Citizen Awareness Center: Opportunity for Integrating Environment and Climate Change

Ek Raj Sigdel

While visiting Sindhuli, Mahottari and Dhanusa in 23-25 May 2016, it was noted that Livelihood Improvement Program (LIP) grant and Small Infrastructure Support (SIS) grant extended by LGCDP-II have been reached in all visited six Citizen Awareness Centers (CACs). While interacting with CAC members in different locations, it was noted that they have invested SIS and LIP grants in undertaking various income generating activities such as livestock rearing, agriculture production, off farm activities like running of small retail shops, purchasing tents and catering facility, engaging in sewing and knitting business, among others.

Moreover, while reviewing the available database of LGCDP - II in Janakpur Municipality, it was revealed that about 43% of the total SIS and LIP activities of CACs were related to livestock rearing such as buffalo, goat, pig and poultry farming (Table 1). Another 35% of the total activities under LIP and SIS were off farm activities such as running small shops, purchasing tents, and promoting paintings. The other 18% activities were related to agriculture mainly vegetable farming. Less than 4% activities under these grants were invested in natural resources based income generation activities mainly small scale firewood business and ponds rehabilitation & maintenance.

Promoting natural resource such as forest and water based income and micro-enterprises could be a sustainable source of economy to the CACs on the one hand and on the other could contribute to sustainable management of environment as it encourages local knowledge and technologies based management that was not promoted visibly in the visited areas.

TABLE 1. LIP and SIS investment patterns in Janakpur Sub Metropolitan City

Support Sector	SIS (Frequency of CAC Groups)	SIS (%)	LIP (Frequency of CAC - HH)	LIP (%)	Remarks
Agriculture	6	22	17	13	Vegetable farming
Livestock	12	44	53	41	Buffalo, goat, pig, poultry
Natural Resource	1	4	4	3	Firewood and pond conservation
Others	8	30	54	42	Painting, tent, small shops

Source: Database of LGCP, Janakpur Municipality,

While interacting with different CAC Groups it was realized that the CACs were well empowered socially as well as economically. As said, untouchability events decreased, issues of social discrimination minimized, child marriage discouraged, and incidence of women violence reduced considerably due to CAC’s activeness. Due to effective social mobilization, basic services like vital registration, senior citizen allowance, citizenship certificates and community mediation programs were being implemented very effectively. Moreover, CACs are engaged in public auditing, participating in local level planning and monitoring process and being represented in Ward Citizen Forums.

During the field consultation, CACs have raised some environmental issues such as drying out of water sources in mid-hills and lowering of water level in terai regions. The other issues brought out by CACs include river bank cutting due to flooding in Terai and increased frequency of landslides due to degradation of environment in mountain areas. Due to poisoning fish catching is decreased substantially in Sindhuli. Towards health and sanitation front, affordability of toilet was difficult to poorest of the poor members of CACs in Terai and inadequate water supply even for drinking purpose was one of the major hindrances for maintaining toilets in mountain areas.

The best practices that we were informed that transparency and accountability exercise of CACs are being gradually replicated in their respective Community Forests User Groups. Moreover, REFLECT class in a CAC of Mahottari covers environment management, disaster risk reduction, and health & hygiene subjects.

To ensure sustainable development of the society it is imperative to bring the inclusive socio-economic development and sustainable environment management agenda together. Socio-economic empowerment component of the Sustainable Development was far ahead than the environmental consideration in the visited CACs. Therefore, it is high time to put priority on engaging CACs in managing sustainable environment and thereby contributing to sustainable development of the CACs. Engaging CACs in sustainable environment management could be an entry point for integrating climate change, environment and disaster considerations into local development planning and budgeting process. The following activities are need to be implemented to ensure sustainable development society.

1.     Put priority on investing SIS/LIP grant in natural resources based income and employment generation activities. Further, put efforts to strengthen the entire value chains such as production, promotion and marketing of the natural resources based micro-enterprises.

2.     Social Mobilisers should establish linkage of CACs with District Forest Office, District Soil Conservation, and Watershed Management, Drinking Water Supply Office, District Agriculture Office and District Veterinary Offices and private sectors mainly Chamber of Commerce to ensure sustainability of the natural resources based micro-enterprises.

3.     Integrate poverty, environment and climate change consideration into social mobilization tools such as REFLECT courses, income generation activities, and planning and monitoring processes