Korea Institute for Development Strategy (KDS) announced that it held the 1st Project Steering Committee (PSC) meeting and the Official Project Launching Ceremony on November 5, 2025 (local time). The event was part of the "Project for Inclusive Rural Community Development in Bardiya District, Nepal (2024-2029 / $8 million)," a grant aid project supported by the KOICA.

The project, funded by an $8 million grant from KOICA, will be implemented over 61 months from 2024 to 2029. Its primary objectives are to increase the income of residents in the Bardiya district and revitalize the local economy by establishing value chains for agriculture and eco-tourism. Furthermore, the project aims to establish a community-led, inclusive, and sustainable development model that can serve as a benchmark for inclusive rural development across Nepal.

The meeting was presided over by Ms. Nita Pokhrel Aryal, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration (MoFAGA) of Nepal, serving as the Chair, and co-chaired by Mr. Kong Moo-heon, Country Director of the KOICA Nepal Office. Attendees included the mayors of eight municipalities in the Bardiya district, representatives from 19 cooperatives, officials from Bardiya National Park, and key representatives from the Project Management Consultancy (PMC).

During the meeting, in-depth discussions were held on key agenda items, including: ▲ the current status of project implementation; and ▲ the action plans for the first round of Locally Initiated Projects (LIPs).

Particular focus was placed on development strategies for high-value-added local industries—such as dairy, crop production, farm machinery rental services, pork processing, compost production, fish processing, and eco-tourism—alongside the introduction of the Local Government Project Management System (LGPMS) for effective project management and monitoring. Additionally, the PSC officially endorsed the action plans for the LIPs across the eight local governments.

Joint Secretary Nita Pokhrel Aryal congratulated the project on entering its official implementation phase, emphasizing that the project aligns with the Nepalese government’s decentralization policy and inclusive development stance. She added, “This project reflects the government’s firm commitment to inclusive and sustainable rural development. Through KOICA’s support, local governments and communities will strengthen their capacity to lead their own economic growth.”

Mr. Kong Moo-heon, Country Director of KOICA Nepal, expressed his gratitude for the close cooperation of the federal and local governments, stating, “KOICA finds it highly meaningful to pursue this inclusive rural development project in partnership with the Nepalese government.” He further emphasized, “This project embodies the shared vision of both nations to build a resilient rural economy through innovation, capacity building, and the active participation of local communities.”

Through this meeting, both parties reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining a close cooperation framework, encouraging the active participation of beneficiary cooperatives, and generating long-term, tangible results through continuous monitoring and capacity building. In 2026, the project plans to launch full-scale activities, including local capacity-building training, invitational training in Korea, business plan consulting, and the implementation of the first round of LIPs.