#ProjectUpdate
SETIN carried out the Terminal Evaluation of the UNEP/GEF-funded project “Catalysing Ecosystem Restoration for Climate Resilient Natural Capital and Rural Livelihoods in Degraded Forests and Rangelands of Nepal”, implemented from May 2018 to June 2025.
Implemented in Nepal’s mid-hill and high-mountain areas, the project aimed to strengthen the capacity of national and local government institutions to respond to climate change through Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) measures in degraded forests and rangelands. Its activities combined ecosystem restoration with sustainable forest, rangeland and pasture management, while also supporting income-generating opportunities and raising awareness of EbA approaches among local stakeholders.
The initiative was developed under the Climate Change Adaptation focal area of the Global Environment Facility’s Least Developed Countries Fund (GEF-LDCF). The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) acted as the Implementing Agency, while Nepal’s Ministry of Forests and Environment (MoFE) served as the Executing Agency.
Conducted during the project’s closing phase, the Terminal Evaluation examined its relevance, effectiveness and efficiency, as well as the outcomes, impacts and long-term sustainability of the results achieved. The assessment was also intended to support accountability requirements and promote learning, feedback and knowledge sharing among UNEP, GEF and the national institutions involved in project implementation.
The field mission took place between 22 March and 5 April 2025. SETIN consultants Richard T. Sobey and Sushila C. Nepali led the primary data collection, field observations and engagement with relevant stakeholders, contributing direct insight into the project’s implementation and results on the ground. Giacomo Cozzolino also contributed to the overall development and delivery of the evaluation.
The draft of the Terminal Evaluation report has already been prepared and submitted in May 2026.
Through this work, SETIN is contributing to the assessment of an initiative that placed ecosystem restoration, climate resilience and sustainable rural livelihoods at the centre of climate adaptation action. The evaluation is also generating evidence and lessons that can help inform future Ecosystem-based Adaptation interventions in Nepal and other vulnerable mountain and rural landscapes.
