Piloting site-level assessment on governance and equity in Nepal

RECOFTC Nepal and the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) conducted a pilot Site-level Assessment on Governance and Equity (SAGE) in Halkhoria collaborative forest, Bara District. The assessment helps local actors improve governance and equity within the Halkhoria Collaborative Forest. It provides information for management decisions and identifies gaps. 

The assessment took place from 20–23 September 2022. It engaged community forest user groups, community forest executive committee members, a women’s group, Division Forest Office representatives and local government. The assessment explored the eight principles of governance: respect for stakeholders, recognition and respect for the rights of community members, participation in decisions, transparency and accountability, fair law enforcement, negative impact mitigation, benefits sharing and cross-sector coordination.

The SAGE assessment was conducted in two parts. First, all six stakeholder groups completed the SAGE questionnaire. Then they participated in the assessment and shared findings and ideas for actions to improve governance and equity. 

After the assessment, the stakeholders said they better understood their roles and responsibilities in collaborative forest management. The local government agreed on the need to be more proactive in supporting the management of forests and biodiversity.