Satellite view of a village in Nepal named as Thapathana

From Quito to Kathmandu – Sharing experience on climate compatible development

CDKN and ICLEI partners gathered in Kathmandu, Nepal to exchange experiences on local and subnational climate compatible development. Keshab Thapa of LI-BIRD Nepal co-hosted the exchange – and reports here on the major themes.

Starting in Quito, Ecuador and moving to Kathmandu, Nepal, the first and second learning workshops from CDKN and ICLEI on translating learning on climate compatible development into action provided an interactive platform to synthesise learnings at subnational level. At the workshop in Quito, we identified seven questions and in Kathmandu, we shared our wisdom on these learning questions. This was an excellent opportunity to receive insights into different country experiences, in terms of socio-cultural context, political aspects, differing climate vulnerability and rural-urban issues. The workshop combined a unique approach of learning through country experiences, synthesising group learnings, field visits and reflection.

Sprinkler used in mustard

Farmers have already started smart irrigation technologies but by few farmers. Micro-irritation technology can contribute to an agricultural system to become climate smart.

‘Climate Smart Villages’ in Punjab, India provide lessons on climate smart agriculture

The CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT), and the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) organised the ‘International Workshop on Climate Smart Villages’ in September in Ludhiana, Punjab province, India. LI-BIRD, in partnership with CCAFS is implementing the CDKN-funded ‘Scaling-up Climate Smart Agriculture in Nepal’ project and we took part to learn more about the Climate Smart Village approach. The Climate Smart Village is a community-based approach to limit the effects of climate change through engagement with stakeholders on the best interventions that fit the local context. The idea is to mainstream climate-smart interventions into village development plans with the use of local knowledge through local institutions to address the triple challenges in agriculture – improving food production (quality, quantity and diversity), adapting to climate change and contributing to mitigating greenhouse gases emissions. The workshop comprised theoretical discussions, field observations, and participant reflections, such as participatory assessment of portfolios of climate-smart agricultural practices for rice and wheat cropping systems to adapt to climate variability and changes, and farmer’s participatory evaluation of adaptation and risk management interventions. The portfolio approach of Climate Smart Agriculture pilot projects proved to be very interesting. Farmers in Climate Smart Villages are using a range of technological and institutional interventions related to weather forecasting, index-based insurance schemes, efficient irrigation management strategies, adapted cultivars, and a range of other low greenhouse gas emitting options. In doing so, they are optimising synergies among adaptation, mitigation, food production and sustainable development. For detail, please refer the link below. http://cdkn.org/2015/10/feature-climate-smart-villages-in-punjab-india-promoting-climate-smart-agriculture/?loclang=en_gb

