presented the income and expenditure statement quite clearly, since there was disagreement on some of the issues among the EC itself and owing to multiple questions raised by the local residents particularly on procedural matters, the statement was not approved. Amongst others, the public questioned why a survey had not been conducted for the upper area of Thulo Dhimire and in Sano Dhimire, why the road had not been constructed according to the survey, why a machine was being used to construct the road even for the part that cuts through the middle of the village, why there had been disagreements within the EC about allowance rates and why the EC had not been able to maintain cordial and transparent relations with local residents during its term in office. Since the EC was not able to answer all the questions in a satisfactory way it was decided that the President should resign from his position. The meeting was then adjourned for four days.

The meeting was reconvened on 2nd February 2008. It was attended by 88 local residents including 39 women. The EC members started to behave as if they would challenge the decision made at the end of the last meeting. In order to prevent further delay, the GLC women participants took the initiative to declare that since the current EC which had been formed in December 2001 had not been able to perform by the standards of the local residents, it had been dissolved and a new EC would be elected. The meeting was also facilitated by the GLC class facilitator. As a result, a new, 11-member EC was voted in under the leadership of Bhairab Bahadur Lohani. Compared to the previous EC which had included only 2 women, the new committee comprised six women including those holding positions of Vice President and Treasurer. Two of the women were Dalits and one was a Marginalized Janajati. The local community affiliated with the Road Construction User Group comprised 106 households among which eight were Marginalized Janajatis and 13 were Dalits.

The new EC went to the VDC office for an approval letter which was also presented to the donor agency, the Neighbourhood Support Program, as a form of update. Approval letters from the VDC and the DDC were also used to alter the bank account signatories. It collected the running bills and vouchers of the Himdung Construction Company and presented them to the Neighbourhood Support Program for approval, as per their agreement with them. The Neighbourhood Support Program then issued a cheque to be paid to the DDC. Since it had heard about the disagreements between the old and the new EC, the DDC refused to accept the cheque. Instead, a team of representatives from the VDC, the DDC and the District Administration Office visited both old and new EC members in an attempt to resolve any remaining disputes. However, the previous EC members were not very cooperative and by now the entire issue had become extensively politicized. Finally, citing the politicization of the matter, the DDC returned the cheque to the Neighbourhood Support Program.

Sensing that the courageous steps they had taken to ensure accountability in the road construction program was not being recognized by the concerned stakeholders, the members of the Road Construction User Group felt somewhat discouraged but this did not lesson their energy. At the insistence of the new EC, a public meeting to resolve the matter was called for 24 April 2008 at

Annual Performance Report 2008 51 the DDC hall. The meeting was attended by 75 members of the Road Construction User Group, representatives of the previous EC, representatives of the new EC, Local Development Officer, the Assistant Chief District Administration Officer, representatives of all the major political parties, the VDC Secretary and representatives of Neighbourhood Support Program. The meeting decided to recognize the legal authority of the new EC under the leadership of Bhairab Bahadur Lohani, giving it full authority to manage the road construction activities from now onwards. Representatives of both ECs were also requested to sort out the remaining financial matters and pay back pending fees to contractors (in the case of the previous EC) and to the VDC (in the case of the new one). It was declared that any party failing to act according to these decisions would be legally punished. In this way, three months after the issue was first brought up, the GLC class participants’ concerns about the road construction program were laid to rest.

Asked to comment on the success of the initiative the new President of the Road Construction User Group, Bhairab Bahadur Lohani, said, “The GLC classes generated an interest in and commitment to transparency and accountability in the decision making among the participants and they decided to act on this conviction. Regardless of the standpoints of the construction company, the Road Construction User Group members, the donor organization and even the group’s EC, they were determined to expose the malpractices that were going on in the program. That is why they took the lead in the matter." The women themselves have learnt that it is necessary to remove poor leaders that sit in positions of authority, and that the community will support such actions. Also, when there is good leadership, it is much easier to gain the necessary cooperation and assistance. These days, they are increasingly taking part in meetings and expressing their opinions. Their decision-making power has grown too. Sharawati Lohani, the new Treasurer of the Road Construction User Group, is the only woman in Lamjung with the authority to sign the cheques of the Neighbourhood Support Program among all its support initiatives being implemented in the district. .

There have been other, more general learning from this lengthy yet exciting campaign. One is that unnecessary political interference in community development initiatives leads to complications. It is better to recognize this and take the necessary steps before things get out of hand. Another is that while establishing committees that seek to represent the public interest, the committees themselves should be representative of all classes, regions, castes, gender and should also include individuals with the ability to read and write. Finally, service to the community requires patience and an ability to respect public opinion, and it is people with these characteristics that are best suited for social work.

Annual Performance Report 2008 52

8.1.4. Injustice Prevails in a New Nepal

" Makhana Pant Local Resource Person, Lamjung

The Karkidanda Community Forestry User Group (CFUG) is among the 121 CFUGs in Lamjung with which SAGUN Program works. The forest is located in the Beshisahar Range Post in wards 5 and 6 of Chiti VDC. When SAGUN Hydropower Program was in operation in the CFUG from 2002-2006, it had provided the CFUG with trainings on governance and other issues. During the extension period, SAGUN program again supported the group through forest management trainings, and workshop on improved service delivery mechanisms.

The group’s constitution was registered at the District Forest Office in November 1992. At that time, a total of 141 households in wards 5 and 6 of Chiti VDC comprised the members of the group. But the constitution was revised in March 1996 and 35 households including 5 Chepang and 11 Dalit households from ward 6 were removed as group members. Only 118 households remained in the CFUG. The 35 households that were removed were termed "non-users" and started being charged double the rate charged to CFUG members for the purchase of timber and other forest products. This practice continues till this day. Covering an area of 96.90 hectares, the forest was handed over to the CFUG in August 1993.

A meeting between local resource persons, the FECOFUN, Lamjung and SAGUN staff decided to conduct Governance Literacy Classes (GLC) for forest users from two centers in Chiti VDC. I was to facilitate the classes. SAGUN was working with five CFUGs in Chiti VDC but members of the Karkidanda CFUG Executive Committee (EC) and some of the local women came to me and requested that one of the literacy centers should be located in their CFUG. Although I myself was among those that the CFUG had labeled as a “non-user”, I nonetheless recommended to my superiors that one of the centers should be based at the Karkidanda CFUG and my recommendation was later accepted.

The next step was to prepare a name list of the participants for the class. I was looking for the names of 30 women. I met with the President of the CFUG and requested that we include at least five Dalit or Chepang women. I also handed him the names of six such local women for his consideration. However, it transpired that those women whose names I had proposed were considered to be CFUG “non-users” so I was told that they could not be included in the classes. I was further dismayed when another EC member then warned me that if I allowed these women into the classes I would be barred from entering the village. I responded that there was no need to let a dispute among forest users affect our classes, and that even non-forest users had the right to acquire new skills. But I was unable to change their mind.

Those women who had been told they would not be allowed to attend the classes were very disappointed. They met with FECOFUN and SAGUN staff and even with representatives of the District Forest Office. Finally, their names were included in the name list and when classes began in January 2008, they were among the 35 participants. Although the Karkidanda CFUG Treasurer tried to prevent them from getting their share of the stationary needed for the classes, SAGUN staff then intervened and the matter was resolved for the time being.

The next day, however, the issue was discussed among some of the CFUG EC members. They were not happy with what had taken place the day before. They submitted a written complaint to the District Forest Office, FECOFUN and SAGUN claiming that the class facilitator has disobeyed CFUG rulings. I only heard about the matter the following week when the EC Secretary came and told me while I was conducting that week’s class. I also found out that some of the EC members had been trying to influence the participants to take their side of the argument. I was thoroughly disappointed with their narrow-minded behavior, particularly since it was in

Annual Performance Report 2008 53 relation to an educational program which should by nature be open to as many kinds of people as possible. Realizing what was happening, the “non-user” participants returned home without taking the class that day. Not surprisingly, these events did not make it easy for me to retain warm relations with all of the participants but I carried on facilitating the class as best as I could. The next day, however, I informed SAGUN and FECOFUN about what was happening and told them that I did not want to facilitate the classes anymore. They responded that it was our role to tackle all kinds of challenges in our work and that they were requesting me to continue helping them out. So I agreed to carry on.

The recent events were not taken well by the “non-users” either. Not only had they been paying double the amount that the CFUG members were paying for forest products for many years, they were now being told not to attend literacy classes being conducted in their own village! They realized what they were facing was overt discrimination. 86 “non-user” households started discussing the issue and decided that something had to be done about it. A few of them visited the District Administration Office, the District Forest Office, FECOFUN and SAGUN. There, they presented their case and requested for support. In the presence of representatives of the District Forest Office, FECOFUN and SAGUN, they formed a 13- member Adhoc Committee under the leadership of a Dalit woman. The goal of the Adhoc Committee was to foster unity among “non- user” households, amalgamate them into the Karkidanda CFUG and resolve any remaining disputes between forest users and forest non-users. The stakeholders present at this meeting fully supported this initiative.

