This assessment aims to provide an overview of the current situation of use and needs of energy for Indigenous Tharu women and their communities as well as the potential for local sources for community-based renewable energy and low-carbon energy solutions for them in Gulariya and Madhuwan municipalities in Bardiya district in southwestern Nepal. It has been produced under the project titled “Enabling indigenous Tharu women and their communities for access to low-carbon renewable energy and sustainable agriculture practices in Bardiya” implemented by Tharu Women Upliftment Center (TWUC) in technical partnership with Community Empowerment and Social Justice Network (CEMSOJ) with financial assistance from International Indigenous Women Forum (IIWF or Foro Internacional de Mujeres Indígenas (FIMI)) through its AYNI Fund: The Indigenous Women’s Fund Strategic Program, and the Global Environment Facility/Small Grants Programme (GEF SGP) implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The assessment is based on consultations of CEMSOJ and TWUC representatives with women’s or community groups as well as stakeholders such as the local governments and other authorities in Gulariya and Madhuwan municipalities organized on 14-16 November 2024. In Madhuwan municipality, consultations were held with women’s groups at Dhanaura village in ward no. 3 (formerly Dhodhari Village Development Committee ward no. 4) and at Sundarpur village in ward no. 2. There were 19 women and 2 men at Dhanaura and 11 women and 3 men at Sundarpur. At the Dhanaura consultation, the Ward Chair was also present. In Gulariya, meeting was held with the municipality representatives as well as officials from other local authorities and media personnel at the municipality office, and a consultation was organized with Pragati Samudayik Surakchhya Jaalo Samuha at Bagahi, ward no. 4 of the municipality. There were 7 women and 11 men at the meeting in the municipality and 23 women and 2 men at the consultation in Bagahi. In all the village consultations, overwhelming majority of participants were women. In all consultations and meeting, traditional Tharu village leaders known as Badhgar and Sahayak Badhgar (Assistant Badhgar) were also in attendance along with other local leaders.

The consultations were undertaken using an open-ended questionnaire prepared by CEMSOJ, including follow up questions to probe or elaborate as needed. Further, the meeting at Gulariya municipality led by the TWUC sought to inform not only the assessment but also garner comments on the overall project. Since the project was designed, as per the pre-identified needs, to provide support for improved cooking stoves and solar irrigation pumps, among other things, to Tharu women and their communities, extensive discussions were held if those renewable and low-carbon energy solutions were needed. At the same time, other needs of the women and their communities were also deliberated. Besides, field observations of the villages and informal follow up conversations with villagers also provided supplemental information for the assessment.

TWUC organized additional meetings for needs assessment on 8 January 2025 at Chhotki Taruwa village in ward no. 1 (with 24 women) and at Dhanaura village in ward no. 3 (with 13 women) of Madhuwan municipality in follow up to the consultation in November. Those meetings also adopted decisions on the needs of the communities in line with the renewable or low-carbon energy solutions being supported under the project. Similarly, on 16 January, two consultations were organized at Bagahi in ward no 4 of Gulariya municipality total 47 participants 1 male 46 female, to adopt decisions on the needs of the communities.

This needs assessment has been followed by gradual implementation of the project to provide assistance for improved cooking stoves while the solar irrigation pumps are still being procured at the time of finalization of this assessment. Accordingly, this assessment has been adapted and updated as per the additional information gathered during the project implementation. For example, in the course of project implementation, it has been noted that the specifications of the solar pumps earlier budgeted under the project fell below the needed capacities for the communities as determined during the consultations. Accordingly, the solar irrigation pumps sought by the communities are costlier than what was budgeted under the project, and there has been inadequacy of budget to procure the planned number of pumps. Thus, the project partners are trying to resolve the issue by exploring new procurement and subsidy options.

At the same time, it is being considered to prioritize other needs for renewable and low-carbon energy solutions (such as solar dryer) identified by the communities during the consultations. Likewise, the Tharu women also pointed out various productive end use of energy during the consultations for needs assessment as well as in the discussions that took place when other project activities were executed. So, such information has also been included.

Besides implementation of the current project, TWUC and CEMSOJ, in follow up to this needs assessment, will collaborate to develop new project proposals and plans for mobilizing necessary funds for the other needs confirmed during the needs assessment but not included in the project. Upon mobilization of funds from national and international sources, TWUC, with technical assistance from CEMSOJ, will implement together with the target women’s and community groups to address their aspirations for socio-economic development as informed during assessment. Tharu women and their groups will also be encouraged to mobilize necessary funds by using the local resources.

Read full Assessment Report here.