The program works with Community Forest User Groups, Buffer Zone User Groups, Water Users Associations, and committees at all levels of the irrigation systems. It builds on previous and existing programs implemented by SAGUN team members (CARE Nepal, RITI Consultant Pvt. Ltd., RIMS-Nepal and WWF) by strengthening the capacity of those NRM groups that have established a solid foundation of technical and organizational ability to address the emerging issues of governance, equity and advocacy.

SAGUN covers various districts in the Terai and the Mid-hills. The community forest component is being implemented in four districts. CARE Nepal covers three Terai districts viz Banke, Bardia and Kailali, whereas RIMS-Nepal covers Dhading district. The buffer zone development component is being implemented in two districts. WWF works in Dolpa and CARE Nepal in Bardia. The irrigation component is being implemented in nine districts, covering ten main canal systems, under the joint management of RITI Consultant Pvt. Ltd. and CARE Nepal in Kanchanpur, Kailali, Kapilvastu, Nawalparasi, Chitwan, Sarlahi, Dhanusa, Siraha and Saptari. In addition, CARE Nepal will conduct exploratory activities, as a part of the nationwide study on hydropower partnerships, in Kaski and Lamjung districts.

To achieve the overall objective of ensuring the fact “that Nepal’s natural resources are managed in a democratic way; that the performance of selected institutions is improved to meet the principles of good governance and participation; and in particular, that the benefits derived from natural resources are dispersed in accountable and transparent ways to the local communities and that they, and other earned revenues are equitably distributed”, the program strategy comprises three themes, broadly expressed as: building institutional capacity of NRM groups for natural resource governance; reinforcing local capacity to provide support services and; strengthening information systems.

Building capacity of NRM groups
To better manage the natural resources their livelihoods depend upon, the strategy for institutional capacity building of NRM groups takes a two-pronged approach, technical and organizational. Technically, for example, skills training will be prioritized for forest user groups. In the irrigation sector, groups will be trained to monitor water flow for equitable use and in hydropower, the capacity of communities will be built to monitor the implementation of environment and social impact plans.

Organizationally, SAGUN will build both governance and managerial capacity. Governance will be strengthened through increasing participative democratic practices, which will ultimately lead to equitable resource management. Managerial aspects such as planning, monitoring and evaluation and all areas of project management will be improved, thereby contributing to the culture of accountability. Furthermore, NRM Groups will be trained in advocacy, mediation skills and conflict mitigation.

Reinforcing support capacity
Faced with a demand by NRM groups for additional support and training, a major strategy of the program is to supplement and build up local capacity to provide these services. In addition to building the capacity of civil servants, a key aspect is to enhance the role of civil society and civil service organizations in supporting NRM groups. Through forming networks of these organizations, the integrated needs of NRM groups can be better addressed.

Lessons learned have shown the added value of Local Resource Persons (LRPs), particularly women. Selected from civil society, the private sector or NRM groups, their role is to provide outreach activities. They provide either, awareness raising and training to empower the NRM groups, or they specialize in specific activities such as monitoring for water user fee collections, for example. The program team will identify and train additional LRPs to fulfill this valuable role.

The SAGUN program will also form partnerships with educational establishments, such as the School of Environmental Management and Sustainable Development, which will provide a forum for sharing lessons learned and best practice, as well as house documentation and resource materials and provide training to LRPs, NGO and civil society staff and civil servants.

Strengthening information flow
Members need to know their rights, responsibilities and have access to information to enable them to make informed decisions for developing NRM groups into effective and sustainable units. In Nepal, there are many constraints to the right to information. Illiteracy is one problem, as is the fact that many people live in rural areas with poor communications. SAGUN aims at strengthening communication systems for information sharing, monitoring, mediation and advocacy, using tools for mass communication and a variety of training activities.

Enhanced institutional development will lead to better communication flow so that information generated at NRM level can feed back into district, regional and national policy development. The program will facilitate opportunities for NRM Groups to exchange information and participate in coordination meetings.

Inclusiveness
Underlying this whole program is the aim to increase the role of women and disadvantaged groups. The Program will build upon the Women’s Empowerment Program. This focuses on increasing women’s participation in natural resource management by increasing their confidence through community rights awareness-raising, technical training and providing economic opportunities. Thus, women and disadvantaged groups will be better equipped to contributing to decision-making processes and for ensuring that they are able to control and benefit equitably from those resources.

Sustainability
The SAGUN program has been specifically designed to support a sustainable system beyond the period of its implementation through community participation, institutional capacity building at all levels and technical and organizational skills training. “The SAGUN envisions that at the end of the four years period, goodgovernance 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 and water resources, specifically benefiting women and other disadvantaged people. There will be increasing productivity of natural resources under local management that is transparent and accountable, directly supporting poverty alleviation, rural community development and national economic growth. Partnerships in natural resource management will resolve conflicts locally and nationally, and thus contribute to re-establishing peace in Nepal.”