Staff of the District Forest Office then visited the EC of the Karkidanda CFUG and invited them and other CFUG members to a meet with the members of the Adhoc Committee of the “non- users”, SAGUN and FECOFUN on 16 February 2008. In the end, all the CFUG members and all the non forest users attended. It became difficult to maintain calm and order at such a large gathering. Moreover, the discussion turned nasty right away, when representatives of the Karkidanda CFUG took a hard line in relation to the non-users, accused SAGUN and DFO staff of creating a rift in the community and even issued a warning to SAGUN regarding the further implementation of its activities. That day, the representatives of the DFO, SAGUN and FECOFUN present at the meeting felt that the CFUG members were not just discriminating against the “non-users” but also against them.

In the weeks that followed while the non forest users became more organized, the GLC classes continued. However, the class environment was not very positive. Although the participants identified several advocacy issues and even developed action plans for them, none of the planned activities were carried out. Apart from conducting regular classes, therefore, the GLC program did not result in any campaigning work. The only output was a Participatory Wellbeing Ranking exercise which the participants conducted in the final week’s class. During the classes, issues such as women’s health, women’s rights, education, community forests, caste discrimination, NTFPs and Public Hearing and Public Auditing were brought up and discussed. Due to a lack of trust between the participants and myself, the lack of cooperation on the part of the CFUG EC and the growing tensions between forest users and non forest users in the community, the GLC program can be considered to have failed, both in terms of the process it followed and the outcomes it achieved.

In spite of the failure of the classes, however, the initiative did serve as a catalyst to arouse local non forest users who had been exploited for so long. After all, they only began challenging their marginalized economic and social status after they were told they were not allowed to attend the classes. These days, their energy is increasing day by day. In some way, therefore, SAGUN has contributed to their awakening particularly among Dalit and Chepang households. While some of these disputes had emerged during the time of SAGUN Hydropower program, the CFUG members had not allowed the space to take the matter further and at the time, the “non-users” were too disorganized to act themselves. But the road ahead is still challenging: although the non

Annual Performance Report 2008 54

forest users have presented their case to all of the important stakeholders little action has been taken so far. Moreover, the environment in the village remains tense and is not the kind of setting that would encourage good governance practices. Thus as slogans of a “New Nepal” spread throughout the land, Dalit, Chepang and poor communities who have resided near the forest for more than fifty years are still not being recognized as legitimate forest users. Instead, they continue to tolerate economic exploitation as well as physical and psychological abuse. Theirs remains a sad story.

8.1.5. PGA a tool to ensure good governance

Bhirpakaha Community Forestry User Group is located in Pida VDC of ward no 6 of Dhading Distict. The CFUG was officially handed over to the user group in the fiscal year 2062/3/25. It has covered 11.15 ha of forest area benefiting 42 households. Out of them, 26 households are under the poor category and only one household is Janajati. The Executive committee consisted of 11 members including 5 women.

The CFUG conducted PGA with the support of SAGUN Program to assess the current status of governance of the group, identify the gaps and areas for improvement and prepare action plans for further improvement of internal governance. The program was conducted in presence of neighboring CFUGs, executive members and users group. SAGUN LRP Rakeshna Basnet facilitated the program. The PGA matrix tool was used to assess the status. The assessment showed that the group was poor in terms of governance. The group identified the areas of improvement such as lack of representation of women in executive committee, lack of pro-poor activities, lack of sharing of important decision to the users, irregularities in conducting monthly meeting and general assembly, lack of follow up of operational plan for regular activities.

Prior to the assessment, the women of the CFUGs demanded to put women in the executive committee. However, the executive committee overlooked their demand doubting the women’s ability to handle the community activities. After the assessment, the executive committee and the users realized the need of women in the key positions. Immediately, the participants demanded to keep the women in key positions and in line with this, two women namely Thuli Maya Adhikari and Mithu Adhikari were placed as Vice-chairperson and Treasurer respectively. Thus, the executive committee was reshuffled.

Similarly, Top Bahadur Adhikari who regularly put application for the membership was asked to pay Rs-5000.00. But he was unable to afford this huge amount. In the meantime, the users themselves proposed that he is ranked under the poor category through PWBR process. In this connection, most of the participants agreed and proposed to pay only Rs-70.00 instead of Rs- 5000.00 and agreed upon the proposed request. Thus, a good decision was made in favor of the poor.

This clearly shows that PGA is an effective tool to ensure good governance which helps users to realize the need of women participation in the decision making process. Thuli Maya Adhikari who was elected for the executive committee says that PGA is the important tool to ensure good governance...

Annual Performance Report 2008 55 8. 2. Thematic Stories from Livelihoods Improvement Component

8.2. 1. Ruined life during conflict towards improvement

Mitra Upadhyay District Program Coordinator SAGUN Program Kailali District

Shova Acharya, a 41-year-old mother of five children lives in Baghaura area of Baliya Village Development Committee Ward number 5. She is a regular member of the Birendra Community Forest at Motipur, Kailali district.

Originally from Bardiya, Shova and her husband were forced to move to Kailali in 1994 after a flashflood swept away their land. The new land they acquired was not enough to sustain the family and they had to resort to paid labor in their neighboring houses. Their five children were growing and had to be sent to school. In an effort to meet the family’s growing expenses, Shova set up a small grocery shop in the local market.

All was well until the conflict started in 1996. Bomb blasts and fighting between the Nepal Army and the Maoists ensued and countless innocents were caught in the clashes. Two years later, Shova’s husband was killed in crossfire.

Shova was suddenly placed with the sole responsibility to look after both her home and family. The responsibilities were enormous but even more difficult was the interrogation and the subsequent arrests by the police. “I had no idea whether my husband had any political affiliation with any party. He never told me anything about it,” says Shova..

Four months following her husbands death, Shova was arrested by the Nepal Army on the charges of supporting her ‘terrorist’ husband. She was released only a year later. When she came home, she found her eldest daughter struggling to fend for her four younger siblings. “My home and my children were in a pitiable condition…but I thought now that I am back, things are going to be better,” remembers Shova. Unfortunately, things turned a lot worse. Just three months after her release, the security force arrested her again and this time along with her they took her eldest daughter. Mother and daughter were both imprisoned for a year under the same charges and only released following a court order. When they finally returned home, the children were ill, there was no food to eat and the house was not fit to live in.

Shova feared that the army would come for her again and started to live in hiding. It was only in 2006 when the war ceased that Shova returned to her home.

It was not easy for a single woman to rebuild her home. She was in dire need of financial and humanitarian support. CARE Nepal staff met her at this time and suggested her to approach the Birendra Community Forest User's Group (CFUG) for timber support to rebuild her home and for other small scale income generating activity support. She went to CFUG office with an application. On that day there was a meeting regarding pro poor support program from CARE Nepal. She listened to the discussion and understood the concept of pro poor program. She then decided to take part in pro poor program and approached CARE staff and CFUG for some financial support.

CFUG members were aware of her situation. So they decided to provide her with an interest-free loan of Rs. 10,000 (US$ 155). CARE staff helped her prepare her Livelihoods Implementation Plan (LIP) and Business Plan before starting her grocery shop. Her previous experience in shop keeping helped and soon she was earning Rs. 100-150 per day. Nowadays she has extended her

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shop with an adjoining tea shop and makes Rs. 200-250 per day. Her children are at school and help their mother in the mornings and evenings. Their lives have now become normal.

The story writer reached her shop during his field visit and asked her how she was doing. In reply she said, "I am trying hard to increase my business. My relatives did not help me in my bad days. But my CFUG and CARE Nepal helped me financially and technically to overcome those difficult days. I will always be thankful to CFUG and CARE Nepal."

8.2.2. Miracle of Sidra Business: Experiences of Ram Prasad Tharu

I am Ram Prasad Tharu, resident of Teshanpur Freed Kamaiya (ex-bonded laborer) Settlement in Mohhammadpur-8, Bardiya. I am 30 years old. My wife and I have a two sons and a daughter. I have five katthas of land, which was distributed by the government of Nepal at the time of the rehabilitation of the freed Kamaiyas. My agrarian family is associated with the Garib Kalyan Community Forest User Group (GKCFUG). In the well-being ranking (PWBR) of the group, my family falls under the ultra poor category.

In the year 2064, GKCFUG with the technical and financial assistance of SAGUN started a pro- poor livelihood improvement program. My family along with five ultra poor families were selected for the program. My family opted for Sidra (dried small fish) trading business. My family was granted a sum of Rs. 8, 600.00 as an interest free loan from GKCFUG that was mandatory to repay within two years. As guided by the household level livelihood improvement plan developed for us, we invested the granted money on buying and selling of Sidra. I used to drive my bicycle to the nearby Taratal market to purchase Sidra from local fishermen. I went door to door in neighboring villages (like Sitala Bazaar, Lakshmana, Banshgadhi, Phoolpur, Choudhariya Gaun, Deudakala and so on) to sell my Sidra. Apart from selling Sidra, I also sell seasonal vegetables like bitter gourd, okra, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumber, cabbage, cauliflower, eggplants etc produced in our own garden.

