MID-TERM REVIEW REPORT For Sustainable Land Management Project in Churia Region, Nepal

The mid-term review of the Sustainable Land Management Project in Churia, Nepal, rates the project as 'Moderately Satisfactory'. While output-level performance in livestock husbandry, bio-engineering, and community forestry is good, the report identifies significant failures in the implementation of Sloping Land Agriculture Technology (SALT) and the establishment of Open Grazing Free Zones (OGFZ). Key challenges include a top-down project design, weak inter-sectoral coordination at the operational level, and disruptions caused by the 2015 Nepal earthquake and political unrest (Madhesh Band). The review recommends a no-cost extension, a revision of the 2016 work plan to prioritize successful interventions, and a shift toward Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) to replace the outdated SALT approach.

• The overall project performance is rated as 'Fair to Good' or 'Moderately Satisfactory'. While output-level performance is considered good, the project is lacking at the levels of intermediate outcomes, sustainability, and lesson learning and scaling up.
• Livestock husbandry activities have been highly successful because they were delivered as a comprehensive package including bull distribution, artificial insemination, annual animal health camps, and free veterinary medicine, which aligned with traditional practices and provided quick returns.
• The implementation of Sloping Land Agriculture Technology (SALT) is deemed unsatisfactory and outdated. The project failed to achieve its target of 200 ha due to poor site selection, lack of farmer interest, and the fact that the Ministry of Agriculture Development (MoAD) lacked the necessary expertise, leading to the activity being shifted to the Department of Soil Conservation Office (DSCO).
• Efforts to establish Open Grazing Free Zones (OGFZ) have only been partially successful. While community awareness increased and some CFUGs decided to declare OGFZ, enforcement is impossible without the District Forest Office (DFO) declaring national forests and riverbanks as OGFZ simultaneously.
• Bio-engineering structures, specifically gabion wire embankments in Makwanpur, have effectively protected agricultural land from flash floods, allowing farmers to re-cultivate damaged land and yield approximately 1,500 kg of rice per ha.
• The project's governance structure, including the Project Steering Committee (PSC) and Project Coordination Committee (PCC), is described as ideal in theory but ineffective in practice. These bodies fail to resolve substantive district-level issues or create an enabling environment for inter-sectoral coordination at the implementation level.
• Environmental and social safeguards are generally satisfactory. The project utilizes Nepal's Community Forestry Policy and has ensured that 23 out of 24 CFUGs have at least one woman in a leadership position.
• Project implementation was significantly hindered by external shocks, including the 2015 Nepal earthquake, the Madhesh Band (strikes), and high staff turnover within government partner ministries and district line agencies.
• The project's design is criticized for being overly top-down and academic, ignoring existing national strategies like the President's Chure Conservation Program (PCCP) and the MoFSC's Churia Conservation Strategy (2012).

APA

Karki, M., & Poudel, S. (2016). MID-TERM REVIEW REPORT For Sustainable Land Management Project in Churia Region, Nepal. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/968/1656oypygd_MTE_Nepal__MTR_Review_WWF_GEF_GON.pdf

Chicago

Karki, Madhav, and Sanjeev Poudel. MID-TERM REVIEW REPORT For Sustainable Land Management Project in Churia Region, Nepal. WWF International, 2016. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/968/1656oypygd_MTE_Nepal__MTR_Review_WWF_GEF_GON.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Karki |first1=Madhav |last2=Poudel |first2=Sanjeev |title=MID-TERM REVIEW REPORT For Sustainable Land Management Project in Churia Region, Nepal |publisher=WWF International |date=March 2016 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/968/1656oypygd_MTE_Nepal__MTR_Review_WWF_GEF_GON.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{karki2016midterm, author = {Karki, Madhav and Poudel, Sanjeev}, title = {{MID-TERM REVIEW REPORT For Sustainable Land Management Project in Churia Region, Nepal}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2016}, month = mar, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/968/1656oypygd_MTE_Nepal__MTR_Review_WWF_GEF_GON.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }