Tag: Agriculture

With the impact of temperature rise on water availability set to compound already high levels of food insecurity in the region, ICIMOD has partnered with the World Food Programme (WFP) to protect vulnerable communities in the region.

A tiny fraction of Nepal’s energy is used in agriculture. Harnessing renewables could be a game-changer for millions of farmers, writes Jan-Erik Studsrød, Counsellor for Energy and Climate at the Royal Norwegian Embassy, Kathmandu.

Young researcher and ICIMOD / GRAPE Embrace Equity Grant recipient Bidhya Poudel Chhetri chronicles the challenges and opportunities for women agriculturalists in the far west of Nepal

Farmer Laxmi Thapa worried that ditching chemical fertilisers and pesticides would hit her bottom-line. With the help of GRAPE, her input costs have dropped, while her yield, and health, have leapt.

Farming requires perseverance and hard work at the best of times. Now with the effects of climate change firmly embedded in many places across the HKH region, farming communities need to become resilient to these impacts.

Mountain peaks in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region – usually capped in a white blanket of snow in the winter – remain noticeably bare this year, particularly in the western Himalayas. This winter has been very unusual, with little or no snowfall throughout the region. Farmers are understandably concerned, as low snowfall has a direct and severe impact on agriculture. This is particularly acute for the HKH region which is heavily dependent on agriculture.

Drought, extreme weather events, and shifting pest and disease patterns are some of the challenges posed by a changing climate that affect farmers all over the HKH. One such farmer is Puna Rawat Bhandari, 31, from Dailekh District, in western Nepal, where she plays a vital role as a local resource person at the Community Learning Centre in Bhandaritol, Ward 4, Dullu Municipality.