The Rapti development project: Final evaluation

KEYWORD: Community-based Natural Forest Management, Asia. Asia, Nepal, agricultural intensification, cash crops, community forestry, farm forestry, livestock, marketing, soil conservation, watershed, forest concession, governance, institutions, community based natural resource management, equity, gender, evaluation, project report. SUMMARY: Rapidly increasing population in Nepal since the 1970's created the need for development of sustainable resource management practices concurrent with intensifying land uses. The Rapti project produced some notable successes toward achieving these goals. The project's democratization policy of providing matching funds to resources raised by local governments for community projects was very successful. Forest user groups were established and were allocated forest concessions. The project increased efficiency of livestock production as well. Early efforts to raise income were successful due to thoughtful focus on certain initial project locations, farmer groups, marketing and crops. The authors found that the Rapti project increased income, equity, women's participation, sustainability, and nutrition and had other positive effects in the target areas. A potential shift to a high growth strategy was made feasible by the initial success of these programs. The authors recommend extension of the project outside of the Rapti zone to the rest of Nepal, but caution that a systematic evaluation of viable locations for high value marketable crops and the most cost-effective and productive techniques of forest management will be critical to successful replication.