Finland operates in Nepal in environment and education sectors, in which Finland has good international reputation, lengthy experience and significant added value to give.
Finland is funding Nepal’s School System Reform Programme (SSRP). The programme’s main aim is to make the education system accessible to all Nepalese school-aged children and improve the quality of teaching in grades 1–8. The programme also aims to increase the number of students as well as the quality of education in grades 9–12. In 2010 estimated 93,7 % of Nepalese children go to school.
In education sector funds are also allocated to Technical and Vocational Education and Training programme (TVET). The aim is to improve the pupils’ vocational tranability and capabilities to enter job markets. In longer run the goal is to support the whole vocational training system in Nepal.
The project area in Dharanin-Biratnagar’s industrial tunnel is one of Nepal’s fastest urbanizing and industrializing areas. Strengthening of Environmental Administration and Management Project aims at strenghtening the administrators' and industries' capacity to plan and manage environmental issues to pay attention to e.g. gender, social status and poverty related issues. The project is also a pilot project for regional administration. It is implemented in 2008–2011.
Finland also funds Regional Solid Waste Management Project, which founds a international standards filling wastepit and waste collection system Morang-Sunsar area in East Nepal. The project is implemented in 2010–2014.
Establishment of a regional flood information system in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan aims at minimizing flood related damage in Afganistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, China, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan. The project is implemented in 2009–2012. ICI project Finnish-Nepalese Project for Improved Capability of the Government of Nepal to respond to the increased risks related to weather related natural disasters caused by climate change (FNEP) administrated by Finnish Meteorological Instituteaccounts for the project’s national part in Nepal.
Forestry
Finland had a significant role in the development of Nepal’s forestry sector in 1980’s and 1990’s. Now Finland funds Forest Resource Assessment in Nepalthat aims at developing a uniform system to collect and share information about forestry and diversity of nature. This makes forest related information more easily available and improves the possibilities to use it in nation-wide decision making. The project is implemented in 2009–2014.
IFAD’s (International Fund for Agricultural Development) Leasehold Forest and Livestock Development Programis directed to the most disadvantages groups in Nepal. Finland provides the project with technical support in 2009–2013.
Access to clean water and adequate sanitation are focal issues for Nepal’s development. Finland is funding two water projects in cooperation with Nepal’s government. One of the projects (Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project in Western Nepal) concentrates on improving water, sanitation and hygiene situation in West Nepal, while another (Rural Village Water Resources Management Project) improves water supply in Far West region.
More information about the projects can be found from their own websites:
Finland supports OSCAR project implemented by FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) to develop an open source cadastre and registration programme in the internet. Open source database brings more transparency and impartiality to land registration administration and thus reduces the possibility of corruption. The cadastre is also an efficient source of information in decision making about land owning questions. OSCAR database is developed in the pilot phase to Nepal, Samoa and Ghana, and experiences from these countries can be wider utilized in future. The project is implemented in 2010–2013.
To support the peace process Finland funds Nepal Peace Trust Fund (NPTF). The support has enhanced especially implementation of elections in April 2008, but it has also stabilized the country’s security situation with small scale improvement projects at the camps habituated by former combatant. In addition the fund supports improvement of police station network. Finland has also provided professional assistance and for example sent two legal medicine experts to investigate a mass grave.
Finland supports human rightsby improving the capacity of Nepal Human Rights Commission through two projects implemented by UNDPN. Finland also provides one Junior Professional Officer in the UN’s Office for High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR) for years 2009–2011.
Updated 5/18/2010
