What We Do

Research is a crucial component for effective planning of development programs and strategies. Scientific and result oriented research is particularly important to gain deeper knowledge of trends, practices and specific needs and interventions to improve human well-being. HD Nepal conducts different qualitative and quantitative research activities to support our strategic program goals in different areas such as education, agro-business, water, sanitation and health, gender and social inclusion, infrastructure development, natural resources, and governance. HD Nepal has been conducting research in nine districts of Nepal under different strategic programs until Jan 2019. The findings of our research support in planning and implementation of need-based strategies in dynamic development contexts. Our team of researchers, technical/sectoral experts and partners support in making our research more scientific and actionable.

HD Nepal conducts public awareness activities through education and human capacity building in different cross cutting issues, in coordination and collaboration with different organizations thriving for the achievement of SDG Goals. We work with community schools, school children, women’s groups, youth/child clubs, volunteer movements and other line agencies to improve the quality of education by implementing participatory, skill-oriented and sustainable education strategies and actions. Our projects help to build on existing networks for shaping future community leaders that are more aware of sustainable development. Sustainable natural resource management and environment conservation are crucial components, (among other crosscutting issues) for the realization of this overarching objective. These initiatives focus on improving the education base of rural students and communities by instigating behavioral changes in gender mainstreaming, environment conservation, solid waste management among others through regular campaigns, child-club activities, street dramas, cleaning campaigns, etc.

Our projects have been successful in providing much needed voice of environment conservation and sustainable natural resource management by imparting knowledge and capacity-building, and creating active networks on issues such as solid waste management, water source conservation, reforestation, climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction among others through children and members of CBOs who are potential conservation leaders in the community level.

HD Nepal conducts studies to support evidence based and representative policy response by relevant state and private institutions, in different sectors such as infrastructure development, natural resources, resource conflict, sustainable environment and community engagement, good-governance, climate change and disaster risk reduction among others. HD Nepal is involved in different discussions, workshops, seminars and production of guidelines, operational documents, policy briefs and periodic plan documents at local and national level. (See Annex-4 for previous publications).

These policy studies help in identifying existing practices and gaps, finally adding up to better policy response and implementation through knowledge sharing and advocacy helping the academia, development practitioners and planners in realigning existing policies and designing better future policies.

Community enterprising (communities whose livelihoods are directly interrelated to local resources such as forests, livestock and agro-forestry) is one of the main focus areas of HD Nepal. HD Nepal conducts different activities of NTFPs research, pocket area identification and development, saplings management and reforestation through key partnerships and collaboration with government agencies, development partners, local/electoral bodies, CBOs, and volunteers based networks in different parts of the country. In 2018, we conducted different research, networking and reforestation activities through collaboration with partners and networks in different parts of Terai (See List of Projects). Continuing with the same aspiration we plan to scale up the plantation activities in the coming years which clearly reflects in our livelihood improvement engagement strategy.
Similarly, we have partnered with key government institutions and private sector , with commitment of supporting the production of different NTFPs for livelihood improvement through reforestation and block-plantations in different districts of Nepal. For this purpose, technical support and nursery facility to scale up the production and management of saplings has been generated through signing of formal agreements.

HD Nepal produces different ICT materials to document and disseminate best practices generated from studies, research and initiatives. For this purpose, documentaries, short-movies, success stories, case studies, research papers, and articles are produced at regular intervals. Our initiatives are regularly covered and disseminated through different print, online and other mass media platforms