Sarlahi district is one of the forest deficit districts of Nepal where more than 95 percent people living in rural areas of the district depend on traditional fuel for fulfilling the household energy requirements, which are primarily managed by women. In rural areas, excessive use of biomass energy is not only a threat to the environment due to the high use of forest resources, but also results in a drop off in agricultural productivity due to the diversion of agricultural residues and animal waste from farms to fireplace. Further, use of petroleum products particularly Kerosene for lighting and Diesel for water pumping are the main actors for releasing additional amount of carbon to the atmosphere and accelerating rate of indoor air pollution. This situation is worsened by the low-level efficiency of these fuels, which are a health hazard due to increased air pollution, particularly to rural women who are the managers, producers and users of energy at the household level.

Belwa Jabdi and Dumariya VDCs of Sarlahi district are the prime residence of these ethnic groups where more than 80 pecent of Majhi, Mushahar, Chamar, Khatbe, Koiri, Dushadh and Muslims of the district reside. Thus the project has proposed a comprehensive development package for enhancing sustainable livelihoods of hese marginalised communities through integrating RETs.