Locations
Renewable Energy for Rural Livelihood
Summary
Renewable Energy for Rural Livelihood (RERL) is a joint project of Government of Nepal (GoN) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The project has been operational since 2011 after the closure of Rural Energy Development Programme (REDP) with the main objective of supporting Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC) to scaleup development of renewable energy projects.
Background
UNDP has been supporting Nepal to promote renewable energy since 1996, first, through Rural Energy Development Programme (REDP) and then RERL since 2011. The Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC) under the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation (MoEWRI) has been the Implementing Partner (IP) since its establishment in 1996. UNDP and AEPC supported rural communities in off-grid areas to develop more than 450 micro hydropower projects (MHPs), which directly benefited more than 100,000 households with access to electricity with financial support mainly of the World Bank. Between 2014 and 2019, UNDP and AEPC focused on promotion of larger renewable energy systems such as mini hydropower projects (>100kW), solar mini grids and solar pumps for both drinking water and irrigation with financial support of Global Environmental Facility (GEF) and UNDP.
Since 2019, UNDP is supporting AEPC to implement Asian Development Bank (ADB) funded South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) Project Off-Grid Component through RERL. The UNDP support for AEPC in this regard was formalized in March 2020. The UNDP/RERL technical assistance (TA) primarily focuses on achieving financial closure, community mobilization, institution establishment and strengthening, construction supervision, productive energy use (PEU) promotion and capacity development for smooth operation and management of 4.8MW of mini hydropower projects (MHP) and solar/solar wind hybrid mini grids (SMG).
Beside, RERL is also supporting AEPC to implement energy component of UNDP’s Renewable Energy for Resilient Agri-Food Systems (RERAS) Project funded by the Norwegian Government. The RERAS activities build up on the work of a year long Japan-UNDP Support for Transition Effort to Decarbonization (JUSTED) project.
Major Achievements
ADB/SASEC
- Mini Hydro: 5 Projects generating 2.098MW completed and 7,283 households have access to electricity for the first time.
- Solar/Solar Wind Hybrid Mini Grid: 1,632 rural households are benefiting from 9 mini grids with a total capacity of 565 kWp.
- Institutions: 14 broad based local institutions strengthened with 33% women in decision making positions to manage 14 renewable energy projects.
- Productive Energy Use: 428 Micro and Small Enterprises of which 40% are women-led, providing green jobs to 649 individuals, including 331 women are powered by 14 mini hydro and solar systems.
Capacity Development:
- Technical Training for 885 people, including 265 women.
- Provided Orientation and Management Training for 2,255 people, including 1,383 women.
RERAS – Energy Component
Rehabilitation: 5 Micro Hydropower Projects (MHPs) with a total capacity of 207 kW rehabilitated directly benefiting 2,037 households or 9,777 people.
- Lift Irrigation: 19.5 hectares of land owned by 282 households irrigated by 4 Micro Hydro Operated Lift Irrigation systems.
- Productive Energy Use: 65 micro hydro powered enterprises of which 58% are women-led, provide green jobs to 88 individuals, including 45 women.
- Local Institutions: 9 broad based local institutions strengthened with 39% women in decision making positions to manage 9 micro hydro and lift irrigation projects.
- Digitization: 18 micro hydropower projects have adopted computerized billing systems and 10 of them started online payment system.
- Capacity Development: Skill development and management training provided to 275 people, including 126 women.
GESI Component
To ensure that women maximize benefit from reliable and quality electricity supply, the project has been actively promoting women’s participation in establishing and operating enterprises. To accomplish this, the project has identified potential women entrepreneurs and provided them with crucial support, including assistance in preparing business plans and entrepreneurship and skill development trainings.
Furthermore, women and men from marginalized communities are encouraged to participate in regular saving and credit schemes, enabling them to engage in additional income-generating activities. As of now, 257 Saving and Credit Groups are in operation with 4,831 members, out of which 4,470 or 93% are women and 1,612 or 33% are from disadvantage groups. These groups have so far saved NPR 26 million which is provided to members for income generating activities and the total credit flow including rollover is NPR 30 million. Over 90% of the borrowers are women and have invested mainly in vegetable farming, poultry, goat/pig rearing, etc.
Traditionally, women have not been active participants in the decision-making process of development activities although they contribute more than their share of voluntary labor for the same. However, the project has taken substantial strides towards gender empowerment and social inclusion, employing extensive effort and advocacy to engage municipal officials, users’ committees and general population. The project has provided cooperative management, financial literacy, social mobilization, basic accounting and enterprise development trainings for 2,073 members of cooperatives of whom 1,534 were women which is 61% of the total participants.
Project details:
| Project Status | Active |
| Project Period | July 2019 - December 2024 |
| Geographic Coverage | Selected municipalities of Baitadi, Bajura, Kailali, Surkhet, Jumla, Mugu, Jajarkot, West Rukum, East Rukum West Rolpa, Sindhuli, Okhaldhunga, Solukhumbu, Morang, Taplejung and Panchthar districts |
| Focus Area | Energy, Environment, Climate and Disaster Risk Management |
| Implemented by | Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC) of the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation |
| Donors: | Asian Development Bank (ADB) |
| Contact | UNDP focal point Pragyajan Yalamber Rai Portfolio Manager United Nations Development Programme UN House, Pulchowk, Lalitpur GPO Box 107, Kathmandu, Nepal Tel: +977-1-5523200 Email: pragyajan.rai@undp.org | Project Focal Point Mr. Satish Gautam National Programme Manager AEPC/RERL, Khumaltar, Lalitpur Tel: 00-977-1-5547609 Email: satish.gautam@aepc.gov.np | Government focal point Mr. Nawa Raj Dhakal National Project Director AEPC/RERL, Tahachal, Kathmandu Tel: 00-977-1-4498013 Email: nawa.dhakal@aepc.gov.np |