Local Financing for Local Adaptation: Key to Building Local Resilience

Context: Climate change induced risks and hazards have created both opportunities and challenges to the rural livelihoods of the countries like Nepal. Specifically in Nepalese context, rural livelihoods are challenged by increased frequency and intensity of droughts, rainfall, landslides, flash floods, heat and cold waves resulting into loss of productive assets, lives, pest attack, decreased crop productivity, decreased ecosystem services, forest fires, health impacts, and infrastructure damage. Some of the advantages due to climate change are early crop maturity, production of more crops per crop cycle, shifting tree line, possibility of more crops production and livelihood opportunities in higher altitudes, etc. Evidences/Cases: Participatory interactions with local farming communities and user groups in various locations of Nepal revealed that there are local initiatives to adapt to climate risks and hazards that are further strengthened with the external inputs from research and extension agencies promoting community based adaptation. Some of the key examples of community based adaptation are: Dang (Midwestern Nepal): The users of Debisthan Community Forest User Group (CFUG) of Kathaberuwa village of Bela VDC of Dang district have prepared local adaptation plan. With the preparation of Plan, communities are more aware on the climate change, its impacts and the need of local adaptation. They have identified untimely rainfall and floods are the key climatic hazards facing challenging to their livelihoods resulting into deposition of sands in the productive lands and river cutting. After the preparation of local adaptation plan, they have started community sensitization by forming a drama group, realized and started sustainable management of their forest and conservation of water resources. Gorkha (Western Nepal): The farmers of Taklung Village of Taklung VDC of Gorkha district in 2011, due to prolonged drought during June, could not transplant rice in uplands. As a result, they lost a local upland rice variety called as Shovara because the seeds of the variety did not germinate in 2012 season. Over the time, they have also lost aroma in Gauriya rice. Due to untimely rainfall, maize plantation has delayed by 1 month [Earlier they used to plant in last week of March]. They also realized differential gender impacts of such changes in the communities. Such as drying of water sources have increased work load of women, whereas decreased production of crops and performance of livestock has increased more responsibility for men to manage the crisis. Despite the few efforts of communities to deal with the changes brought by climate change, they have introduced early maturing variety of maize such as Arun 2 and Rampur Composite from agro-vets and farmer to farmer knowledge exchange to deal with late planting due to untimely rainfall. In rice, they have grown a drought tolerant variety named Judi. In the Bakrang VDC of the district, maize planting is delayed by one month and spring rice planting is also delayed by 1 month [in Late April]. Yield of upland rice has decreased due to disease. In lower belt, farmers have observed decline in mandarin production and has shifted in upper belt [i.e. in higher altitudes]. Farmers also experienced early flowering of peach. As a bottom up adaptation, agro-forestry practiced by the farmers is helpful to reduce soil loss to some extend during high intensity rainfall. Some farmers have initiated broom grass cultivation that has provided forage for livestock, broom for income generation, and soil erosion control. Some farmers have been shifting mandarin in higher altitudes and cultivating banana in lower altitudes. The key community based adaptation oriented livelihoods options identified in the area (Taklung and Bakrang VDCs) are-i) promotion of agro-forestry e.g. promotion of forages and fodders along with diverse farming in the terraces such as coffee, broom grass; manure management and soil fertilization with organic manures; crop diversification: growing legumes integrating with cereal crops such as maize, millet; promotion of local underutilized crops such as yam, taro, etc; integrated management of home gardens: integrating diversity with water management; water harvesting structures to collect water; water sources conservation; and drainage maintenance in the terraces and slope stabilization. Chitwan Annapurna Landscape (CHAL): During the preparation of community adaptation plans of action (CAPAs) in the selected 16 CFUGs of Gorkha, Lamjung, Tanahun, Kaski, and Syangja districts of Chitwan Annapurna Landscape, the forest users have perceived an overall increase in temperature, shortened winter period, erratic rainfall with high intensity in short duration, prolonged drought, early flowering and maturity of crops, increased distribution of invasive species in forests and agricultural land, drying up of water sources, and decreased soil fertility and crop productivity. Among the impacts in three ecosystems (agriculture, forest and water), communities scored highest impacts of climate change in agro-ecosystem in most CFUGs. The key community based adaptation interventions identified in the CAPAs are promotion of tree plantation along with bioengineering structures, conservation of water sources, management of invasive species (such as Mikania, Crofton weed, etc), promotion of conservation agricultural production system (ensuring minimum soil disturbance, continuous soil cover, and crop rotation with legume integration), promotion of drought tolerant crop species, sustainable forest management, fire control interventions, and agro-forestry in crop lands. During the endorsements of CAPAs, communities seemed very hopeful for implementation of CAPAs with support from concerned agencies (government, non government, and private sector) with their cash matching for the implementation of CAPAs amounting 11% of the total fund of all CAPAs ranging from 5%-23%. In addition, the operation of weather monitoring stations (called climate diaries) by local communities in Rupa Watershed of Kaski has increased communities access to weather information as well as provided confidence to carry out farming operations as for example in the Rupa Lake Rehabilitation and Fishery Cooperative has referred the temperature record of the climate diaries to decide on introduction of fish fingerlings into the lake. The shifting cultivators of Gorkha, Dhading, Chitwan, Tanahun and Nawalparasi districts have adopted technologies such as integrated hedge rows that include forages and fodders in the hedges and fruits and legumes in the alleys in the shifting cultivation lands. These interventions have reduced soil erosion, increased availability of fodders for livestock and increased market linkage of the communities due to fruits and commercial crops such as banana, citrus, legumes (black gram, cowpea and horse gram), and broom grass. Key Message: Besides the local initiatives to community based adaptation to climate change, the local adaptation responses and plans are offering opportunities for building local resilience with the leadership of local communities and stakeholders. In this context, in order to effectively adapt to the impacts of climate change, scaling up of community based adaptation interventions through creation of synergies and leverage of resources at local level is central to building and sustaining communities' responses to climate change. Hence local level financing for building local adaptation should be the key strategy to promote community based adaptation approaches in the climate change vulnerable countries like Nepal.

