An eight-day training program brought together more than 20 representatives of micro-hydropower plants in Baglung, Nepal, to strengthen their capacity for efficient, transparent, and future-ready management and governance.
Intergovernmental Forum Jointly Adopts New Operation Guideline
by: Badri Nath Baral (Winrock International)
How can multiple local governments work together to address shared challenges around energy, environment, and disaster resilience in Nepal’s mountain regions? A promising answer emerged last week from western Baglung.
On 30 July 2025, a significant milestone was achieved under the WISIONS Innovation Lab Project, as seven local governments from Baglung and Gulmi Districts of Nepal officially signed and endorsed the “Operations Guideline 2082” for the newly formed Daram-Badigad Watershed Inter-Local Government Coordination Committee. The endorsement event, held at Dhorpatan Municipality, Burtibang, marks a pioneering step in inter-municipal collaboration for integrated watershed and energy governance in Nepal. The Coordination Committee brings together the following local governments:
- Galkot Municipality, Baglung
- Dhorpatan Municipality, Baglung
- Tamankhola Rural Municipality, Baglung
- Tarakhola Rural Municipality, Baglung
- Nishikhola Rural Municipality, Baglung
- Badigad Rural Municipality, Baglung
- Musikot Municipality, Gulmi
With the formal endorsement of the Operations Guideline 2082, the committee now has a shared roadmap to guide joint planning, implementation, and learning across several key themes. These include integrated energy planning that promotes the productive use of electricity and the integration of renewable energy sources, sustainable management of natural resources with a particular focus on fragile mountain watersheds, and the improvement of solid waste management and environmental sanitation. The roadmap also emphasizes stronger coordination in disaster preparedness and response, as well as enhanced cross-learning and advocacy efforts with provincial and federal governments.
In addition to these thematic focus areas, the guideline establishes a structured process for local governments to coordinate regularly, through quarterly meetings, shared documentation, and joint planning. It also enables each local government to incorporate regional priorities into their annual budgeting and activity planning.
One of the key short-term goals already underway is the establishment of a joint waste management mechanism within a year. The municipalities have begun identifying a suitable site, with plans to develop a public park that will also serve as a waste treatment facility – an innovative example of multi-functional infrastructure.
The forum is one of the first structured inter-local government platforms established in Nepal since federalization, specifically focused on shared landscape-level development and energy transition challenges.
This successful model offers critical lessons for other parts of Nepal and beyond, where multiple local governments share natural resources, energy infrastructure, and socio-economic vulnerabilities. As climate and development pressures intensify, collaborative governance, not competition will be key to building inclusive and resilient mountain communities.
We extend our sincere appreciation to all the local leaders, project partners, and community stakeholders who made this achievement possible including the dedicated facilitation by Ms. Nisha Jaishwal, Project Manager and the strategic leadership of Mr. Badri Nath Baral, Country Director, Winrock International Nepal.
