Khumbu's forest, pasture, and cropland commons are governed in part by the Nawa system, a Sherpa customary institution with no statutory basis. The state already relies on and partially funds this system's enforcement capacity without ever formally recognising it. This analysis documents what the Nawa system governs, who depends on it, and what non-recognition costs. It builds the evidence base for the case for formal legal recognition under Finding 3 of the Phase 1 brief.

Khumbu generates an estimated NPR 1.81 billion annually in tourism-linked revenue, yet retains only 22–25% of it locally. This paper traces seven distinct revenue streams, from mountaineering royalties to visa fees, through the legal and fiscal mechanisms that determine how much of that money actually returns to the communities bearing the cost of hosting it. The findings offer an empirical baseline for one of the central governance gaps identified in the broader Nepal Action Research for Tourism Solutions project: a fiscal architecture that centralizes tourism revenue while leaving local governments to absorb the burden of maintenance, safety, and environmental stewardship.

A mapping of local governance in Karnali, Lumbini and Madhesh shows that Nepal has built the framework for gender-inclusive government but rarely lets women, and even more rarely marginalized women, actually run it.

A new survey measures fallout of the crisis, and offers long-term structural solutions

Governance Lab, under its Nepal Action Research for Tourism Solutions initiative, convened a policy dialogue on "Unlocking Nepal's Tourism Sector: Bridging the Data Gap for National Policy." The event brought together senior policymakers, industry leaders, academics, and civil society representatives to discuss the governance and data gaps standing between Nepal's tourism ambitions and their implementation. Discussions emphasized that closing these gaps is a shared opportunity across the tourism sector.

This report presents the Gender Responsive and Inclusive Governance (GRIG) Mapping conducted under the programme “Strengthening Gender Responsive and Inclusive Governance through Leadership, Fellowship, and Institutional Reform”, implemented by Governance Lab (GovLab) in partnership with UN Women. The GRIG mapping has adopted a mixed-methods research design that combined desk review, secondary research, and structured primary data collection to generate a comprehensive understanding of GRIG at the local level. It builds on and complements UN Women-supported GRIG and GESI assessments conducted under Provincial and Local Governance Support Program (PLGSP).

WEFE Nexus Leadership Program – Community of Practice Experience Sharing Event

Sustainable and integrated management of water, energy, food, and ecosystems requires a coordinated and cross-sectoral approach to manage trade-offs and maximize synergies among these deeply interconnected resources. This line of action is called the water-energy-food-ecosystem (WEFE) nexus approach. This 4-hour sensitization course is designed for policymakers and other high-level decisionmakers in any WEFE or WEFE-adjacent sector. It provides an overview of WEFE nexus concepts, issues, and approaches to foster integrated, equitable, and sustainable resource management at multiple scales. The course was co-developed under the umbrella of the CGIAR Initiative on NEXUS Gains by the Center for Water Resources Studies (CWRS), Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University, in partnership with the Alliance of Bioversity international and CIAT, and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI). It includes theory as well as practical applications and interactive elements.

Girls in ICT Day has become a significant celebration whose goal is not just to inspire girls and women to work in STEM but also build the community that is receptive and supportive to the ideas, possible with the medium of collaborations and partnerships. This year the theme was ‘Girls in ICT for inclusive digital transformation’, a truly meaningful and crucially necessary theme that focused on the ongoing movement for gender-inclusive digital development. To celebrate this day in Nepal, many young girls centric digital awareness programs, skill-building activities as well as several hackathons and ideathons were held. One of them was a dynamic and empowering workshop on Inclusive Digital Transformation, organized by Plan International Nepal, in collaboration with Women Leaders in Technology (WLiT) on 23rd April, 2025 at Plan International Nepal Office, Bakhundol.

Reflections on multi-actor, transdisciplinary leadership training on the water, energy, food, and ecosystems nexus approach for women in Nepal. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Initiative on NEXUS Gains. 13p.

Female Representation and Candidacy Remains at a Low Level in 2022: Female candidacy and representation remains below or at 5% in mayor, ward chair and open ward positions in 2022. Female candidacy and representation for deputy mayor positions has dropped to roughly 75%.