“Renewable Energy Access for Livelihoods in Fragile Buffer Zones – Phase 2 (REALIZE II)” Project is an integrated initiative at the nexus of conservation, livelihoods, and renewable energy. The project is funded by Jersey Overseas Aid (JOA), technically led by Renewable World Nepal and jointly implemented by LI-BIRD and Beautiful Nepal Association (BNA) for the period of July 2025 to June 2029. Working areas of the project cover the Northern Buffer Zone of Bardiya National Park, specifically in Barahatal Rural Municipality and Bheriganga Municipality of Surkhet district.

The project targets over 35,000 people living in the northern buffer zone of Bardiya National Park including local school students, CFUG members, cooperatives, and forest dependent marginal households. Key interventions include the promotion of improved cookstoves (ICS), development of local energy technicians, clean water access powered by renewable energy, foster human- wildlife co-existence through promotion of mitigation measure and climate education through school curricula focused on biodiversity, NTFPs and MAPs, forest conservation, and climate change. Building on lessons from Phase I, REALIZE II adopts a community led “Park, Palika and People Partnership (4 P)” approach with an expanded geographic focus, synergic initiatives and system development. It also engages with national-level stakeholders to replicate good practices and influence broader conservation and energy policy across protected areas of Nepal.

The project seeks to drive systemic change in natural resource management by promoting clean energy access, climate-resilient agriculture, and conservation-friendly livelihoods. It aims to improve livelihoods through renewable energy-based solutions that promote conservation-friendly practices, clean energy access, women’s empowerment, and climate-resilient agriculture by fostering stronger cooperation between local communities and concerned stakeholders. The project also aspires to transform potential conflicts into opportunities for peaceful coexistence and shared stewardship of natural resources. It focuses on empowering vulnerable and marginalized communities, especially women, and enhancing their role in local decision-making processes.