Environment, Culture, Agriculture, Research and Development Society, Nepal (ECARDS-Nepal) was founded in 1991 to act as a non-profit, non-governmental, non-sectarian social development organization. It was set up to foster sustainable community development through people's organization and leadership.
The basic philosophy of ECARDS-Nepal is to create awareness and promote understanding of the dynamics of the development process by empowering the local community. People need to be involved in problem identification, planning, resource mobilization, implementation and evaluation of a program. ECARDS-Nepal strives to serve as a vital link in the dynamic process of environmental management that helps to enhance and sustain agricultural productivity. It provides attention to socio-cultural factors that are critical to project planning and execution.