Think.Eat.Save

I celebrated World Environment Day 2013 with the theme Think.Eat.Save. It has clearly mentioned the potentiality of ending hunger in the world if we are able to avoid food loses and wastage from plough to plate. In this context, I oriented around 200 grade 8 and 9 students of Kumudini Homes Boarding School of Pokhara about global environmental issues such as climate change, deforestation, dust storm, and information related to Think.Eat.Save. Besides, to contribute to clean and green Pokhara, I also participated in a greenathon (Cycle rally) today Morning.

नेपालमा कृषिपर्यटनको सम्भावना

सामान्य बुझाइमा पर्यटन भनेको रमाइलो गर्न, छुट्टी मनाउन तथा व्यापारिक उद्देश्यले आफु बसिरहेको स्थानबाट कुनै नयाँ स्थानमा गरिने यात्रालाई भनिन्छ । यो यात्रा एक दिन भन्दा बढी र एक बर्ष भन्दा कमीको भएमा मात्र यसलाई पर्यटनका रुपमा लिन सकिन्छ । विश्वमा पर्यटनलाई एउटा प्रख्यात ब्यवसायका तथा क्रियाकलापमा रुपमा लिइएको छ । अहिले आएर विश्वका कतिपय देशका लागि पर्यटन अर्थतन्त्रको प्रमुख आधारका रुपमा देखापरेको छ । पर्यटनले विशेष गरी कुनै पनि देश, शहर तथा समुदायको आर्थिक तथा सामाजिक उन्नतिमा विशेष योगदान पु¥याउने हुनाले विश्व पर्यटनको मनिला घोषणपत्र १९८० ले पनि पर्यटनलाई एउटा महत्वपूर्ण क्रियाकलापका रुपमा लिइनु पर्ने जनाएको छ । संस्कृतिको आदानप्रदान, रोजगारीका अवसरहरु, ज्ञान सिप तथा प्रविधिको आदानप्रदान र समग्रमा आर्थिक उन्नति र विकासका लागि नै पर्यटनले महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका खेल्ने गर्दछ । पर्यटकीय दृष्टिकोणले नेपाल पनि विश्वमा एउटा महत्पूर्ण पर्यटकीय स्थलका रुपमा अगाडी आउँदछ । यहाँको विविध जलवायु, भुबनोट, प्राकृतिक भुपरिधि, खोला नाला, झरना छहरा, हिमाल, ताल, बन्यजन्तु, धर्म, संस्कृति, तथा ऐतिहासिक स्थलहरु पर्यटनका प्रमुख आकर्षणका रुपमा चिरपरिचित भएका छन् । हामीकहाँ आउने धेरै पर्यटकहरु प्रायजसो कि त हिमालको आधार शिविर तर्फ या त बन्यजन्तुहरु तथा तालतलैयाहरु अवलोकन गर्नका लागि जाने गरेको पाइन्छ । यी श्रोतहरु हाम्रालागि पर्यटकीयक्षेत्रका रुपमा चिरपरिचित भएका र सजिलै प्रचारप्रसार गर्न सजिलो भएका कारणले पनि अहिले हिमाल र तालमा पर्यटनका पूर्वाधारहरुको विकास हुँदै गएको देख्न सकिन्छ । यधपि नेपालमा पर्यटनका विविध सम्भावनाहरु रहेका छन् । नेपालको क्षेत्रफल तथा यहाँको कमजोर भुबनोटलाई मध्यनजर गर्ने हो भने नेपालको पर्यटनले केही निश्चित पर्यटकहरुलाई