The weekly turnover of my business is approximately 30 to 35 Kilograms. Normally, I used to buy Sidra at Rs. 70.00 to 80.00 and sell it at Rs. 130.00 per kg, which gives me a sufficient margin. As of now, I have spent Rs. 35, 000.00 in purchasing Sidra and made Rs. 52,000.00 revenue from the sale. In this way, I have made Rs. 15,000.00 net profit. Out of the total purchase, Sidra amounting approximately to Rs. 700.00 was used for my household consumption. Within a year of business, I have invested Rs. 4,200.00 for roofing and maintenance of my house and Rs. 8,000.00 for purchasing a couple of male buffaloes for agricultural and transportation purpose. Similarly Rs. 4,425.00 was used to purchase fertilizers, Rs. 960.00 for buying high-yielding improved variety of paddy seeds for farming in 1.5 Bighas of land on share cropping basis (Bataiya). I have spent Rs. 500.00 on my children’s schooling and Rs. 6,000.00 for clothing and food. Thus, we have spent about Rs. 24, 000.00 on household consumption. Though not much, I have Rs. 1,200.00 savings in a small locally made box (Khutruke). Being semi-perishable in nature, Sidra can be stored for months and sold over quite a period of time. Though I mostly sell Sidra for cash, sometimes I sell it on credit as well. I seldom exchange Sidra for food grains; as a result there is less chance of losing the credit sales.

Being impressed by the Sidra business, we have made our mind up to start off-seasonal commercial vegetable farming in all five Katthas of land after harvesting the paddy. Seeing all the changes brought to our family within a year of this business, our neighbors are also attracted by the idea of small-scale businesses. Now they say: “it is a miracle, the Sidra trading business.”

Annual Performance Report 2008 57 8.2.3. Distribution of mosquito nets for poor users: An additional contribution on Livelihood Improvement

As a regular process of sustainable forest management, Community Forest User Groups (CFUG) in Nepal are involved in conservation, management and its effective utilization of their own forest resources. These days CFUGs are significantly investing the revenue/resources generated from its forest on social and economic development within their locality. Conducting pro-poor livelihood improvement activities, scholarships to helpless and orphaned children are some examples of such activities. Women, Dalits, poor and other excluded populace are mostly benefiting from such social and economic empowerment initiatives.

Following the intervention of SAGUN program, participatory well being ranking (PWBR) of CFUGS was conducted. PWBR on the one hand has inspired CFUGs’ leaders to be more responsible and accountable to poor users of their respective groups and side-by-side empowered them to claim their rights over the resources of CFUGs. Similarly to raise their voice strongly within and outside the group, poor members of the group have been able to form a rights forum of poor households (Bipanna Adhikar Manch). Consequently, CFUGs have started to allocate their financial resources in exemplary activities such as; schooling for helpless children from poor families, providing subsidized loans without collateral/grant for livelihood improvement and income generating activities, etc.

In Banke, CFUGs are involved in empowering women, Dalits, poor, ethnic minorities and the socially excluded by bringing them in the decision making process of the CFUG, because of which these people experience a direct effect on their livelihood. In recent days, CFUGs have started some new initiatives in Banke. In order to reduce the threats and safeguard them from various contagious diseases (malaria, dengue, meningitis, japanese encephalitis, kalajar), especially in the summer, CFUGs these days are distributing mosquito nets to the poor and vulnerable users in Banke district. While providing such assistance, CFUGs are giving priority to poor, vulnerable and the socially excluded members of the group. In this way, CFUGs are being able to support poor users in one of the five major livelihood assets i.e. physical asset; which ultimately reduces their vulnerability and threats. Distribution of mosquito nets seems quite popular among CFUGs in Banke. As result of this, more and more CFUGs have started to replicate it in their group as well. Such replication has a significant influence in the improvement of lives of poor, vulnerable and socially excluded populace of communities.

Following table shows the figure of mosquito distribution by CFUGs in Banke: S. CFUG Name Adress benefiti Dalit MJJ Poor Remarks N. ng HHs 1 Siddhi Vinayak Rajhena-4 10 5 3 10 2 nets/HH 2 Srijana Kohalpur – 4 19 1 6 19 1 net/HH 3 Manakamana Kohalpur – 4 15 7 3 15 1 net/HH 4 Namuna Kohalpur - 5 87 12 33 30 1 net/HH 5 Sundhara Khaskusma - 9 22 17 5 22 1 net/HH Dharapani 6 Kanneshowari Binauna – 6,7 123 2 116 123 1 net/HH Total 276 44 166 219

(Sources of information: Information and data were collected either by PFOs or by LRPs under the close guidance and supervision of PFOs and DPC. The collected information was put into PIMS relevant formats by PFOs; which were further critically analyzed and verified by triangulating with other relevant information/PIMS.)

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8.2.4. A change in my life: through Livelihood options

Radhika Pariyar is an inhabitant of Maidi VDC and a member of Dhalpulamatar CFUG. She has two sons and daughter. After her husband left her and got married with another girl, she was forced to lead a terrible life. However, she was provided with a small piece of land (6 anas) that does not produce enough to support her family. In order to survive, she looked after two goats and a buffalo on the basis of Adhiya system (Provide half of the product to the owners). Further she used to work as a wage laborer in other’s field. After all the responsibilities transferred to her, she was struggling hard to put food on the table.

In the meantime, SAGUN/ RIMS Nepal conducted a participatory well being ranking and prepared an action plan to support poor households. Radhika who was ranked under a poor household by the group was proposed the need of support for economic upliftment. In this connection, she was strongly supported by the group members and SAGUN/ RIMS Nepal staff to prepare a livelihood improvement plan. The village unit FECOFUN too agreed with the plan. Radhika who knew a basic tailoring and sewing training requested for a sewing machine. In accordance to her desire, she was supported with a sewing machine along with accessories. She then soon set up a small tailoring shop near by the bazaar on Kartik 2064 BS. She gradually improved her skills. "And now 15 additional households are my permanent costumers," says Radhika beaming with pride.

During 6-7 months of interval, great changes were brought in her life. “I earn approximately Rs- 3000.00 per month,” she says. With the savings from tailoring, she has been able to purchase a piece of land near her house which cost Rs-2000.00. Besides this, she now has access to cash to spend for clothing, schooling her children and medicine. “I repaid my loan of Rs-5000.00 which I took long way back,” she expressed happily. She adds, “Livelihood options brought a change in my life…..” She plans to make a barandha in the near future with the money saved. She is also hopeful of the future. She says “Previously I never knew that I was also a member of the community forestry users group and the group supports poor households like me.” These days she actively participates in community forestry activities. She feels happy and says, “I don’t worry if I need to contribute for 1/2 days for community development as we can reap other benefits from the forest as well. Thanks to SAGUN what I am today is the result of SAGUN program support,” says Radhika.

Radhika's family has become less vulnerable with improved food sufficiency as she has been able to purchase a small piece of land with the savings from her entrepreneurship. The mobility in community development has increased and even interest in acquiring leadership positions in the group. On the other hand, it seems that there are relative improvements in economic as well as social aspects.

8.2.5. Entrepreneur: Bishnu Lama

Bishnu Lama, 26 years old, is a good social worker. It is difficult to find people like Bishnu who have managed time for social wok from such a young age. Bishnu, a chairperson of village unit FECOFUN is a very laborious and hard working person. He regularly participates in community development activities. He is sometimes engaged in conducting meetings/workshop while sometimes in decision making process of community development. However, he doesn't foresee any support from others.

For the continuation of his hard work for community development, SAGUN/RIMS Nepal staff, CFUG members and Bishnu himself discussed in depth about the upliftment of his economic status. He was ranked under the ultra poor category by the group while conducting participatory well being ranking. Bishnu has a small madal shop. He proposed to further strengthen his

Annual Performance Report 2008 59 traditional work. In this connection, the group and SAGUN program staff agreed to support his ongoing IGA. Soon after that, he has set up a new madal shop in Hapse Bazar of Tasarpu VDC. SAGUN Program provided a total of Rs 10,000.00 and the CFUG provided Rs-1000.00 as a grant and he himself invested Rs-5000.00. He continued his business from last July and he has been able to make 30 pieces of madal. "This has further encouraged me to get involved in community development activities," says a cheerful Bishnu.

These days Bishnu is more active and consults with GO/NGOs for community development work in the village. Bishnu gives due credit to the capacity development programs of SAGUN. "Because of a chance to participate in various trainings/workshops organized by SAGUN program it has helped open my eyes," says Bishnu. Further, SAGUN program provided a good platform and opportunities to continue my enterprises which otherwise would have been closed.

8. 3. Thematic Stories from Bio-diversity Conservation Component 8.3.1. Initiatives of Thulo Syabru Community based anti-poaching Operation units - Best practices from Syabru VDC By: SAGUN Program LNP Team Syabru VDC is one among the densely populated VDC in Langtang National Park and buffer zone area. The total number of households is 484 with a majority belonging to marginalized Janajatis, mainly Tamang and Sherpa. The VDC is surrounded by a fair amount of forest cover in comparison to other VDCs. Due to the proximity to the forest resources; community people of these VDCs are resourceful and witness the frequently occurring poaching activities and harvesting of valuable medicinal plants from the nearby forest. Therefore, Syabru VDC was selected among other two VDCs – Briddim and Timure for the formation of Community based anti-poaching operation units.

