Funded by: Asia Pacific Network (APFNet)
"Supporting Community based sustainable forest management and economic empowerment of women in Central region of Nepal" was a three year demonstration project supported by Asia Pacific Network on Sustainable forest Management and Rehabilitation (APFNet), Beijing, and PR of China. The project was run by the consortium of the three organizations in three districts i.e. Himawanti Nepal, Ashmita Nepal & Community Resource Management Center; Kathmandu, Makwanpur and Sarlahi, in each of the three thematic areas, namely; Eco-tourism, Handicraft development and Essential oil production, respectively along with the sustainable management of 13 community forests covering 1,375 Hectare of forests benefiting more than 4,317 households. The project was facilitated by the Project Secretariat run by Himalayan Grassroots Women's Natural Resource Management Association (HIMAWANTI), Nepal. This three year project was supervised by the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation (MoFSC).
Along with the enterprise development, the project had provided technical and functional support in sustainable forest management (SFM) of the community forests (CF) and support in enhancement of Good Governance of the community forests User groups (CFUG) in all three project sites. HIMAWANTI-Nepal had focused on Economic empowerment through Eco tourism in six Community Forests of Kathmandu district. In Makawanpur district, four CFUGs had been engaged in the handicraft enterprise development along with SFM and good governance practices, the thematic area led by Ashmita Nepal. In Sarlahi district, essential oil based enterprise have been initiated in three CFUGs led by Community Resource Management Center (CRMC), Nepal.
