Within reported dates· Education

ROAP/NEP01 A safety net of innovative land tenure solutions for near-landless sharecroppers and for a greener rural Nepal

UN-Habitat was notified on 9 June 2021 about “2023 ODA call” of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) of the Republic of Korea, addressing to multilateral institutions. After communication on country priorities, UN-Habitat ROAP proceeded to submit a concept note on 15 June and a concept document on 15 July. After an expert team presentation with representatives of KOICA and MOFA, the full project document was submitted on 6 February 2022. In the first week of January 2022, it was notified that the UN-Habitat proposal was selected for funding. MAFRA’s call focused on Korea’s contribution on green development (carbon neutrality) and innovation, in line with Korea’s policy as provided in the Korea New Deal. MAFRA requirements were for proposals preferably in single countries, for implementation of maximum 48 months, with Korean partners and for a maximum budget of USD 3.3 m. The proposal for Nepal is focused on rural landlessness as a root cause of poverty and inequality. Landlessness also stunts agricultural and economic innovation, and that prevents progress on agriculture, forestry and other land use (AFOLU) targets of Nepal’s 2nd Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC). The project builds on the extensive assistance of GLTN to Nepal, which adopted the National Land Policy in 2019 and the 8th Amendment to the Land Law in 2020, as a pathway to land tenure security to 25% of Nepal’s population living with (near-)landlessness. For this project, a collaboration is set with 4 municipalities in one province of Nepal, in the Chure region (also targeted in the 2nd NDC) focusing on households in situations of vulnerability from Tharu indigenous community to be assisted. The objective of project is to contribute to Nepal’s climate commitments for green and just (inclusive and equity based) development, by introducing innovative approaches to reducing landlessness and improving resilient land use and livelihoods in 4 municipalities. The Project design delivers a range of results: • Nepal’s 2nd NDC (2021-2030) on AFOLU targets implemented in 4 municipalities. • 4 municipalities and 1 provincial government with strengthened capacity to pursue NDC targets and to plan and implement carbon-neutral rural development. • Increased capacity of the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation at the federal and provincial levels to implement a greener, more just development of rural Nepal in the relevant sectors. • Direct beneficiaries – 8,100 near-landless households with securer tenure, 6,000 farmers benefiting from improved livelihoods opportunities and sub-projects targeting 1,000 women and youth (details below) • Partnerships strengthened between Government of Nepal, MAFRA, UN-Habitat, 2 Korean Governmental Institutions, Nepali NGOs, and 1 Korean NGO. The project will continue UN-Habitat’s collaboration with Korea’s cadaster organization LX, which signed a MOU with the counterpart Ministry in Nepal in 2018. The project is an opportunity for learning and training. The Korean Rural Economic Institute (KREI) will also support the project, mainly through an evaluative study on ecosystem services co-benefits and gains as a result of the project. The rural development component of the project will be supported by the Korean NGO Good Neighbors International (GNI) and its office in Nepal. Good Neighbors is a well-established Korean NGO, grown out of the actions against slum clearance and homelessness in Seoul three decades ago. The project is set up under 3 outcomes, which will be implemented each with specific partners: • Outcome 1: Improved tenure security of near-landless indigenous people including women and youth in 4 municipalities in Nepal; with GLTN support and LX • Outcome 2: Near-landless indigenous people including women and youth in 4 municipalities have increased access to sustainable livelihoods and green economic activities; with GNI • Outcome 3: Four (4) municipalities in Nepal plan and promote sustainable, climate smart and inclusive land use; with KREI The first outcome focuses on improved tenure security. UN-Habitat will support the Government and the municipalities in close collaboration with beneficiary groups to deliver these outcomes in line with the existing legislation and procedures. As part of the 2019 Land Policy and subsequent acts and guidelines, the Government has already developed necessary legislative framework and technical guidelines for the Identification, Verification and Recordation (IVR) of landless and informal tenure and institutional and technical procedures for land titling after the pilots undertaken in different municipalities with UN-Habitat support. UN-Habitat’s support will be through the Ministry’s National Land Commission (NLC) and its teams in Lumbini Province and the respective municipalities. This assistance on IVR process is linked to the UN-Habitat’s serv

Source-reported status: active. Timeline labels use reported dates and do not verify current activity.