In the process, an eleven member CBAPO unit was formed on May 11, 2007 and named as Thulo Syabru Community Based Anti-poaching Operation Unit. These units were formed in selected VDCs to seek participation of community people through interaction meeting convened in the respective VDCs. These CBAPO unit members reported of convening their meeting regularly once a month. According to the members interviewed during the process of data collection, the significance of Thulo Syabru CABPO unit was highlighted. According to him, this kind of CABPO unit can play the role of community watch group and contribute in controlling poaching and illegal harvesting. The CBAPO units being a part of the community know the usual routes used by poachers for trapping animals like musk deer and harvesting plant resources like lokta. This has effectively supported in controlling conserving wildlife.

However, the members recruited for the patrolling for five days shared the experience. According to them the work was strenuous since there was no proper food to eat and place to sleep despite the enjoyment of scenic beauty of the forest.

8.3.2. Initiatives to improve livelihood from off-farm based NTFPs cultivation - Best practices from Bhorely VDC By: SAGUN Program LNP Team Bhorley VDC lies in lower belt of Langtang National Park and buffer zone and most of the residents belong to pro-poor groups. LNP BZ SP considering the pro-poor status of people of this VDC prepared the Livelihood Improvement Plan (LIP) this year. LIP builds on the foundation of local resource potential, traditional/occupational skills of the target group, marketing potentialities and value chain analysis of products and services to be marketed from a holistic perspective. For Bhorely VDCs, broom grass was identified as the potential NTFPs. Therefore, the project supported broom grass farming by distributing seedlings through the formation of Broom Grass

Annual Performance Report 2008 60

management committee. As per recommendation made by LIP, 106,900 rhizomes of broom grass, popularly known as Amriso was distributed to 66 poor households. The households planted the rhizomes in their respective private lands. Amriso is a most favored fodder, and it is also useful to control landslides as it has the capacity to bind the soil particles. As the name implies, broom grass is used for making brooms meant for cleaning purpose. By encouraging stall feeding, it contributes to conservation as a whole. LNPBZ SP supported to purchase rhizomes at Rs. 0.5 per rhizome with the potential of sprouting at least three seedlings.

8.3.3. Two Tibetan Poachers arrested by communities By: SAGUN Program KCA team

Two Tibetan poachers were arrested by the operation team from Walangchung gola and confiscated more than 50 kg. of maikopila (saussurea tridactyla) – a NTFPs product. Two arrested poachers were warned not to do such illegal activities from next time, penalized some amount and were sent back to Tibet by the community based anti-poaching operation unit (CBAOU) of Walangchung Gola sector during forest monitoring. They were kept three days in police custody. it is clearly observed and realized that the conservation status and the population of wildlife and maps is improved compared to the past months/years due to the regular and frequent monitoring of forests and alpine pastures of KCA while the number of Two MAPs poachers arrested by a anti-poaching Tibetan poachers entering the area has operation team in WGola sector drastically reduced. At the same time, due to the inclusion of local poachers/hunters in the (CBAOU) and forests monitoring team, they have been self motivated and morally discouraged to do such illegal activities.

8.3.4. Essential oil enterprise in Ghunsa – means of alternative source of income By: SAGUN Program KCA team

Essential oil enterprise was established in Ghunsa in May 2007 in order to create an alternative source of income to the local communities and enable wise use of NTFPs resources sustainably which were previously not of any use for livelihood promotion. Earlier to this, the resource inventory of Dhupi (Juniperus indica) and Sunpati (Rhododendron anthopogon) was carried out and the natural stock of the resources was identified. After the clear indication of stock through resource inventory in the community forests, and costs benefit analysis and market demands, the enterprise was established in Ghunsa. In the first year of establishment, around 50 kg of Juniper oil worth of Rs. 1,10,000 was Essential oil enterprise in Ghunsa

Annual Performance Report 2008 61 extracted and traded to Kathmandu. A five year agreement was also signed between the Mahabir Shree International Private Limited, Kathmandu and essential oil producer group of Ghunsa regarding buy-back of the anthopogon and juniper oil in facilitation of the project. Local entrepreneurs were brought to Kathmandu for market linkage. Over 15 local collectors are involved in collection of juniper leaves. This has created a more sense of ownership that conservation is not only for the sake of conservation, but also for livelihood improvement. After the successful production and sale of Juniper oil at better market price and MoU sign up, the communities and production groups are very much encouraged to produce the essential oil of Juniper and Anthopogon efficiently and timely ensuring the sustainability of resources in its natural habitat. As an end use of micro hydro in Ghunsa, an electric heating plate has also been provided to the essential oil entrepreneurs, the use of which will minimize the dependency of energy on firewood and also increases efficiency of production of essential oil.

8.3.5. Tashi rewarded with Abram Conservation Award By: SAGUN Program SPNP BZ team

Mr. Tashi Gyalchhan Lama, an active conservationist since the early age of 24 has spent his entire life working for the conservation of local biodiversity. He was awarded with the prestigious Gorkha Dakshin Bahu V in 2032 BS for assisting the government on anti Khampas operation. He has played an important role in the conservation of key mountain species such as snow leopard, blue sheep and musk deer. Mr. Lama played key role as a mediator in Shey Phoksundo NP declaration and through his initiation and support 100 per cent solar electrification in upper Dolpa has been possible. He successfully introduced the plantation of Salix trees in upper Dolpa. As a Tibetan language teacher, he has been imparting knowledge of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs) and Amchi tradition to small children.

With the initiation of SAGUN program in Dolpa Tashi has been oriented on various good governance practices, facilitated many local level SAGUN activities, mobilizing his community as a resource person and initiated good governance practices within his community. He has been effectively providing a good leadership to his committee- Buddha BZUC of Saldang. Most of community works related to his committee are going on smoothly and in a transparent and participatory way. Recognizing his enormous contribution in conservation and community development Tashi has been awarded the prestigious Abraham Conservation Award of year 2008. Tashi gives this credit to the capacity building program of NMCP/SAGUN. “What I am doing better and know new things more today is the result of SAGUN program,” says Tashi.

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8.4. Thematic story from Policy and Advocacy Component 8.4.1. At last they left Indrayani CF By: The SAGUN Program Policy Advocacy Component Team

Indrayani Community Forest lies in Bairaney -7 Dhading. It covers about 634 ropani of degraded forest and barren lands. Eleven years ago, this forest was handed over to the local community 200 house holds). Due to the intensive efforts of the local community, the degraded forest has turned into greenery.

Unfortunately, 1 Sept 2008, over 535 numbers of so called landless people interfered and captured the forest areas to built sheds for their settlement. As the estimation, they captured more than 40 ropani of land of Indrayani CF. That was a big challenge to CFUG of Indaruani , FECOFUN and forest activiest. During this crtial situation, users group of Indrainy CF managed advocacy campaigns strategically in different levels ( local, district and centerl) against the forest encroachment with the backstopping of center FECOFUN.

In local level, the CFUG registered a complained againts to the enchorachment in the District Administrative Office and Distrct Forest Office for legal actions. They also mobilized ordinary users in social campaigns such as: mass meeting, mass demostration , corner meeting, house to house and tole to tole meeting, press release and delegations etc.

The district level federation of FECOFUN played crucial role in advocacy campaign and arranged series of interactions meetings in the district head quarter among the political parties, CSOs, Journalists, GLAs and other stakeholders to make boarders understanding and building up constituency on the issues of CF encroachment. Likewise, the center FECOFUN also involved actively and played crucial role in coordination and mobilization of Medias and other key stakeholders of the forestry sector in the center. Formal and informal meetings were carried out in the presence of government policy makers(Minister, Secretary, Directorate General of Forest Department and other members), CSOs and media

Annual Performance Report 2008 63 personals on the issues and its implications to sustainable biodiversity conservation of the country. Both electronics' and prints media also used intensively and they helped to bring local issues in national levels in developing boarder understanding on the issue.

Due to the multi- layer ( local, district and center ) advocacy effects , the political parties , CSOs, and GLAs have realized the bad effects of forest encroachment in forest management process of the country. Therefore, they expressed their solidarity to the CFUG/FECOFUNs' movements against the encroachment of CF and securing the community rights over the local forest.

As the results of effective advocacy with using appropriate tools and techniques against the encroachment of the CF , the encroachers ( so called land less ) realized their weakness and left the forest area peacefully at 11 September, 008.

Annual Performance Report 2008 64

SAGUN Program

Annex 1: SAGUN Program Annual Progress Report Quantitative Progress Against Plan

Implementing Period: October 2007 to September 2008 Implementing Agency: CARE Nepal, WWF Nepal, RIMS Nepal and FECOFUN Fiscal Year: 2008

S.N Third Quarter Progress Total Justification PROJECT ACTIVITIES Focus Groups Unit Qualitative Indicator Percentag CAREWWF RIMS FECOFUN Plan Prog e

Plan Prog Plan Prog Plan Prog Plan Prog

Objective 1 STRENGTHENED GOVERNANCE

Output:1 Increased level of transparency and accountability in the functioning of UGs,CSOs and GLAs

Conduct Participatory Governance CFUGs/CSOs/GL 1.1.1 Assessment (PGA) in all sectors As A total of 191 UGs in Banke, Bardia, Kailali, Lamjung, Gorkha, Dhading, KCA (CAUCs) conducted PGA during this reporting 1.1.1a User Groups (UGs) UGs No. period. A total of 7044 participants including 3539 women, 934 76 83 10 7 90 101 176 191 109 Dalits, 3190 Marginalized Janajatis and 1914 poor took part in this process.

