TS5.4 Rural-Urban Linkage and Role of Civil Society: A Successful Model for Good Urban Governance in

Abstract

Nepal is primarily a rural based economy however with the increasing trend of urbanization, the contribution of urban areas in national economy is rapidly increasing. Realizing the situation of immense potential to benefit from the economy of rural-urban linkages, a well focused Rural-Urban Partnership Program (RUPP) is developed and hence implemented in selected urban and rural centers of Nepal. The program aims to achieve the goals of urban and rural development by strengthening rural-urban linkages. Successful mobilization of civil society (community) and their appropriate utilization in implementing program activities is the clue to success of RUPP. Taking benefit from the successful community mobilization initiatives, the program is now addressing all physical, social, economic and environmental aspects of urban development through good urban governance. The program is presently working in 12 municipalities and 33 Rural Market Centers (RMCs) of Nepal. This paper has tried to analyze the comprehensive role of civil society in strengthening rural-urban linkages and more importantly their contribution in an overall urban development and hence urban governance of the country. The role of civil society is thus analyzed in four different categories namely as strength, as tools, as resources and as a