SEAM-N PROJECT IN THE INDUSTRIAL CORRIDOR OF BIRATNAGAR DHARAN, NEPAL

Government of Nepal and Government of Finland started the development co-operation project "Strengthening of Environmental Administration and Management at the Local Level in Nepal" called (SEAM-N) in autumn 2001. The project area locates in Morang and Sunsari Districts in the Eastern Nepal consisting of:

• MORANG DISTRICT - Biratnagar Sub metropolis, Hattimuda, Dadarbairiya, Tankisinuwari and Katahari VDCs
• SUNSARI DISTRICT - Itahari Municipality, Dharan Municipality, Duhabi, Khanar and Sonapur VDCs.

Industrial corridor, especially the area between the Biratnagar and Itahari, is one of the most polluted areas in the country. Map of the project area

The objective of the project is to:

• Assist the local authorities and industries of the area in improving their capacity for environmental planning and management.
• Establish regional and local environmental administration in the project area.

 

The project aims at directly protecting, enhancing and sustaining the quality of the environment and providing healthier and ecologically more diverse living environments for the population of the project area. In addition, it will serve as an experiment in de-centralization process and development of regional and local environmental administration in Nepal. The international consultant for the project is Plancenter Ltd together with the Finnish Environment Institute.

Project consists of five interlinked components:

1. Environmental Administration, Planning and Management of the Local Authorities
2. Local Administration Environmental Investment Fund
3. Cleaner Production and Occupational Health and Safety at Local Industries
4. Environmental Support Investment Fund for the Local Industries
5. Environmental Monitoring and Laboratory Services

The project is implemented in two phases. The actual project lasted about four years and the ongoing completion phase (LINK TO THE WORK PLAN), started in the beginning of the year 2006, will be completed in the end of the year 2007.

The establishment of the Environmental Sub-Committees and Environmental units in DDCs, Municipalities and some VDCs will be a major breakthrough of the project and the two year completion period will enable the environmental administrative entities established to consolidate their working modalities and gain necessary training to carry out their duties. The focused training, capacity building, and financial support for five years after the project, is the main tactics to guarantee the sustainability of the project results.

During the completion period communications between different levels of environmental administration will be further developed and cooperation procedures between the different stakeholders continually tested. The project will also promote establishment of an Environmental Service Center where the environmental monitoring laboratory, the industrial cell and Occupational Health and Safety Unit are the core elements. The phasing out will be done gradually according to a mutually prepared phasing-out plan.
The budget for the completion phase is 1,823 million euro.