During this reporting period PGA of 8 CSOs ( 4 NGOs, 1 Women Advocacy Forum and 3 FECOFUN) completed in Kailali, Bardia, 1.1.1b Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) CSOs No. Banke Lamjung and Dhading districts. A total of 143 CSO members 6 6 2 2 8 8 100 including 61 women, 39 Dalits and 34 MJJ participated in the assessment process.

During this reporting period two District Forest Offices of Lamjung and Banke assessed their Governance status. A total of 52 participants incliuding 1 women and 12 janajatis participated in the events. Overall status of governance of these two Offices was found "Good". 1.1.1c Government Line Agencies (GLAs) GLAs No. 22 2 2 100 An action plan has been prepard to improve the current governance status and address the identified gaps. Participants expressed their commitment to accomplish the action plans to improve the internal governance and effective delivery of the services.

Twelve events of this activity was conducted in Kailali, Banke, CFUGs/CSOs/G Lamjung Dhading, SPNP BZ, LNP BZ and KCA. A total of 405 user 1.1.2 Conduct review/interaction meetings Event 4 5 3 3 4 4 11 12 109 LAs including 118 women, 28 Dalits, 115 Marginalized Janajatis and 25 Poor participated in this process.

Prepare constitutions and FOPs from 1.1.3 CFUGs governance and GED perspectives

Three community forests, which covers a total area of 191.06 ha area prepared their new FOPs and constitutions. A total of 186 participants including 52 women, 5 dalit, 106 Janajatis and 55 poor participated 1.1.3a FOP Preparartion (New) CFUGs Group 3 3 3 3 100 during the general assembly for finalizing the contents FOP and constitution. A total of 204 Hhs including 9 dalits and 57 poor have been benefited from preparation of new FOPs and constitutions.

Page 1 of 9 Annual Performance Report 2008 SAGUN Program

S.N Third Quarter Progress Total Justification PROJECT ACTIVITIES Focus Groups Unit Qualitative Indicator Percentag CARE WWF RIMS FECOFUN Plan Prog e

During this reporting period a total of 126 FOPs and Constitutions of FOPs of 13 CFUGs in Lantang NP BZ CFUGs/BZCFUGs were renewed in Lamjung, Gorkha, Dhading, were revised which was not planned SPNP Dolpa and LPNP BZ with governance perspecives. Mandatory initially. This was due to the demand provisions of PHPA, equitable distribution of forest products and from the groups and deemed necessary 1.1.3b Renewal CFUGs No. mobilization of group fund based on the results of PWBR and 94 93 9 20 13 13 116 126 109 by the project for the fair distribution of representation of women, dalits, Marginalized Janajatis and poor in resources, to increase transparency and decision making positions have been incorporated in the revised FOPs accountability of the resource and constitutions. DFO/Park staffs, project staffs and LRPs jointly distribution. worked to completed this activity.

This activity was conducted in Kailali, Banke, Lamjung, Gorkha, Conduct group and financial management 1.1.4 CFUGs Event Dhading and LNP BZ. A total of 537 users including 274 women,75 15 17 2 1 2 2 19 20 105 training through LRPs Dalits, 224 MJJ and 129 Poor participated in the training.

Conduct Governance, GED, Social 1.1.5 CFUGs/GLAs 0 inclusion and peace building training

Three events of this training was accomplished in Kailali, Gorkha and Dhading districts particulatrly targeted to WDP and MJJ. All together Women, Dalit 334 users including 217 women, 46 Dalits 124 MJJ and 72 Poor 1.1.5a User Groups (UGs) Event 66 6 6 12 12 100 and Poor participated in the training. This training was to sensitize the CFUGs on governance, RBA, advocacy, GED, social inclusion and peace building to the CFUGs.

1.1.5b Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) CSOs Event

Government Line Agencies (GLAs) 1.1.5c (Officers, Rangers and Forest Guards )

Officers (Cluster level) GLAs officers Event Rangers (Cluster level) GLAs Rangers Event GLAs Forest Forest Guards Event Gurads

Eighteen events of this activity were completed in Kailali and Dhading Due the increasing demand of CFUG and 17 CFUGs and one RP Level FECOFUN conducted annual plan Conduct annual work plan preparation FECOFUN, the SAGUN Program staffs 1.1.6 CFUGs Event workshop in participation of a total of 440 person including 220 45 7 13 11 18 164 workshop for UGs provided technical support, so target has women, 71 Dalits and 196 MJJ and 135 poor participated in those been exceded. events.

1.1.7 Conduct PHPA at all levels UGs/CSOs/GLAs

During this reporting period 565 UGs conducted PHPA in Kailali, Bardia, Banke, Lamjung, Gorkha, Dhading, SPNP BZ, LNP BZ and KCA. A total of 45237 users including 20428 women, 4727 Dalits, 1.1.7a User Groups (UGs) UGs Event 21345 MJJ and 13753 Poor participated in this process.This activity 320 329 27 29 200 207 547 565 103 was instrumental and effective for making things transparent and open to the public, enhance accountability of ECs and increased the participation of users to promote good governance.

One evet of this activity was completed in KCA Taplejung. Himali Conservation Forum had conducted PHPA in facilitation of project's 1.1.7b Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) CSOs Event social mobilizers and Federation of Nepalese Journalists. A total of 15 1 1 1 1 100 Members of Marginalized Janajatis including 5 women participated in this event.

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S.N Third Quarter Progress Total Justification PROJECT ACTIVITIES Focus Groups Unit Qualitative Indicator Percentag CARE WWF RIMS FECOFUN Plan Prog e

With the technical support from SAGUN, FECOFUN Banke organized this event in Banke District. A total of 74 stakeholders including 8 Members of Interim Parliament, Director General of DOF 1.1.7c Government Line Agencies (GLAs) GLAs Event CSO representatives, journalists and other stakeholders participated 11 1 1 100 the program. Major issues raised during the discussion were current status of rampant deforestation, illegal export of stone and boulders to India, delay in handover of CF in Terai etc.

Two events of this workshop were completed in kailali, Lamjung Orientation workshop to UGs on service Gorkha and Dhading. Altogether 274 users including 172 women, 50 1.1.8 CFUGs Event 99 1 1 10 10 100 delivery system of CSOs and GLAs Dalits, 102 MJJs and 84 poor members of 104 CFUGs participated in this workshop.

Executive committee members of Nine CFUGs of Rimi and Kaigaun VDC of This activity was completed in Kailali, Bardia, Banke Lamjung and Dolpa were gathered at one places, and Constitution/FOP orientation through Dhading districts and SPNP Dolpa. All together 11758 users 1.1.9 CFUGs CFUGs 166 205 9 1 80 80 255 286 112 oriented and they were back to their LRPs/WMs including 6849 women, 1668 Dalits, 6266 Marginalized Janajati and CFUGs and oriented the users. As 7 3670 poor participated in those events. CFUGs were oriented during FOP/ constitution renewal process.

Output:2 Increased equity and benefit-sharing among UG members

More numberrs of PWBR were This activity was completed in Lamjung, Dhading, LNP BZ and KCA supported through GLC participants in All together 28865 users including 1425 women, 972 Dalits, 20231 Lamjung and due to the demand of UGs 1.2.1 Conduct PWBR CFUGs CFUGs Marginalized Janajati and 16087 poor participated in those events. 17 0 49 100 100 100 166 166 in LNPBZ and KCA, supprot was Among the users 16.44, 35.22 and 48.34 users fall unders well off, provided to create the enabling Medium and poor catagory respectively. environment for focusing pro-poor programs.

Training on planning, fund mobilization 1.2.2 CFUGs/LRPs and Livelihoods Improvement Plan (LIP)

1.2.2a LRPs LRPs Event

During this reporting period, 15 event of this training was completed in Bardia, Gorkha and SPNP BZ, LNP BZ, and KCA . A total of 423 1.2.2b UGs through LRPs/WMs CFUGs Event 12 12 3 3 15 15 100 UG members including 226 women, 81 Dalits, 246 MJJs and 237 poor participated in this process.

Output:3 Improved technical capacity for forest management

1.3.1 CF management training for UGs,/GLAS CFUGs

One event of this training was completed in Lamjung in participation of LRPs, FECOFUN representatives and SAGUN staffs. All together 1.3.1a LRPs LRPs Event 11 1 1 100 31 LRPs including 16 women, 4 Dalits and 7 Janajtis in this event. This activity was instrumnetal to equipt the LRPs in CF Management.