मात्र थेग्न सक्दछ । त्यसैले नेपाली पर्यटनको प्रबर्धन गर्नका लागि केही हद सम्म पर्यटकको संख्या बृद्धि गरी त्यस पछि पर्यटक संख्यालाई भन्दा पनि उनीहरुको बसाइलाई लम्ब्याउन तर्फ ध्यान दिनु जरुरी देखिन्छ । हिमाल र तालका अतिरिक्त नेपालमा यहाँको पर्यटनको दिगो विकासका दृष्टिकोणले प्रचारप्रसार गर्न सकिने अन्य आकर्षणहरु पनि रहेका छन् । यिनै आकर्षणहरुको माध्यमबाट नेपालमा आउने विदेशी पर्यटकहरुको तथा आन्तरिक पर्यटकहरुको बसाइलाई लम्बाउन सकिन्छ । यिनै आकर्षणहरु मध्ये नेपालको कृषिलाई पनि एउटा प्रमुख आर्कषणका रुपमा प्रचारप्रसार गरि नेपालको ग्रामिण भुभागमा कृषि पर्यटनको विस्तार गर्न सकिन्छ । नेपाल मुलतः कृषि प्रदान देश हो । कृषि नेपाली अर्थतन्त्रको एउटा महत्वपूर्ण मेरुदण्ड पनि हो । नेपाल सरकार कृषि बिभागको एक तथ्याङ्कका अनुसार नेपालको कृषिले ६६ प्रतिशत सक्रिय जनसंख्यालाई रोजगारीको अवसरहरु प्रदान गर्दै आएको छ भने नेपालको कुल गार्हस्थ उत्पादनमा ३९ प्रतिशत योगदान पु¥याएको छ । बिदेश ब्यापारकालागि कृषि जन्य उत्पादनहरुको योगदान १३ प्रतिशत रहेको छ । कृषिलाई पर्यटनमा समायोजन गर्न सकियो भने पर्यटन व्यवसायलाई दुइ हिसाबले फाइदा पुग्छ । पहिलो पर्यटकको बसाई लम्ब्याउन भने दोस्रो कृषि उपजहरुलाई उपहारका रुपमा बिक्रीवितरण गरेर । हावापानीको विविधता तथा भौगोलिक विविधताले गर्दा नेपालमा विभिन्न प्रकारका बालीनालीहरु लगाउन सकिन्छ र लगाइँदै आइएको पनि छ । पर्यटकीय आकर्षणका हिसाबले कृषि बालीहरु, पशुबस्तुहरु र तिनका जात, कृषि जन्य उत्पादनहरु, कृृषि प्रणाली तथा कृषि पारिस्थितिकीय प्रणाली, र कृषि उत्पादनका कार्यहरुलाई कृषि पर्यटनको प्रमुख कियाकलापका रुपमा लिन सकिन्छ । हिमाली भुपरिधिमा रम्न आएका पर्यटकहरुलाई ब्यवस्थित गाउँहरुमा राखेर मौषमअनुसार कृषिका आकर्षणहरुबाट पनि मनोरञ्जन दिन र ज्ञान तथा संस्कृतिको आदान प्रदान गर्न सकिन्छ । उदाहरणका लागि धान रोपाईको प्रक्रिया, दाइँ हाल्ने, धान बत्ताउने तथा टौवा बनाउने क्रियाकलापहरु, कोदो ठटाउने, कोदोको परिकार (ढिँडो बनाउने) बनाउने र खाने, विभिन्न फलफूलहरुको प्रशोधन, स्थानीय बालीका विविध जातहरुको अवलोकन गराउने, मौरी पालन, मह काड्ने प्रक्रिया, पर्यटकको इच्छानुसार स्थानीय खानाका खुवाउने आदि जस्ता क्रियाकलापहरु कृषि पर्यटनका आधारहरु हुन सक्छन् । नेपालको पूर्वी जिल्ला इलाममा भ्रमण गर्न जाने पर्यटकको आकर्षण भनेको त्यहाँको चिया बगान हो । त्यहाँबाट पर्यटकले अकबरे खुर्सानी, चिया, छुर्पी, चिज, अलैँची, र विभिन्न जडीबुटीहरु किनेर आफ्नो प्रयोगका लागि ल्याउने गरेको देखिन्छ । इलामले