The UNESCAP project "Capacity building on integration of energy and rural development planning" aimed to promote rural energy development through capacity building on integrating energy and rural development issues, stakeholder involvement and facilitation of information exchange among stakeholders. The project was developed to enhance national capacities in identifying linkages between energy and rural development to promote long-term, integrated and well-coordinated rural energy planning.

Under the project, an Expert Group Meeting (EGM)* on the Integration of Energy and Rural Development Policies and Programmes was held in Bangkok, Thailand, from 25-27 June 2003. The EGM discussed and identified salient issues pertaining to rural energy development and provided an initial platform to encourage the sharing of country experiences on the integration of energy development and rural development planning. This was followed by the Expert Review Meeting (ERM) to finalize the Guidelines on Integration of Energy and Rural Development Policies and Programmes, held on 25-26 September 2003.

Following the development of the Guidelines, UNESCAP and UNDP jointly conducted the Regional Training Workshop on the Integration of Energy and Rural Development Policies and Programmes from 12 to 14 May 2004 in Bangkok, for key personnel of national teams and selected academia/research institutions, who will be responsible for carrying out training and other activities at the national level.

Subsequently, the project was implemented at the national level. The national activities included development of training materials, delivery of training workshop and development of the country strategy on integration of energy and rural development policies and programmes.

The project marked its final event in Bangkok from 21 to 23 September 2005 with the Regional Concluding Workshop on the Integration of Energy and Rural Development Policies and Programmes. The main objectives of this Regional Concluding Workshop were to share findings and experiences related to the integration of energy and rural development planning as well as to discuss on the outcomes and lessons learned from the project implementation. The Regional Concluding Workshop also provided an important forum to discuss the strategies for sustaining integrated rural energy planning efforts at the national level, with various international organizations, United Nations agencies and other international/bilateral organization.

As a result of the external evaluation which was undertaken in December 2005 to assess the project's substantive implementation and management arrangements, the regional workshop to promote implementation of national strategies on integration of rural energy policies and programmes on access to energy services ( tentative programme and adoption of report ) was conducted in Indonesia from 4 to 7 December 2006, to share experience and lessons learnt from the project and discuss on possible future activities. The workshop served as an interactive forum with dual purposes: (a) taking stock of initiatives taken by participating countries as recommended by the external evaluator; and (b) reviewing the 5P project case study to gauge whether the participating countries could replicate the mini-hydropower plant with participation from the private sector and develop action plans.

The information from this project was used to publish:

	ENERGY SERVICES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN RURAL AREAS IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC: POLICY AND PRACTICE