Thirty events of CFUG level CF management training was conducted in Kailali, Bardia, Banke, Gorkha, Lamjung and Dhading districts. 1.3.1b UGs CFUGs Event Altogether, 802 participants including 506 women, 126 Dalit, 357 20 20 10 10 30 30 100 Janajatis and 207 poor actively participated in the traning. Participants developed skill on active forest management through this training.

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S.N Third Quarter Progress Total Justification PROJECT ACTIVITIES Focus Groups Unit Qualitative Indicator Percentag CARE WWF RIMS FECOFUN Plan Prog e

Output:4 Increased level of meaningful participation of all UG members particularly WDP

As all the trained LRPs of previous year in Dhading were mobilized with proper 1.4.1 Orientation (Skilling) of LRPs LRPs/WMs Event 1 0 1 0 0 orientation during meetings, so this even was not felt necessary considering the resource constraint.

Governance Literacy Classes were completed in Kailali, Bardia, Banke, Lamjung, Gorkaha and Dhading and KCA. A total of 3985 1.4.2 Conduct Governance Literacy Classes CFUGs Centers 130 133 2 4 20 20 152 157 103 persons including 3911 women 7784 Dalits and 1635 Marginalized Janajati and and 1476 poor users completed GLC

This activity was completed in Kailali, Lamjung, SPNP BZ, LNP BZ In KCAP, four events planned are Women, Dalits and KCA. All together 2248 users including 1622 women, 308 Dalits, 1.4.3 Support social compaigns for WDP/WAF Issues 45647 7 17 16 94 merged in to two events based on the and Poors 359 Marginalized Janajati and 309 users participated in social accessibility and effectiveness. campaigns.

Three evet of this activity was completed in Banke, Dhading and LNP Women, Dalits BZ. A total of 97 persons including 61 women, 5 Dalits and 40 One additional event was conducted in 1.4.4 Exposure visits /study tour Event 11 11 1 2 3 150 and Poors Marginalized Janajati and 20 poor users participated in exposure LNP BZ as demand of the community. visit.

Eighteen events of this training were completed in Kailali, Banke, Women, Dalits Gorkha and Dhading districts. A total of 520 users inclucing 309 1.4.5 Conduct Leadership training Event 68 10 10 16 18 113 and Poors in ECs women, 65 Dalits, 222 Marginalized Janajatis and 169 poor participated in this training.

During the reporting period, 12 events of good governance training was conducted in Dhading focusing women, dalit, poor and Conduct Traaining on good governance Ugs/Women, 1.4.6 Event marginalized janajatis. A total of 327 participants including 203 12 12 12 12 100 focusing on WDPs Dalits and Poor women, 70 dalit and 122 janajatis and 100 poor participants participated in this training.

The total of 10 WMs/ male motivators were mobilized in the field this year. Out of 10, four were women and 8 were MJJs. WMs had helped 1.4.7 Mobilization of WMs WMs Person 9 10 9 10 111 in the process of implementation of activities at the site level, field monitoring, CBOs strengthening, and follow up support.

1.4.8 Skilling /re-skilling of WMs WMs Person

Output:5 Monitoring, evaluation, documentation and dissimination (case studies, research, publication and dissimination)

A case study on " Policy provisions and implementation status of pro- poor policies of the Community Forestry Users Groups has been 1.5.1 Case studies CFUGs Case 11 1 1 100 conducted in Kailali, Banke and Dhading districts during this reporting period.

A set of governance tools, Livelihood Improvement initiatives and Documentation of learning and best Governance Literacy Classes, the most significant activites targeted to 1.5.2 Public Set 12 1 2 200 practices women and poor on its process and achievements have been documented.

Based on the experience of SAGUN Program, a poster covering all the Production and dissemination of IEC four thematic area of program has been developed in due consideration 1.5.3 Public Set 1 1 1 1 100 materials of marking and branding strategy of USAID. The poster is widely distributed among the partners and stakeholders

Sub Total Governance 1,530 1,687 110

Page 4 of 9 Annual Performance Report 2008 SAGUN Program

S.N Third Quarter Progress Total Justification PROJECT ACTIVITIES Focus Groups Unit Qualitative Indicator Percentag CARE WWF RIMS FECOFUN Plan Prog e OBJ 2 IMPROVED LIVELIHOODS

Output:1 Improve income through IGAs and Community Based Enterprises (CBE) GLAs, Stakeholders consultation meeting on pro- 2.1.1 FECOFUN, Event poor livelihoods initiatives CFUGs

A Subsector analysis was carried out in Langtang by RED group. The GLAs, Sub sector Analysis/value chain for study carried out atrractive analysis and ranking matrix to identify 2.1.2 FECOFUN, Event 11 1 1 100 potential IGAs potential NTFPs for increasing livelihoods of the local people. CFUGs Chirayito is identified as one of the potential NTFPs.

Nine ultra poor women and Chepang men of Lamjung and Dhading, were supported to enhance their skills which is supposed to improve 2.1.3 Skill based training to implement IGAs Poor users person their livelihood, i.e . Bee Keeping, Poultry and Sewing-cutting. After 24 5 5 7 9 129 taining, participants were supported with bee hive, sewing machine and poultry pet.

Grant Support fund for start-up 2.1.4 endowment

Forty four CFUGs of Kailali, Bardia, Banke, Lamjung, Gorkha and Dhading were supported to enhance the livelihood assets of 249 poor Small scale community grant support for households. A livelihood fund developed with grant support of CFUGs/poor 2.1.4a strengthening livelihoods asset of the poor Group Program and matching fund of CFUG was mobilized to improve the 23 28 235 310 7 7 265 338 128 users (for groups included in LIP) livelihood options of poor households. In addition to that 310 households from SPNP BZ, LNPBZ and KCA were supported for Livelihoods support.

An enterproise of Bamboo Goods Production and Marketing in Bardiya has been started by NTFP cooperative for HH consumption goods. Till date, it is reported that 8 HHs from 4 CFUGs have started Support for community based enterprise producing different items of HH consumption Bamboo goods and 2.1.4b CFUGs Group 11 1 1 100 development brought to Gulariya for selling. The producer Hhs have bbn earning an average amount of Rs 1498.50 permonth from the enterprise. It is expected that the rate of production will be increased after Dashain and Tihar Festival.

During this reporting period, a sum of Rs 70,000 was supported by program as a part of small grant (seed money) to 7 CFUGs and the group also contributed a total of Rs- 18400 as a part of matching fund Revolving fund and saving/credit 2.1.4.c CFUGs Group for the implementation of revolving fund. This fund was mobilized to 7 7 7 7 100 cooperatives strengthen livelihood assets of poor Dalits, women, MJJ, single women. This activity has benefited a total of 62 Hhs including, 25 Dalits and 19 Marginalized households of Dhading District.

Community based resin tapping, a livelihood initiative to support of th poor household was initiated in the first phase of SAGUN. During thi 2.1.4d Strengthenig on going IGAs CFUGs Event reporting period equipments such as nitric and sulphuric acid were 4 4 4 4 100 supported. Likewise, a person has been supported for strengthening of madal (an instrument for music) shop.

68 poor households of Dhading and LNP BZ were supported for IGAs The major activities conducted by the poor hhs include livestock raising such as goat, buffalo raising, piegion farming, ion wokshop in The number is increased as demanded by 2.1.4e Implemantation of IGAs CFUGs Group 25 41 6 6 31 47 152 Dhading and broom grass rhizomes were support for IGA in LNP BZ. the CFUGs and meet their needs. Broom grass is highly potential for conservation as well as income generating activities.

Hospitality management training for 2.1.5 UGs Event ecotourism

Page 5 of 9 Annual Performance Report 2008 SAGUN Program

S.N Third Quarter Progress Total Justification PROJECT ACTIVITIES Focus Groups Unit Qualitative Indicator Percentag CARE WWF RIMS FECOFUN Plan Prog e Training on promotion of traditional health 2.1.6 UGs Event care system

Output:2 Institutionalization of pro-poor initiatives in the UGs and GLAs

Baseline survey of poor households Baseline survey of poor households who implemented LIP in Kailali, 2.2.1 involved in Livelihoods Improvement LIP participants No 11 1 1 100 Bardia, Banke, Lamjung and Gorkha have been completed. Plans (LIPs) (Cluster level)

UGs, CSOs and A guideline for LIP is completed in this fiscal year for SPNP BZ, LNP Guidelines developed was used for 3 2.2.2 Develop guidelines for LIP (Cluster Level) Plan 31 3 1 33 GLAs BZ and KCA by WWF. sites fo prepare the LIP in WWF areas.

During this reporting period, orientation training to prepare the UG level LIP of 48 CFUGs of Kailali, Bardia, Banke, Lamjung, Gorkha Orientation training on LIP preparation and Dhading districts LIPs have been prepared/ developed. Three 2.2.3 CFUGs No 30 38 3 3 7 10 40 51 128 and development of LIP training were completed in SPNP BZ, LNP BZ and KCA. A total of 5638 including 2826 women, 804 Dalit, 2780 Marginalized Janajati and 2527 poor HHs were benefited from this orientation training.