जसरी नै नेपालका अन्य जिल्लाहरुले पनि आफ्नो जिल्लामा पाइने कृषि उपजहरुलाई पर्यटकीय आकर्षण र उत्पादनका रुपमा प्रबद्र्धन गर्न सक्दछन् । उदाहरणका रुपमा हिमाली जिल्लाहरुमा चौँरी, स्याउ, च्याउ, चुक, यार्सागुम्बा लगायत अन्य जडीबुटीहरुलाई कृषि पर्यटनका रुपमा बजारीकरण गर्न सकिन्छ । हिमाली जिल्लाहरुमा पाइने कृषि जैविक विविधता जस्तै गहुँ, जौ, उवा, लट्टे, चिनो, कागुनो, आदिको खेतबारी, खेती गर्ने तथा बाली भित्र्याउने क्रियाकलापहरु पनि पर्यटकका लागि आकर्षण हुन सक्छन् । इलामको सिरी गाई, मुस्ताङको लुलु गाई, हिमाली भेगमा पाइने च्याङ्ग्रा र सिन्हाल बाख्रा, मध्यपहाडी भेगमा पाइने खरी बाख्रा, स्थानअनुसार पाइने गाई भैँसी, बंगुर तथा कुखुराका जातहरु पनि कृषि पर्यटनका अकर्षण हुन सक्छन् । त्यसैगरी चिराइतो खेती, कफी खेती, लोक्ता खेती, सुन्तला, जुनार, नासपाती, कागती आदी लगाएतका उपजहरुलाई ठाउँ विशेष प्रबर्धन र प्रचारप्रसार गर्न सकिन्छ । पोखरा आसपासका क्षेत्रमा पोखरेली जेठो बुढो, बास्ना आउने घिरौँला, सुन्तला, रोपाई जात्रा, सिमसारमा आधारित खेती प्रणाली, प्रांगारिक खेती गरिएको क्षेत्र, स्थानीय माछाहरु, धानका जंगली जातहरु भएको क्षेत्रहरु, कोदो र धान रोपाइ सँग सम्बन्धित क्रियाहरु र किसानका स्थानीय अन्वेषणहरु आदि लाई कृषि पर्यटनका क्रियाकलापका रुपमा लिन सकिन्छ । कृषक समुदायले संरक्षण गर्दै आएका कृषि जैविक विविधता, बीउ बैँक, जैविक विविधता प्रदर्शनी, ब्यवस्थित घर बगैँचाहरु, स्थानीय कृषिजन्य सानाउधोगहरु, प्रांगारिक मल तथा विषादी तथा तयार गर्ने विधिहरु पनि, हलो जोत्ने, गोरु दाउने, नेपालको परम्परागत कृषि प्रणाली जस्तै खोरिया खेती र सरुवा खेती, र कृषि सँग सम्बन्धित विभिन्न सास्कृतिक पर्वहरुमा पर्यटकलाई सहभागि बनाउने (जस्तैः दियाली, रोपाइ जात्रा, असार पन्ध्र, पुसे पन्ध्र, साउने सक्रान्ति (राँको फाल्ने), माघे सक्रान्ति आदि) पनि कृषि पर्यटनका क्रियाकलापहरु हुन सक्छन् । बास्तवमा पर्यटकहरुका विविध चाहना तथा अबलोकन गर्ने इच्छाहरुलाई परिपुर्ति गर्नका लागि कृषिजन्य क्रियाकलापहरुलाई पर्यटन सँग समायोजन गर्न सकिएमा नेपाली पर्यटन व्यवसायमा स्थानीय समुदायको पनि सक्रिय सहभागिता गराउन सकिने सम्भावनाहरुलाई यथार्थमा परिणत गर्न सकिन्छ । जसवाट स्थानीय स्वरोजगारी प्रबर्धन भई नेपालको स्थानीय विकासमा पर्यटन व्यवसायले सुनौलो इट्टा थप्न सहयोग पुग्ने देखिन्छ । त्यसैले राज्य र किसान सँग काम गर्ने विभिन्न निकाय तथा पर्यटन व्यवसायीहरुले पनि नेपालमा कृषि पर्यटनका अवसरहरुबाट फाइदा लिनका लागि लगानी गर्नुपर्ने समय आइसकेको छ ।