Tea farming capacity exceeds the processing capacity and tea leaves need to be exported to India. Boilers are usually burning humid firewood or coal resulting in high emissions. Photo: Lauri Kattelus
Project description
Tea farming and processing have been a growing industry in Eastern Nepal providing job opportunities in rural areas. Excessive use of obsolete pesticides remains an environmental problem. Photo: Lauri Kattelus
The overall objective of the SEAM Project in Nepal was to assist the local authorities and industries of the area in improving their capacity for environmental planning and management.
The mandate to implement certain environmental rules and regulations was decentralised to the District Development Committees of the Project area thus facilitating environmental permitting, inspection and enforcement of industries. Complaint handling is also more proficient at the local level. Cleaner Production, Waste Minimization, Energy Efficiency and Environmental Management concepts were introduced to industries and laboratory services ensured by establishing a certified laboratory to Eastern Nepal. As a consequence the environmental health of the beneficiaries has been improved by reducing the contamination of the environment in the Project area.
At the local level raising environmental awareness was based on pilot projects like School Environment Promotion Programme and Environment Friendly Model Village Programme (Eco-Village). Both included components like waste segregation, composting, water supply and sanitation, improved cooking stoves etc. Agricultural production is heavily dependent on monsoon and in order to improve the socio-economic status of communities off-season crops were introduced to eco-villages. The main theme of Eco Village is "lead by example", where people take responsibility to take care of one's own environment.
The completion phase of the Project focused on institutional strengthening and handing over of the achievements of the SEAM-Nepal Project to the local authorities. Therefore all activities during the completion phase were implemented with or by the local authorities and organisations. As the Project will not be continued after its closure in the end of 2014, there was a special focus on sustainability.
The Project consists of four components with specific targets:
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Local environmental administration: The Target District Development Committees and municipalities have integrated environmental aspects in their periodic and annual planning. They are implementing pollution abatement programs and are annually generating success cases in solving environmental problems and conflicts.
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Industrial and chemical pollution prevention: Success stories in pollution control and prevention were developed in polluting industry and commercial agriculture.
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Environmental monitoring & communication: A regional environmental monitoring system is established and the data is used to promote policy action and to communicate progress in sustainable development in the region.
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Central Level Support to Local Environmental Management: The Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development, Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment, Ministry of Industry and other relevant authorities are coordinating their guidance to the local level in issues relevant to environmental planning, monitoring and industrial pollution abatement.
Services provided by SYKE
Earthquakes and heavy rains during monsoon cause landslides in hilly and mountainous terrain. Photo:
SYKE provided a Chief Technical Adviser, a Junior Technical Expert and part of the international short term experts for the Project mainly focusing on:
- Capacity building; Development of local environmental administration and management;
- Environmental monitoring; establishment, management and accreditation of environmental laboratory, establishment of a regional environmental administration and monitoring unit;
- Mitigation of industrial pollution (water, soil, air, noise), environmental self-monitoring by industries, cleaner production (CP), occupational health and safety (OHS) and environmental management (EMS) systems;
- Supporting environmental permitting and inspection of industries;
- Promoting disaster risk reduction;
- Increasing awareness on Climate Change issues and the necessity of adaptive measures;
- Poverty alleviation and gender development;
- Environmental Information Management System;
- Sustainable phasing out of the Project.
Programme planning (project cycle management, logical framework), administration as well as financial and operational management were also provided.
More information
Mr. Lauri Kattelus, Project Manager, International Affairs Unit, Finnish Environment Institute SYKE
The Project website