The total of 3 events training on linakge to markets and private sectors were organized this year as targeted in LNP BZ and KCA. All togethe 44 participants including 20 women and 37 Janajatis took part in this LIP training. This training was for farmers and local level traders to Training on linkage to markets and private 2.2.4 participants/Enter Event improve the Chiraito Marketing and Enterprneurship Development 33 3 3 100 sector preneurs was completed in LNP BZ.

CFUGs /Poor 2.2.5 Impact assessment of LIP No 11 1 1 100 users

Women, Dalit 2.2.6 Exposure visits /study tour Event and Poor The total of 3 events of Implementation of LIPs completed as planned. 2.2.7 Implementation of LIPs LIP participants No There were a total of 108 participants including 37 women, 67 MJJ 33 3 3 and 41 poor.

Output:3 Optimised biomass extraction for livelihoods

During this reporting period 638 CFUGs conducted active forest management activities in their CFUGs and harvested 32387.75 Metric ton biomas including timber, poles, fuwelwood, thatches, fodder/grass 2.3.1 Active forest management CFUGs CFUGs 355 348 125 161 480 509 106 and NTFPs. A total of 11750 users inclucing 6714 women, 1610 Dalits, 5068 Marginalized Janajatis and 4483 poor participated in this process.

The total of 9 groups were supported technically and/ or financially in Dhading and LNP BZ for cultivation and marketing of NTFPs Support cultivation and/ or marketing of 2.3.2 CFUGs Group (especially Chirayito in Langtang). In Dhading a 3 days long exposure 135 4 6 7 117 NTFPs visit to Gorkha Ayurvedic Company, Jadibuti Bikas Kendra and ANSAB was conducted for representatives of 6 groups.

Output:4 Monitoring evaluation,documentation and dissimination

Sub Total Livelihoods 853 983 115

Page 6 of 9 Annual Performance Report 2008 SAGUN Program

S.N Third Quarter Progress Total Justification PROJECT ACTIVITIES Focus Groups Unit Qualitative Indicator Percentag CARE WWF RIMS FECOFUN Plan Prog e OBJ 3 BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION

Output:1 Develop capacity for Participatory Biodiversity Monitoring and initite implementation

Conduct training and skill enhancement on 3.1.1 CFUGs Event PBM for local users/LRPs ( Cluster Level)

Complete community based biodiversity 3.1.2 CFUGs registration

Conducting root cause analysis by 3.1.3 conducting relevant training

Biodiversity monitoring process is completed in 18 CFUGs of Kailali, Bardia, Banke, Lmjung, Gorkha and Dhading districts. Three More CFUGs were supported in Support CFUGs to conduct biodiversity Biodiversity monitoring plan are prepared in SPNP BZ, LNP BZ and 3.1.4 CFUG/BZUG CFUGs 69233 9 11 21 191 Dhading based on demand from CFUGs monitoring in CF through LRPs KCA, which has focused mainly on providing methodology to assess and being a important activity. the staus of flora, fauna and its ecosystem and identify threats and overcome strategies.

Ouput: 2 Improved biodiversity and productivity of CF and BZF

This activity was completed in LNP BZ and KCA. A BZCFUG is Identify and initiate management in forest CFUG /Religious 3.2.1 Hectare supported to cultivate the Chairaito in Langtang and a seed fund for 175 185 175 185 106 areas forest plantation and management of forest was established in Taplejung.

Ouput: 3 Reduced threat to biodiversity

Research on snow leopard-establish and Two Snow-leopard habitat maps prepared as planned in LNP BZ and 3.3.1 N o 22 2 2 100 update database KCA.

Revisit forest classification and desktop 3.3.2 No monitoring (GIS Based)

One communtiy based livestock insurance scheme was established in Establish community-based livestock 3.3.3 BZUG No Dolpa. The total of 150 households from ward 1-9 of Saldang VDC 11 1 1 100 insuirence scheme has registered their cattle for the insurance scheme.

The total of three awareness program were conducted for herder's education. There were 70 participants and 19 were women, 70 MJJs Conduct herder's education and awareness One extra event was organized in 3.3.4 BZUG Event and 19 are poor.Orientation and awareness raising programs was 23 2 3 150 programs Dolpa as demanded by the community. focused on pastureland management and, management and sustainable harvest of meditional and aromatic plants.

Page 7 of 9 Annual Performance Report 2008 SAGUN Program

S.N Third Quarter Progress Total Justification PROJECT ACTIVITIES Focus Groups Unit Qualitative Indicator Percentag CARE WWF RIMS FECOFUN Plan Prog e

Ouput: 4 Protected Areas evaluatedfor management effectiveness

Ouput: 5 Documentation and disseminated case studies and evaluated indicators for biodiversity conservation

Sub Total Biodiversity 17 28 165

OBJ:4 POLICY ADVOCACY AND AWARENESS

Output: 1 Enhance policy awareness and advocacy skills of UGS,CSOs and GLAs

Nineteen events of this activity was completed in SPNP BZ, LNPBZ , CSOs, GLAs, KCA and FECOFUN Program areas. A total of 1470 users including Conduct issue based interaction at FECOFUN, 420 women, 118 Dalits and 656 Marginalized Janajatis were 4.1.1 Event 33 16 16 19 19 100 different levels Political Parties, participated in this process. The participants of interactions conducted FUGs by FECOFUN were from different political parties, GLAs and CSOs including FECOFUN.

Journalists, This activity was completed in FECOFUN area . All together 121 CSOs, GLAs, participants including 23 women, 5 Dalits and 18 Marginalized 4.1.2 Media awareness workshop FECOFUN, Event Janajatis participated in this workshop. This workshop was 333 3 100 Political Parties, represented by political parties, CSOs, GLAs, FECOFUN including FUGs print and electronic media personals.

One event TOT for community facilitators of Shira,Saptari, Udeypur, Sunsari, Morang, Dhunkuta, Ilam , Jhapa and Panchthar was ToT on advocacy for LRPs and LRPs and 4.1.3 Event conducted in Dharan. A total of 23 LRPs including 10 women and 9 111 1 100 advocacy facilitator Facilitators MJJ representing from 9 FECOFUN chapters participated in this Advocacy and RBA TOT.

CSOs, GLAs, Two events of this training was conducted in center and regional units Training for CSOs, political parties and FECOFUN, of SAGUN PAC program. All together 52 participants with 25 4.1.4 Event 222 2 100 GLAs on advocacy Political Parties, women, 7 Dalits and 12 MJJ representing different political parties, FUGs CSOs, GLAs and FECOFUN participated in this advocacy training.

Output: 2 Increased affiliation of NRM based groups with their federations

This workshop was conducted in SPNP BZ, LNP BZ, KCA and FECOFUN Area (Bardia, Salyan and Lamjung) which had CSOs, GLAs, focused on networking of Resin producers and Awareness workshop on importance FECOFUN, 4.2.1 Event strengngthening of BZCFUGs and CSOs. A total of 389 33 336 6 100 of federations and networking Political Parties, persons including 151 women, 75 Dalits, 177 marginalized FUGs janajatis and 63 poor took part in this workshop representing different CFUGs, CSOs, GLAs and FECOFUN, BZCFUGs.

Ouptut :3 Increase frequency of dialogue across various sectors

Six events of interaction and debate were carried out in KCA, and fou different places of terai and mid hills regarding the illegal trade and export of Sandalwood (Rakta Chandan) in KCA, forest encroachment, CSOs, GLAs, illicit felling of timbesi other areas. There were total of 264 Interaction and debate among policy FECOFUN, participants including 61 women, 15 dalits and 102 MJJs in the 4.3.1 makers, CSOs and rights holder at Event 22 446 6 100 Political Parties, interactions. The main outcome was the commitments made by most o different level FUGs the office heads to work together in future to make KCA, a model community managed area by effectively addressing issues of illegal trading and poaching. And encroachers of Indrayani CF Dhading and Dandakhola forest area of Nawalparasi left the forest area.

Page 8 of 9 Annual Performance Report 2008 SAGUN Program

S.N Third Quarter Progress Total Justification PROJECT ACTIVITIES Focus Groups Unit Qualitative Indicator Percentag CARE WWF RIMS FECOFUN Plan Prog e

CSOs, GLAs, Two workshops of this events were carried out in both center and Preparation and implementation of FECOFUN, regional level (mid west region) on identified issues of community 4.3.2 issue based advocacy plans at all Event 222 2 100 Political Parties, forestry. A total of 102 participants including, 33 women, 10Dalits level FUGs and 8 MJJ participated in this process.

Output: 4 Improved and effective dissemination of issues and message to general public

IEC materials were produced / purchasd and dissiminated to local CSOs, GLAs, people durng this reporting period. A comparative analysis of political Production and dissemination of IEC FECOFUN, parties CA manifestoes with respect to NR M, achievements of 4.4.1 Nos 01 15475 15475 15,475 15,476 100 materials Political Parties, FECOFUN, and Calanders were majors IEC materials. 600 copies of FUGs 'Phoksumdho' newsletter were printed as usual, and distributed among various target audience of people at SPNP BZ.

