Empowered Community and Local Ownership: The Hariyo Ban “Green Forest” Project 

The intersectionality of several environmental and social factors make Nepal climate-change vulnerable, where marginalized populations are most at risk of negative outcomes. Funded by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Hariyo Ban program tackles gender equality and social inclusion issues through implementation of Community Learning and Action Centers (CLACs). As of 2021, more than 500 CLACs were established and supported over 13,000 members. This case study will explore the impact of Hariyo Ban’s CLACs on gender equality and climate change adaptation in Nepal.