SNV began working in Nepal in 1980 as a traditional implementing agency carrying out infrastructure projects in the Mechi and Karnali zones (areas where we still work today).
Nowadays we concentrate our activities in two portfolio regions, the Mid-west (Karnali) and the East (Mechi hills). SNV/Nepal has been working for many years in these very poor regions and built up a good understanding of the situation of the people and the social network. In the regions, teams of advisors, led by a portfolio coordinator, are continuously diagnosing, planning and working together with a mix of government, non-government, private sector and civil society organizations in order to develop carefully designed and tested practices.
SNV/Nepal helps Nepalese partner organizations to carry out their work in alleviating poverty and improving governance by providing knowledge, contacts and networks. We work in three sectors that we believe are crucial to long-term sustainable rural development and livelihoods, and where we have gained special expertise. These are natural resource management, governance and private sector development. Within these thematic fields we specialize in seven practice areas:
Natural resource management:

SNV began working in Nepal in 1980 as a traditional implementing agency carrying out infrastructure projects in the Mechi and Karnali zones (areas where we still work today).
Nowadays we concentrate our activities in two portfolio regions, the Mid-west (Karnali) and the East (Mechi hills). SNV/Nepal has been working for many years in these very poor regions and built up a good understanding of the situation of the people and the social network. In the regions, teams of advisors, led by a portfolio coordinator, are continuously diagnosing, planning and working together with a mix of government, non-government, private sector and civil society organizations in order to develop carefully designed and tested practices.
SNV/Nepal helps Nepalese partner organizations to carry out their work in alleviating poverty and improving governance by providing knowledge, contacts and networks. We work in three sectors that we believe are crucial to long-term sustainable rural development and livelihoods, and where we have gained special expertise. These are natural resource management, governance and private sector development. Within these thematic fields we specialize in seven practice areas:

1.Natural resource management:

*Biodiversity conservation and decentralized forest management (11 districts in the Terai)
* Renewable energy and biogas (65 districts in the Terai and hills for biogas and 16 hill and mountain districts for improved water mills)

*Governance:
* Local governance (5 districts in the Karnali and 3 districts in Mechi)
* Community Built Rural Infrastructure * (4 districts in the Karnali)
* Empowerment of ethnic minorities (4 districts in the Central Mid Hills)

2.Private sector development:
* Market access for the poor (5 districts in the Karnali and 3 districts in Mechi)
* Pro-poor tourism (11 districts in the Karnali, Terai and Solukhumbu region)
* Besides these seven practices, we are developing an independently managed research fund on social inclusion.

Ongoing activities related to sustainable tourism (in Nepal)
Technical support to NTB and STN (focus on the private sector/ mainstreaming PPST and marketing)
GHT (Great Himalayan Trail) together with ICIMOD/ NTB
Asia Invest Programme MANSTOP (Marketing Assistance to Nepal for Sustainable Tourism Products) partnering with UNEP and NTB/ STN
SNV regional Sustainable Tourism Network (Nepal, Vietnam, Laos, Buthan)
TRPAP (Tourism for Rural Poverty Alleviation Programme) partnering with HMG, DFID and UNDP
Partnership with TU/ Geography Department

Geographic areas location (DDC/VDC) of ongoing activities
TRPAP districts: Dolpa, Chitwan, Rasuwa, Solu Khumbu, Rupandehi, Taplejung;
GHT areas: Karnali, Mustang, Manang, Manaslu, Ganesh Himal, Everest and Kanchenjunga;
Nationally: mainstreaming PPST principles and practices throughout Nepals Tourism Industry through our technical and capacity –building support for NTB and the STN;
Regionally: developing trans-national PPST initiatives in the wider Hindu Kush-Himalaya region with national and international partners such as ICIMOD
Globally: facilitating knowledge and experience-sharing between countries and contributing to the advancement of expertise in PPST through SNV's international STN and our partnership with the WTO.

Planned activities related to sustainable tourism
See ongoing activities

Geographic areas location (DDC/VDC) of Planned activities
Cross-country with other Himalayan and Asian countries.

Past activities related to sustainable tourism
See brochures and publications

Geographic areas location (DDC/VDC) of past activities
See brochures and publications

Tourism plans & reviews Tourism infrastructure development (was a strength) Capacity building Research & publications Cooperation/networking with other partners Trainings Social mobilization Marketing & promotion (market research and analysis) Awareness building Technical advises Forward/backward linkages in local economy Monitoring & evaluation Rural tourism development Social inclusion & gender SME development