FOREWORD   Sustainable development is a continuous process. In its efforts to implement Agenda 21, one of the most important outcomes of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio in 1992, Nepal has taken initiatives to implement sustainable development programmes. Putting the agenda into action is a challenging task. Institutionalisation of the sustainable development process is another challenge which was lacking in the past developmental efforts have brought little impact. Most of the development efforts failed due a lack of an institutional mechanism to sustain their support in the long run. In considering the development efforts of the past, the National Planning Commission with support from the United Nations Development Programme, has been implementing the Sustainable Community Development Programme (SCDP) as a demonstration programme. One of the challenging tasks of the Programme, as mentioned above, is institutionalisation of the sustainable development process at the community and district levels. The SCDP has developed strong partnerships with the local communities and local Non-Govermental Organisation (NGOs) and local governments such as the District Development Committees (DDCs) and the Village Development Committees (VDCs). This provides unique opportunities to mobilise available resources, transfer appropriate technologies, and increase the availability of resources to poor communities in remote areas. The SCDP was designed in line with Agenda 21 and has been successfully implemented as a demonstration programme in Surkhet, Kailali and Dang districts. To sustain the community-based sustainable development efforts at the community level, the Programme has taken actions toward building institutions, developed a mechanism for financing sustainable development efforts, and facilitated capacity building of stakeholders. For this, the Programme has formed Sustainable Development Facilities (SDFs). SDFs are autonomous and independent institutions operated either under the umbrella of the DDC or as NGOs with a provision for advisory committees called Sustainable Development Committees. Creation of the Sustainable Development Facility Fund, a revolving fund, is considered a milestone to continue the sustainable development activities. Building capacity of communities and other stakeholders is also another dimension to ensure sustainability of the activities being carried out. The National Planning Commission and UNDP are committed to adapting the sustainable development processes and methodologies designed by SCDP in other parts of the country. The SCDP’s institutional framework for sustainable development provides an opportunity for DDCs, VDCs, CBOs, and NGOs to work hand-in-hand to sustain the programme and multiply the benefits from it. I hope that this document will be useful to the stakeholders including the communities that are taking actions to support sustainable development in Nepal. This document will also be useful to other professionals and institutions in other developing countries in search of sustainable development programmes that are truly people-centred, practical and cost effective and that will help translate the principles of Agenda 21 into real actions.   Hari Shankar Tripathi Member, National Planning Commission and Chaiperson, SCDP Executive Committee   BACK