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

This rural community development programme focusses on increasing the capacity of grassroots groups in the areas of community forestry, buffer zone development, irrigation, and partnership development for hydropower pilot activities. Community participation is central to all activites, many of which focus on strengthening information systems and raising awareness. A special emphasis is placed on issues of governance, equity, and advocacy. Specific groups addressed by these activities are Community Forest User Groups (CFUGs), Buffer Zone User Committees, and Water User Associations. The idea is to equip these groups with the necessary skills so that they might contribute to decision-making processes and control and benefit equitably from those resources.

First, to help NRMs better manage natural resources, technical and organisational institutional capacity-building is offered. CFUGs participate in skills training; groups in the irrigation sector are trained to monitor water flow for equitable use; communities are taught to monitor the implementation of environment and social impact plans for hydropower. Organisationally, SAGUN works to build both governance and managerial capacity. Governance is strengthened by increasing participative democratic practices and focussing on managerial aspects such as planning, monitoring, and evaluation. In addition, NRM groups are trained in advocacy, mediation skills, and conflict mitigation.

Second, the programme supplements and builds local capacity through training and partnership. SAGUN works to enhance the role of civil society organisations in training NRM groups. To support this aim, SAGUN creates networks. Specifically, Local Resource Persons (LRPs) are selected from civil society, the private sector, or NRM groups. SAGUN aims to choose mostly female LRPs to be trained to carry out this work, which involves outreach activities such as awareness-raising and training to empower NRM groups. SAGUN is also working to form partnerships with educational institutions, such as the School of Environmental Management and Sustainable Development, in an effort to create a forum for sharing lessons learned. These partners may also serve as a source of documentation and resource materials, as well as provide training to LRPs, NGOs, and civil society staff.

Third, SAGUN works to ensure that NRM groups are aware of their rights and responsibilities, and that they have access to information to enable them to make informed decisions about sustaining themselves. To address the fact that illiteracy and rural living can make communication and access to information difficult, SAGUN strengthens communication systems for information sharing, monitoring, mediation, and advocacy, using tools for mass communication and a variety of training activities. The hope is that enhanced institutional development will lead to better communication flow so that information generated at the NRM level can feed back into district, regional, and national policy development. The programme facilitates opportunities for NRM groups to exchange information and participate in coordination meetings.

Environment, Economic Development, Women.

Organisers are motivated by this figure: in Nepal's rural areas, over 80% of people directly depend upon these natural resources. The negative impact of insurgency on development and weak local governance, they say, has highlighted the need for grassroots groups to strengthen the management of natural resources in order to increase productivity and sustainability.