Ann McLean, Team Leader, Social and institutional survey design and conduct, management and marketing plan, reporting
Tony Woods, tourism infrastructure surveys and planning, reporting
Integrated Energy, Tourism and Income Generation Development in Rural Nepal
Jumla and Mugu Districts, Nepal
Client: National Planning Commission/New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Names of Senior Staff Involved and Functions:
Narrative Description of Project:
For want of facilities, tourism in Nepal is currently restricted to several well-known geographical regions. These are currently overburdened and struggling to cope with the tourist pressure on resources. This project was focused at creating an implementation plan for development of sustainable tourism in the Rara Lake National Park area as a means to alleviate poverty and to use tourists as a development vector in this severely underdeveloped region. The plan included improving infrastructure (energy, clean water, accommodation, food security) and building capacity of local people to participate in activities associated with tourism. The aim was to attract tourists to the area and reduce pressure on the overused regions of Everest, Annapurna and Pokhara as well as creating local opportunities for income generation projects utilising the new energy resources.
Services Provided by ECL:
• Meetings with stakeholder agencies in Kathmandu to discuss the project and its expected outcomes.
• Survey of tourism infrastructure around the Rara Lake circuit; recommendations for improvements
• Analysis of existing energy systems (solar, micro hydro and distribution networks)
• Survey of isolated village communities around the Rara Lake region to assess the current energy demand, existing infrastructure and opportunities for renewable energy generation to supply local and tourist needs
• Surveying individual sites for future installations of generation equipment and distribution systems with a view to meeting current and forecasted future power demands
• Assessment of other income generating opportunities, especially those using power
• Liaison with village committees to ascertain the level of interest in the energy/income generation project
• Assessment of localised support (technical and managerial) available for future systems installed
• Recommendations to Government and other funding agencies for phased capacity building for local people, development of tourism and energy infrastructure and other income generating opportunities.
• Survey of tourism infrastructure around the Rara Lake circuit; recommendations for improvements
• Analysis of existing energy systems (solar, micro hydro and distribution networks)
• Survey of isolated village communities around the Rara Lake region to assess the current energy demand, existing infrastructure and opportunities for renewable energy generation to supply local and tourist needs
• Surveying individual sites for future installations of generation equipment and distribution systems with a view to meeting current and forecasted future power demands
• Assessment of other income generating opportunities, especially those using power
• Liaison with village committees to ascertain the level of interest in the energy/income generation project
• Assessment of localised support (technical and managerial) available for future systems installed
• Recommendations to Government and other funding agencies for phased capacity building for local people, development of tourism and energy infrastructure and other income generating opportunities.
