A study visit to Nepal was organized from the 30th of September to the 14th of October by the Bhutanese Department of Local Governance. It was a good opportunity for the department to learn from the Nepalese experience regarding: (i) the mainstreaming of Gender, Environment, Climate change, Disaster and Poverty (GECDP) issues into the national plans and policies at all levels in order to contribute to the main 11th Five-Year Plan’s objective:  Self-reliant and inclusive green social-economic development and (ii) how to strengthen citizens’ engagement and social accountability in local governance. 

The Bhutanese team had the opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with various organizations: ICIMOD (International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development),  ICIMOD Knowledge Park, Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development, HSI-Nepal, PEI Nepal, UNDP Nepal Country Office, PEI forestry and greening project site at Jogimara, Multi-Sectoral Forestry Programme (MSFP) at Kapilvastu and Lalitpur Waste Management Programme. Some of the key learnings include: strategies to tackle poverty issues in the mountains, the importance of flood information sharing systems, good practices for waste management (awareness campaigns, ban of plastic in some touristic areas).

The study visit provided the Bhutanese participants with the opportunity to learn from the successes and failures of the Nepalese experience in the areas of GECDP and governance. The visit was also a good opportunity to foster professional partnerships that could further contribute to the implementation of the programme in both countries.