UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME Upper Mustang Biodiversity Conservation Project ATLAS ID GEF-00013971 TRAC-00013970 (formerly NEP/99/G35 and NEP/99/021) Final Report of the Terminal Evaluation Mission September 2006 Phillip Edwards (Team Leader) Rajendra Suwal Neeta Thapa ACRONYMS AND TERMS Exchange rate at the time of the TPE was US$1 to NR 71 (Nepali Rupees) ACA Anapurna Conservation Area ACAP Anapurna Conservation Area Project AHF American Himalayan Foundation APPA Appreciative Participatory Planning and Action BCP Biodiversity Conservation Plan CAMC Conservation Area Management Committee CAMOP Conservation Area Management Operation Plan CAMP Conservation Area Management Plan CAMR Conservation Area Management Regulation CBBMS Community Based Biodiversity Monitoring System CBO Community Based Organization CITES Convention on International Trade on Endangered Species CPM Co-Project Manager CRAC Community Resource Action Area Committee CRAJSC Community Resources Action Joint Sub-Committee CTF Community Trust Fund DAG Disadvantage Group DDC District Development Committee DNPWC Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation EIA Environment Impact Assessment FIT Free Independent Tourist/Trekker GEF Global Environment Facility GIS Geographic Information System GON Government of Nepal Ha. Hectares HMG His Majesty’s Government HQ Head Quarters HRD Human Resource Development ICDP Integrated Conservation Development Program ICIMOD International Center for Integrated Mountain Development IEA Initial Environmental Assessment IGA Income Generating Activities INGO International Non Government Organization JSA John Sanday Associates KJR Korolla Jomsom Road KMTNC King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation LGU Local Government Unit LMUCO Lo Manthang Unit Conservation Office LRMP Land Resource Mapping Project M&E Monitoring and Evaluation MAP Medicinal and Aromatic Plants MG Mothers Group MHMSC Micro Hydro Management Sub Committee MOCTCA Ministry of Culture Tourism and Civil Aviation MTE Mid-term Evaluation Nepal UMBCP Terminal Evaluation Report i NGO Non-governmental Organisation NPD National Project Director NPM National Project Manager NR Nepali Rupee NTB Nepal Tourism Board NTFP Non Timber Forest Products PMO Project Management Office PMSC Pasture Management Sub Committee PVC Photo Voltaic Cells SCG Saving and Credit Group SLC Snow Leopard Conservancy Sp. Species (singular) Spp. Species (plural) STG Special Target Group TAAN Trekking Agents Association of Nepal TET Terminal Evaluation Team TMI The Mountain Institute TMP Tourism Management Plan TMSC Tourism Management Sub Committee TOR Terms of Reference TPE Terminal Project Evaluation TPR Tri-partite Review UC User’s Committee UG Users Group UM Upper Mustang UMACMP Upper Mustang Area Conservation Management Plan UMBCP Upper Mustang Biodiversity Conservation Plan UMBCP Upper Mustang Biodiversity Conservation Project UMCCMP Upper Mustang Conservation Cultural Conservation Management Plan UNDP United Nations Development Programme VDC Village Development Committee WHS World Heritage Site WWF World Wildlife Fund Nepal UMBCP Terminal Evaluation Report ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Acronyms and Terms................................................................................................................ i Executive Summary ................................................................................................................. v Approach and Methodology.................................................................................................... 9 Project Concept and Design .................................................................................................. 10 Project Implementation ......................................................................................................... 11 Participating Agencies .................................................................................................................11 National Level Arrangements ......................................................................................................12 Project Direction................................................................................................................................ 12 Project Management.......................................................................................................................... 12 Effects of the Conflict ....................................................................................................................... 13 Project Progress and Financial Assessment...................................................................................... 13 Monitoring and Evaluation ..........................................................................................................13 Internal Project M&E ........................................................................................................................ 13 Other Monitoring Activities.............................................................................................................. 15 Project Results........................................................................................................................ 15 Development Objective Indicators...............................................................................................15 Summary Evaluation....................................................................................................................15 Project Outputs.............................................................................................................................17 Output 1.1: Institutional and technical capacity of LMUCO for conservation area management strengthened................................................................................................................ 17 Output 1.2: Institutional capacity of local institutions for conservation area management strengthened and operational...................................................................................... 18 Output 2.1: Management information system (MIS) for biodiversity conservation, socio- economic, and cultural aspects established and utilised for conservation area planning and monitoring ............................................................................................ 21 Output 2.2: Biodiversity hot-spots and keystone species identified, community based monitoring system developed and implemented .......................................................................... 23 Output 3.1: Sustainable management strategy for biodiversity conservation, tourism management and cultural heritage conservation in upper Mustang developed and implementation initiated............................................................................................. 24 Output 3.2: For sustainable conservation and development, Community Resource Action Committee (CRAC) and Community Trust Fund (CTF) institutionalised ............... 25 Output 3.3: Income generation opportunities at local level through sustainable tourism, non- timber forest products, rangeland and livestock based micro-enterprises increased 25 Output 3.4: Sustainable rangeland management programmes developed and implemented....... 27 Key Issues .......................................................................................................................... 28 The Policy Context.......................................................................................................................28 The Road – a trans-Himalayan Link? ............................................................................................... 28 The Road – the Lo Manthang Bypass...............................................................................................29 The Planning Context...................................................................................................................31 The Road .................................................................................................................................... 31 Sustainability .................................................................................................................................... 31 Tourism Planning .............................................................................................................................. 34 The Conflict .................................................................................................................................... 36 The Management Context............................................................................................................36 Nepal UMBCP Terminal Evaluation Report iii Country Driven-ness and Coordination ............................................................................................36 Project Management.......................................................................................................................... 37 Back-ups .................................................................................................................................... 37 The Technical Context.................................................................................................................38 GEF Identity and the Missing Links................................................................................................. 38 Lack of Project Integration................................................................................................................ 39 Impact on Beneficiaries....................................................................................................................