Four events of this activity were completed in KCA and FECOFUN CSOs, Areas with direct support of SAGUN. 80 aditional campaigns were FECOFUN, completed by FECOFUN with leverage of resources ans support from 4.4.2 Support issue based campaign Nos 11 233 4 133 Political Parties, other programs. All together, a total of 58640 persons including 20997 FUGs women, 2368 Dalits and 13107 Marginalized Janajatis participated in this process.

CSOs, This activity was completed in SPNP Dolpa, LNPBZ and FECOFUN FECOFUN, areas. Message of conservation as public service announcement , This activity was increased due to 4.4.3 Media advocacy Political Parties, Episodes Projects achievements on conservation and forest encroachment in 66 3149 20 222 need of the emerging issues. FUGs, Dhanusa was broadcasted through National TV channedls and Local journalists FMs.

Output: 5 Documentation, reporting, monitoring and evaluation Programme Preparation of M&E and AWP Work Team, 4.5.1 Nos M&E Plan and AWP were completed 111 1 100 shop FECOFUN, LRPs Programme Regional advocacy facilitator/ Team, 4.5.2 Nos Three advocacy facilitators were mobilized by the program 333 3 100 Motivators FECOFUN, LRPs

CSOs, FECOFUN, The total of 5 case studies ( 3 in WWF areas and 2 in FECOFUN Case study 4.5.3 Political Parties, Nos areas) were conducted during this reporting period. After the study 33 124 5 125 (success & failure ) FUGs, success stories are documented and compiled. journalists

CSOs, District & National FECOFUN FECOFUN, Numbers of field visits were conducted during this period to follow up 4.5.4 Program monitoring , field visit support Political Parties, Nos the advocacy program and backstopping to the staff and FEECOFUN 15 15 15 15 100 and reporting FUGs, district Chapters. journalists

Sub Total Policy Advocacy 75 88 117

Grand Total 1298 1391 379 525 740 807 15,531 15,544 2,475 2,786 113

Without IEC Materials 56 69

Percentage 107.1649 138.5224 109.0541 123.2143

Page 9 of 9 Annual Performance Report 2008 SAGUN Program

Annex 2: SAGUN Extension Program Progress against M & E Plan October 2007-September 2008

Indicator Indicator SN Baseline Value Year II Target Year II Progress Kailali Bardia Banke Lamjung Gorkha Dhading SPN BZ LNP BZ KCA FECOFUN Remarks no. Data to enter Figure % Figure % Figure % UGs practicing and institutionalizing good UGs which have provisions of Number of UGs increased due to the governance practices PHPA, PWBR, pro-poor fund support provided focusing on 1 SO 1.1 64 8% 120 15 490 37.9 50 48 36 51 66 194 45 allocation and PGA in their institutionalizing the good governance FOP/constitutions ractices. Number of participants in SAGUN supporting participation and inclusion of Number of participants increased due traditionally marginalized ethnic minority Total number of project to the increased number of advocacy 2 SO 1.2 197,910 292910 265941 14388 25557 12946 37002 44995 27689 4340 30215 8130 60679 groups participants supported by SAGUN campaings by leveraging resources with FECOFUN district chapters, other CSOs and other programs. UGs having their account annually audited Performance increased due to 3 SO1.3 168 21 280 35 968 79.39 95 103 82 117 113 422 sensatization of UGs through the 15 0 21 program No of UGs practicing PHPA without Enter only number of CFUGs who 4 R1.1.1 external support conducted PHPA with out SEP 64 8 80 10 227 19.34 50 75 54 0 0 48 0 0 0 support % of UGs having mandatory provision of 5 R1.1.2 64 no. 8% 120 15 550 46.59 81 117 32 51 24 200 7 13 25 PHPA in their FOPs/constitutions % of UGs having mandatory provision of UGs having equitable sharing in equitable sharing of costs and benefits subsidy in forest products, pro- This figure include the number of 6 R.1.1.3 poor allocation of group funds, 608 no. 76% 680 85% 380 31.09 50 114 58 50 21 72 0 15 0 CFUGs practiced equitable sharing employment generation to poor with mandatory provisions. households % of area under improved forest It is increase than the target as the Area under active forest 7 R1.1.4 manageemnt practices increased 24875 ha 46% 38000 49095.37 1768.74 2805.62 1864 312.75 702.92 2556.5 340 121.44 1698.4 projection was done without Gorkha management and Lamjung data. % of women, Dalit, marjinalized Janajatis Number of persons in executive and poor in leadership positions of Users 13499 1462 997 1358 1506 5456 301 421 841 committees Committees 1157 Women 37% 40 5977 44.277 658 662 420 522 575 2221 113 137 669 These figures are increased due to the 8 R1.2.1 focus of SAGUN Program targeted to Dalit 5% 7 1422 141 154 239 201 466 46 27 1 10.534 147 Women, Dalits, MJJ and poor. Marginalized Janajatis NA 20 6264 46.403 541 809 392 463 577 2400 89 153 840 Another reason for high percentage of Poor MJJ is due to the higher population of 14% 25 2985 375 310 303 239 1174 104 120 0 Janajatis in mountain area. 22.113 360 no. of issue-based case studies undertaken 9 R 1.3.1 every year to feed into the improvement of No. of case studies under taken 2 no. 2 5 0 0 1 2 2 governance in UGs % of pro-poor allocation and mobilization Amount of fund allocated by UGs 10 SO 2.1 11% 15% 12,991,878.00 13.50% 2541897 4738579 3939363 525516 509008 536494 0 201021 0 of UG funds for pro-poor activities No. of Livelihood Improvement Plans No. of household and group level 11 SO 2.2 NA NA 27 242 42 41 75 23 36 22 1 1 1 developed and implemented LIPs No. of community based enterprizes 12 R 2.1.1 NA NA 3 1 1 0 0 established and operated % of HH income of identified poorest of the The average annual income of LIP poor Househods during baseline survey was NRs. 23,851 the average annual 13 R 2.1.2 NA NA 3% 27, 624 income through LIP implementation is NRs. 27,624 in Kailali, Bardia, Banke, Lamjung and Gorkha.

Page 1 of 2 Annual Performance Report 2008 SAGUN Program

Indicator Indicator SN Baseline Value Year II Target Year II Progress Kailali Bardia Banke Lamjung Gorkha Dhading SPN BZ LNP BZ KCA FECOFUN Remarks no. Data to enter Figure % Figure % Figure % Amount of biomass (fuelwood, fodder, poles and timber) harvested annually on a sustainable cumulative of all types of biomass 14 R 2.2.2 28,351 mt 33501 32387.6 6401.14 8807.06 9757.05 684.55 1395.44 3767.3 25.7 1499.4 50 basis due to improved forest management harvested in metric tons

Proportion of protected areas for bi-diversity conservation as a percent of total area Forest cover area in ha in the program districts, PAs and Total forest area coverage in district 15 SO 3.1 Conservation area, Total CF area 181028 ha 0.47% 190566 ha 49.0% 190566.4 ha 20262.4 ha 18079 ha 17235 ha 18765 ha 22000 ha 6072 ha 624 ha 72885 ha and the two BZs and one conservation in ha in the program districts, PAs area = 190566.4ha and Conservation area 0.4921 14644 ha % increase in regeneration status in 3 Identified biologically significant area selected biologically significant sites in SPNP BZ, LNP BZ and KCA are 16 SO 3.2 N/A 175 ha 1.07.5% 185 ha --- - - 50 ha 60 ha 75 ha - Biologically significant area in ha, 1700 ha, 6072 ha, and 8492 ha Regeneration area in ha 1.1385 - respectively Number of UG members trained/engaged in 17 R 3.1.1 participatory biodiversity monitoring 3588 persons 219 2 2 3 4 11 22 105 69 18.65 1 Local institutions engaged in wildlife 18 R 3.1.2 protection apart from CFs and BZUCs as a NA 50 24 0 0 6 7 11 result of their improved awareness At least 1 case study for each Protected Area 23 R 3.3.1 assessing indicators: NA 3 3 11 1

Number of Civil Society The achievement is slightly increased advocacy campaigns due to GLC participants have conducted various campaigns and 24 SO 4.1 157 267 309 30 33 16 96 15 19 5 3 9 83 FECOFUN conducted campaigns by leaveraging resources from FECOFUN district chapters and other CSOs. % increase in number of UGs (CFUGs and 25 SO 4.2 BZCFUGs) affiliated to their national NA 5 767 6.9 20 0 12 735 federation % of BZUG and CFUG members actively 26 R 4.1.1 17% 22% 3161 0 0 3100 21 0 40 involved in advocacy activities R4.1.2 % increase in relevant GLA staff members Due to establishment of good and CSO representatives sensitized on 17000 coordination and collaboration, 27 17850 24445 0 0 82 0 10 6456 policy issues persons participation of the GLAs and CSOs was increased. R 4.1.3 % increase in UGs demanding services from 28 various GLAs 2465 no. 2588 2765 0 0 0 0 0 223

Public hearings, consultations at district, regional and national levels organized, involving both GLAs, CBOs and CSOs; 30 R 4.2.1 NA 150 92 0 0 2 3 4 9 34 critical policy issues surrounding CF, CoFM, BZ and Pas were successfully advocated:

Page 2 of 2 Annual Performance Report 2008