Conservation Development Demo at GAUPALIKA

Why Gaupalika level interventions?

Nepal is full of rural hamlets organized under 463 Gaupalika (rural municipalities), which are government development bodies under the federal structure. They were recognized as Village Development Committee (GAUPALIKA) previously. The government with these rural municipalities is to address the concerns of citizens through devolution of power to intervene in all sectors including biodiversity, wetlands and environment. Previously, Village Development Committees (GAUPALIKAs) were reasonably unable to deliver the significant impacts, since any efforts made earlier made for socio-ecological governance (SEG) were either inadequate or ineffective for sustained environment or economy. As a result, even the resource richer GAUPALIKAs were helpless to administer their resources, and forced to live economically weaker and environmentally vulnerable. Such conditions have jeopardized more to women; children; senior citizens and indigenous communities. One of the reasons for such as we believe is poor socio-ecological governance at rural administrative levels across the country. It by no means to imply a condition that government hasn’t any success, there are successes to some extent which CODEFUND objectively impart to translate at broader level, the dream the rural communities are long waiting now to succeed under new structural arrangement the Gaupalika.

All rural municipalities are now electing their electoral bodies through election after 20 years of leaderless situation. We believe that they perhaps are in a great need of assistance to cope over their socio-economic destitute and environmental frailness at a state of consolidating socio-political governance under new administrative structure at the same moment.

Since, CODEFUND is for the cause of socio-ecological prosperity. It intends to assist government to establish a demo that empowers communities through socio-ecological governance within the socio-political governance in Gaupalika. This intention brings two components together: socio-political governance & socio-ecological governance, which equates nature and humankind towards socio-ecological prosperity on sustained basis. CODEFUND has identified 3 Gaupalika at the moment in the eastern Nepal. This selection has basis on pro-activeness of community and Gaupalika to respond conservation development; wetlands and natural resources; women participation; climate change impacts leading to drought and floods; and accessibility.

CODEFUND look forward for any partner collaborating to us. This is our very outstanding priority intervention.

The priority Gaupalika for demo at the first stage are:

A. Barju Gaupalika,Sunsari district [BARJU_SUNSARI 2017]

B. Chulachuli Gaupalika, Ilam district More

C. Rajarani Gaupalika, Dhankuta district More